I just finished a meeting with someone whose last name is Coffin. I immediately thought Wow, I wonder what you think about your name. Is it something you love, something you hate, or something you never think about?
When my husband and I named our daughter, we received quite a few opinions (mostly negative) about the name we'd chosen. (All I will say is it sounds the same, but isn't spelled the same, as a former president.) We didn't listen, and now our loved ones agree it was the perfect name for her.
When I write, I try to choose the perfect name for the character, one that embodies who they are or their situation. Sometimes the name comes to me immediately, and sometimes I struggle. Secondary characters' names aren't quite as important to me, and many times I'll simply write the first name that pops into my head. With my latest story The Ugly Sister, I accidentally named a character Mark Sparks. One of my beta readers caught it and told me that she didn't like his name. I considered changing it. After all, he plays a very minor role, and I didn't want his name to draw more attention than it should.
On the other hand, his name cracked me up, and I loved the irony that one of the more serious characters had a fun name. So, I compromised. Mark Sparks retained his name; however, I made sure in the story that I never placed his first and last name next to each other.
Now you know a little secret, and we share an inside joke!
Have you ever experienced a name that drew your attention? If you have, feel free to share below.
When my husband and I named our daughter, we received quite a few opinions (mostly negative) about the name we'd chosen. (All I will say is it sounds the same, but isn't spelled the same, as a former president.) We didn't listen, and now our loved ones agree it was the perfect name for her.
When I write, I try to choose the perfect name for the character, one that embodies who they are or their situation. Sometimes the name comes to me immediately, and sometimes I struggle. Secondary characters' names aren't quite as important to me, and many times I'll simply write the first name that pops into my head. With my latest story The Ugly Sister, I accidentally named a character Mark Sparks. One of my beta readers caught it and told me that she didn't like his name. I considered changing it. After all, he plays a very minor role, and I didn't want his name to draw more attention than it should.
On the other hand, his name cracked me up, and I loved the irony that one of the more serious characters had a fun name. So, I compromised. Mark Sparks retained his name; however, I made sure in the story that I never placed his first and last name next to each other.
Now you know a little secret, and we share an inside joke!
Have you ever experienced a name that drew your attention? If you have, feel free to share below.
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