Got my strong, virile male?
Check!
Lucious heroine?
Check!
And their names are...
Uhh...
A few months ago a review site asked me what kind of obstacles I faced due to the fact that I teach Kindergarten by day, then write romance at night. They also wanted to know if I ever took anything from my day job and put it into a book.
Well, yes. I do. My kids’ names have become a great source of inspiration for characters’ names. And, trust me, after thirty plus years of teaching, I’ve come across all manner of names—spelling and pronunciation aside. I figured if *I* couldn’t pronounce the name the way it looked, how could I expect my readers to?
I know several writers who use baby names books to find a name that “fits”. Some writers have even held contests (Name My Hero/Heroine!). Gee, I remember a time when a well-known author once admitted to searching through a phone book.
Where do you get the names for your characters? I would love to hear any other ideas, tips, or suggestions y’all would be willing to share!
Every now and then I use the naming sites, not the baby naming sites, though. I prefer to have the meaning for the name if it applies. Otherwise, they tell me their name. I've really had very few characters come to me unnamed already.
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