Naming Characters

I get emails a lot asking me where I come up with the names for my characters. Is there a specific formula or a particular way to do it? Absolutely not! LOL! Most of the time, I come up with my character names in the most peculiar ways. You want to make sure that your characters' names fit their role in the story...as well as fitting the overall theme of the story.



Here are some tips for naming characters:

1. Choose something that mirror's your character's personality. If your character is a science geek (like Celia Nichols in GHOST HUNTRESS), give them a name that fits their interests. My first manuscript was about a naive twenty-something working her first job in the tech industry, traveling to tradeshows, and unfortunately giving away a company trade secret. Her name was Vanessa Virtue. It was perfect for her. Could you imagine Thor with any other name? If he was Irving, it just wouldn't work.



2. The character's name should be pronouncable and easy for the reader to understand. Think of how the name sounds if you say it out loud. Is there a harmony or a ring to it? Avoid names that no one knows how to say. I respect all of the urban fantasy out there these days, but some of the names are just...unrecognizable. Being creative with a name is great, but not if you reader has no clue how to say it in their head.

3. Make sure the character's name fits the time period. You wouldn't want to write a contemporary YA and name the heroine...Ethel. (My grandma was Ethel...so apologies if I offend anyone.) If you're writing steampunk or historical YA, make sure to use names from the time period. I don't think anyone back then would be named Brittney. LOL!



4. Use the names of people you know...friends, family, colleagues. When I first sold my SORORITY 101 series, all of the guys at my sales office wanted to be in the book. So I put them in as random fraternity guys, teachers, and fellow students. I carried this tradition on with my GHOST HUNTRESS books. The character of Rebecca is one of my best friends (see below.) She's not a goth chick at all, so she loves reading her "alter ego." Be careful with this technique as you don't want to make anyone look bad or make the character reflect something you can get sued over. Always get the person's permission to use their name. Funny enough, the name Kendall Moorehead, the heroine of the GHOST HUNTRESS series came from an offensive lineman that played for the University of Alabama when I was in school. I always loved the name and wanted to use it. So I did.



5. Obituaries are a great place to find unique and personality-filled names. Now, before you throw rotten tomatoes at me, a LOT of authors do this. It's a tribute to the person in that their name carries on and, you can read a lot of about who they were in their obituary, and pay tribute to their life.

6. There are numerous online sources you can use for naming characters. If you're writing about someone that was born in a particular year, why not visit the Social Security website that ranks the popular names by year. Or, you can use any "name your baby" website. There are also name generator websites you can use, as well. Use a surname generator for your family's history or ethnicity or country of origin. Be creative and search to find that perfect name you're searching for.

7. Avoid using names in your story that are similar to other characters names. Look at the letters the names are starting with. Are you using a lot of "C" names? (Charles, Cathy, Christina, Callie) Mix it up a little bit. This makes it easier for the reader to keep up, especially when there are a lot of characters.

What are some memorable character names that you've come across in your reading?

Hugs,
Marley = )

The Story Notebook

Here it is, guys - the composition notebook that is the birthplace of my new book. You'll see the cryptic title SISTERS, since I'm not sure what the real novel will end up being called just yet.

Every time I begin a new story, I purchase this exact kind of notebook and I start scribbling all my ideas in it. As the story grows, I use it for outlining the chapters and sections, for tracking my daily progress (number of words written, pages, time spent) and for making revision notes. It stays with me until the book is finally done, revised, accepted, and then the notebook joins the pile of the others that have come before it.

It's important, for me at least, to have this kind of ritual. It is one of the things that I do each time. And it's comforting to have the notebook with me wherever I'm writing. It's convenient to have it in my backpack so that I can write down any new idea that relates to the book. It's low-tech, requires no batteries, and it costs under three dollars, usually.

If you're a teen who wants to write, I'd suggest starting this habit of carrying a notebook with you. It doesn't have to be all for one novel or short story. You don't have to actually use it for the pages of the story if you don't want to. Just let it be the receptacle in which you collect your ideas and thoughts. It's not a journal, which for me means a notebook you use to record your life, this is the dreamcatcher for your writing life.

You don't have to share it. You don't have to be grammatically correct or spell anything right within its pages. It's only for you and the story.

I have some rules about my notebook. I cannot ever tear out a page from the book. I cannot use it to write down a shopping list. I cannot use it to write about real events or how I feel about them. I cannot abandon it for a new book - I use it until my novel is done.

The notebook is my ritual, but I know other writers and artists use other things. Do you have any ritual you use when starting a new story or project?

What is something you must have in place to begin your creative work?

Hugs,

Heather
www.heatherdavisbooks.com
Wherever You Go - Harcourt 11/11
The Clearing - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen

Attacking the never-ending "to do" list

I'm a "to-do" list person. I have lists on my computer sticky notes. I have lists in my notebook. I have lists in my BlackBerry. Do this. Do that. Don't forget that. Don't forget this. And, of course, I shuffle and hussle and most things don't get done.



To me, everything is a "to-do" item. I learned once that if you put things on your "to-do" list that you know you'll actually do and can cross off, it'll make you feel like you accomplish things during the course of the day. Like blogging today. I know I'm going to do it, so "blog" goes on the list because I know I'll cross it off. But where's the prioritization?



That's the problem with me...I'm a reactionist, if that's even a word. I react to what I need to do at that moment, or where my monkey mind (a Buddhist term meaning "unsettled") thoughts take me. You know, those random thoughts that come to you during the day that you have to stop everything to Google the information before you lose the train of thought.

Okay...maybe that's a 44 year old thing. LOL!!

In my attempt to become more organized, less reactionist, and less of a do-it-at-the-last-minute person, I read a fantastic book called THE WAR OF ART: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield. It's a brilliant book that's changed my life.



It talks about what keeps us from our art is Resistance. Resistance is anything that keeps us from our art. Resistance comes in many forms. Resistance is there to keep us from reaching our potential and seeing our dreams fulfilled. Resistance is self-doubt, procrastination, focusing on the wrong things, getting involved in television shows, online games, Facebooking, or anything else that keeps your attention away from your art. It takes the form of your relationship, your friendships, your job, your chores, anything. It's evil and you have to overcome it. Resistance keeps you from your artistic potential.

So, for me, my goal in 2011 is to beat the crap to of Resistance. For me, that includes not wasting time, not getting sucked into online dramas on Facebook, or spending way too much time trying to beat my high score in Bejeweled Blitz. I will stick to the "to-do" lists...doing what is IMPORTANT and not what is URGENT (as the book recommends) and focusing on my art. Manuscripts, proposals, new ideas, new characters, new words. That's what matters.



What is keeping you from your art? What is your Resistance?

Hugs,
Marley = )

www.marleygibson.com
www.ghosthuntress.com

Ghosts don't hang up their sheets after Halloween!
GHOST HUNTRESS series - The Awakening, The Guidance,
The Reason, The Counseling - available now!

Writing Tip: Find Your Process

Okay, so the title of this blog is kind of a misnomer, because I don't think you can actually find your one, single, absolute, perfect process. I've written a total of nine complete books at this point (not all of them published or publishable, obviously) and I've used almost as many processes.

For my first book, I plotted out a very specific and elaborate outline. For the next three, I knew my characters and their situation and just dove into the mist. Then I got an editor and she kinda wanted to know where things were going, so I started then next book with the end in mind. In the middle here I wrote an unpublished book that required a very specific structure, inherent to the story, and I had to walk a very strange and specific line in plotting.

Then my editor wanted to know even more about where things were going, so I broke out the big guns. For the next two books I used Michael Hauge's six step screenplay structure to plot my books ahead of time.

That worked pretty well... until I got to the latest book, the first in my Medusa series. I cannot count how many hours I spent trying to figure out how to structure this trilogy. I have three girls. I have three books. Each girl has an arc in each book. The girls have an overall arc that spans the trilogy. It's ten books in one. When I tried applying the Hauge structure to this mess my brain nearly imploded. In the end, I had to just start writing a train-of-thought synopsis, starting from the point where the book opened and guiding myself through ten pages of "and then this happens."

If I've learned anything in my several years and several books of writing it's that as soon as you think you have something figured out, it'll change on you. And you have to be open to that. You can't waste time trying to hammer an unruly story into a process that doesn't fit. If the Hauge structure works for this book, great. If it's better with Randy Ingermanson's the snowflake method, then try that. Or Chris Vogler's the hero's journey. Or Aristotle's three act structure. Or the monkey poo method of plot development.

(I don't recommend that last one, but, hey, if it works...)

The point is, each new book is a different world (and, honestly, you're a different writer) so you can't expect it to conform to the process that worked for any previous book. You're best bet is to just chuck everything you knew before and start fresh. Plot this book in the way that suits it best. It'll thank you in the morning. Hopefully with a nice, juicy publishing contract.

Hugs,
TLC

teralynnchilds.com
@teralynnchilds

Writing Tip: Use of Body Language

This week's topic is Writing Tips, and my tip is how and why to add body language into your writing. When done skillfully, your readers will find your characters are more interesting and your overall writing is more believable. Body language (or nonverbal communication), paired with a character's words (verbal communication) and thoughts, adds another layer to that character's personality. In essence, it helps bring the character to life in the mind of the reader.

Does a character's body language agree or disagree with what he's saying?

As a Speech Communication/Broadcast major and an actor, I'm always paying attention to how people's posture, gestures, eye movements, and facial expressions portray what they're REALLY thinking at any given moment. Sometimes their body language goes along with what they're saying. For example, a character yawns and the reader understands that he is bored or tired. On the flip side, certain movements can contradict what a character is saying. Some signs of dishonesty include: averting one's gaze, touching one's face, biting one's lower lip, blushing, fidgeting, twitching, scuffling feet, twirling one's hair, scratching, blinking (either more or less than normal), etc. As a reader, I think it's fun to try and figure out, based on what the author gives me, whether or not a character is being honest.

What movements are believable and interesting?

If a character doesn't care, she might shrug or turn her back on someone else. If a character is excited, he might actually jump a little and his voice might get louder. You can also think of movements that aren't quite as common (or cliche). Perhaps the character is in a windstorm and the entire time her boyfriend is breaking up with her, she's preoccupied with the futile task of keeping her hair looking nice. (Hmm, I kinda like that scene. Lots of intrigue. Might have to use it someday! LOL) Or think of other ways to describe some of the more common body language. Maybe a smile can be described as a wry grin? A sexy smirk? A wolfish sneer?

When deciding what body language to use for a character, there are many things to consider so it comes across as believable. Here are a few things to get you thinking along these lines:

1. Gender. If your 40 year -old male character flutters his eyelashes, he will come across as feminine. How characters sit, stand, and walk can also suggest that they're masculine or feminine. Be careful not to go over the top, though. For example, if your male character is always grunting, spitting, and grabbing his crotch, you need to ask yourself if guys REALLY do that stuff, at least so often.

2. Age. Younger people typically express themselves more enthusiastically and with less inhibition. For example, a three year-old wouldn't think twice about jumping up and down and shouting, "I gotta pee!" for the whole restaurant to hear, whereas an adult would probably (hopefully) excuse him- or herself discreetly.

3. Attire. A woman in stilettos will trudge through the woods with more difficulty than one in hiking boots. Conversely, a woman who's used to wearing stilettos will be more graceful in them at the ball than a girl who's only ever worn hiking boots.

Of course, this is just a short list, but basically you'll need to know your characters well to keep their body language believable.

How can body language help a writer "Show, Don't Tell"?

Adding body language is a great way to obey the "Show, Don't Tell" maxim.

a) "Please don't go," Bertha says sadly. (Telling)

b) Bertha wipes the tears off her face. "Please don't go." (Showing)

a) Casey was infuriated. (Telling)

b) Casey clenched his hands into fists and his face turned crimson. (Showing)

a) Penelope wasn't happy to see fried chicken on her dinner plate. (Telling)

b) Penelope took one look at the fried chicken on her plate and hurled it across the kitchen. (Showing)

In the above examples, the same (or at least very similar) information is being shared, yet the second examples (b) are more interesting and offer new insight into the character.

Does your character have a signature move?

In addition to weaving body language into your writing, you might want to invent a signature movement for your character.

I remember when one of my friends told me he'd seen me standing in the parking lot from his dorm room some fifteen stories high. My boyfriend and I had just been in a wreck and the emergency personnel was checking out my boyfriend to make sure he was okay. My friend could tell it was me way down there because of the way I held my right arm straight down and grasped my right forearm with my left hand. It's what I always did whenever I was nervous about something, he'd said. I'd never noticed it before then, but he was right. It's one of my signature poses, and if a writer were to write a story about me, he or she'd want to describe the position of my arms when my character is nervous.

Maybe your character, a 16 year-old female cheerleader, is always smacking her gum. Maybe your newly turned vampire is constantly touching his fangs. Perhaps your Victorian-era duchess is prone to giggling when she's in the presence of her crush. Maybe your 800 year-old alien blinks his single eye verrrrrry slowly when he's trying to comprehend English, or your grandmother character tends to dab her nose with her deceased husband's handkerchief when she's thinking of him (her late husband, not the alien).

Giving your characters signature movements is a great way to help your readers get to know them.

What are some easy and effective ways to fine-tune your character's body language?

Sure, there are many books you can read to learn more about kinesics, the study of body language. But even if you just observe people in their natural settings, you'll see what kind of movements they do and under what circumstances. Then you can transfer those gestures and movements into your writing.

You can also pay attention to a talented actor in a movie or on a TV show. Some movie characters that are excellent examples of how body language can help develop a character are: Cap'n Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean (his walk), Bridget in Bridget Jones' Diary (her fidgeting), Kevin McCallister in Home Alone (his scream-face), James Bond in various Bond movies (his posture and poise), and Shrek in Shrek (his charmingly bashful smile).

A final note

Now that I've hopefully got you thinking of ways you can weave body language into your writing, make sure you use it sparingly so it isn't too overbearing. A good way to check is to read your scene out loud or have someone else read it for you. Remember, integrating physical movements into your writing is meant to add to what's being said or thought, not take attention away from what's being said or thought. Writing is something you'll get better at the more you practice, and using body language is a great method to get your readers into your story.