WHAT'S IN A NAME? - Part 1

I know I’m not the only writer who spends a great deal of time thinking about the names of my characters. Names tell you a lot about the person you are about. There are two aspects to names. First are the names we choose and second is the characters we choose to name. I want to talk about this second set this week.

Last week while working on my current manuscript, I had two characters. Originally, one was referred to simply as “the stable boy” When I was doing some rewriting I decided to name the stable boy Finn. And suddenly… he wanted to TALK! He wanted to participate in the story. Doing the only thing I felt I could do at the time I said, “Sure,” and there he was babbling away as only a seven year old can do. He was rushing into rooms, interrupting the hero and heroine and now he is well on his way to being part of the climax.

The other character was “an older female servant” who became Ida, and once she was Ida, she, too, needed to be a more active part of the story. She’s turned into a surrogate mom for my heroine (who’s based on Cinderella) and is helping her to grow into her new role and to accept her love for the prince.

I adore both characters and there is no doubt that the book is better for them being in it. It was a wonderful surprise seeing them both come to life on the page and a memorable experience for me as a writer. Now I know – be careful who you name, because the story they change, may be your own!

May you have wonderful surprises in your world this week,
Rowan

What I like most about writing is...

Wow...
There are so many things I love about my job.

<--- That's one of them! The joy of getting a new cover, of seeing how a cover artist has interpreted your work. It's an amazing thrill! Isn't Sir Stephen handsome? Sins of the Knight releases on February 1, and I'm so excited about it, I can hardly think of anything else!

But...it's everything about writing. The creative process--fashioning a vivid world and characters from a blank screen. A world that you pour your soul into and hope that someday readers will sink their teeth into and come away feeling happy and fulfilled.

Just gives me an ahhhh, feeling, you know? :)

What I like most about writing is...

Creating all the lives I want to live. If I can't do *everything* I want, I can put those things into my heroines and they can do them for me. My heroines can go to other countries, other worlds and realms, and indulge and enjoy all the variety that I really can't. They can meet (or be) vampires, fairies, or great cooks (nope, I'm not one of those). Dont get me wrong... I adore my husband, our children and my life... but oh, I do love to dream!

Truthfully, there is so much about writing and the writing life I love. I love the flexibility - I can write anywhere at anytime. I love that it is something I never have to retire from. I love the community of writers in my life. And, as I said, I love to live out my dreams. If I can dream it, my characters can live it and by extention so can I and my readers.

Here's to dreaming vividly!!!