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My thoughts about things. |
| A place to put my thoughts about various stuff. |
| Where do we get the names for our characters? What is it about those names that make them fit the person we have created? Who could imagine anyone other than Harry Potter being the boy who survived? If you look into the details of the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, you'll find that Tolkien did not originally intend for Frodo to be the ring bearer. There is a favorite romantic comedy movie of mine that has a scene where this is highlighted, only it is the character that changes and not the name. In Alex and Emma, at one point Alex is describing a character in the book he is writing. Emma remarks that she 'hates it when authors do that'. He asks what and she says give a character a certain name because it puts her in mind of how he looks, and it is completely different than what Alex describes. For the sake of humor in the book, Alex ends up changing the look of the character. But there's a good thought - beauty (or what the character looks like in this case) is in the eye of the beholder (our readers). Personally, I can ignore what a character is described as and think of them as the way I want them to look, if I am so inclined. This is why I love books over movies for the most part. But if it is the other way around, I can't just rename the character as easily. It goes to pointing out then that perhaps the best 'check' for us then is to have multiple test readers of different types. The feedback would hopefully help point out any glaringly bad choices for certain details, including names. However, in the end, I do believe that we have to be true to ourselves and our creations. That can mean that we choose the name that may not go over as well, but we know that it was the right choice. So, I started with the second question that I posed in the beginning of this blog. Now, on to the first. Where do we get the names for our characters? If we are struggling, how can we figure it out? I know that there are times when the character and the name pop into my head as clear as day without any prompting. I have that feeling and know that it is right. Other times, I struggle to put a name to a face, so to speak. So where do I go when I'm having trouble? I have 3 good fall backs for me. 1. The alphabet game: I start with A and go from there thinking of different names that start with each letter. 2. Baby names lists: These aren't just for naming your child. I pop out and skim through for ideas. 3. Rolling movie credits: I would imagine that I might have actually read the names of more key grips, boom operators, hair/makeup professionals and costume designers, etc. than most individuals. There is a wealth of different names that can be mixed and matched. In the end, I believe we have to go with our gut instincts (along with a healthy dose of advice from test readers), so hopefully we create characters whose names will stick in our readers memories long after they have finished our books. |
| Why do I write? Why do I want to write? I've thought of these questions off and on throughout my life. As a student, I wrote for academic reasons: book reports, essays, term papers, creative writing assignments, articles for the school newsletter, etc. These were all reasonably public regardless of whether I wanted them to be. At the least, they were shared with the teacher, sometimes shared with a group of students or the entire class or in the case of the newsletter (a part of a class I took) the entire school. Some of those assignments I enjoyed. Some of them I despised. All of them were growing experiences for me, even if I didn't realize or appreciate it at the time. None of them contained my full potential. Why? I was too shy to put myself out there and take a chance at shining brighter, or perhaps brightest. There was always a little, most times a lot, that I held back. Always choosing the more mundane topics or themes, the ones that guaranteed I would get a good grade... and also remain just another kid in the crowd. I had stories that I wrote on my own and they were for no one but me. Until one day, a friend accidentally got ahold of one. I can still recall the sinking feeling of dread as they asked, "What's this?" I couldn't even say it was someone else's. It was in my handwriting. After preparing for the worst, I fessed up to it being mine, tried to dismiss it as something ridiculous I had just doodled out and should probably be in the trash. To my utter surprise, they had said, "It's really good, like 'in a book' good. You should keep going and finish it." Those words are held near and dear in my heart like they were emblazoned in gold on a plaque and put on a wall with a light shining down upon them. I never did finish that story. Life happened, as it usually does, and by the time I even contemplated finishing it, I realized I had outgrown the storyline. But... I still remember it. I hold it close, like the words on the plaque. Why do I write? Why do I want to write? Because I need to, want to, in some cases... almost have to. Writing can be confounding and frustrating. It can make me want to bang my head against a wall, or pull my hair out, or find an open field to scream my lungs out. It can take every bit of energy and bleed me dry for more until I need to step away and let myself rejuvenate only to go back and give even more. There are days I stare at a screen and curse the fact that I can't find a few words, let alone tens of thousands. And yet... Writing can be cathartic and healing. The act of doing it challenges me like nothing else in this world. I have characters that are not like old friends, they are old friends. They travel along with me, sometimes growing and changing, sometimes staying the same, but always there. Putting words to paper (figuratively speaking these days) can let them get out of my head or heart. It can be affirming or revealing; at times it is the only method I have to purge the darkness that dwells within and bring it to bear the light of day. So, though writing may be a constant struggle between flowing rivers of words and stagnant swamps of doubt and uncertainty... it always has been and always will be a vital part of my happiness and an essential part of my life. |
| We went to vote early this morning. It's a good feeling to have it done and see so many showing up at the polls. Regardless of who you support, it is important to exercise a freedom that not everyone in this world gets to experience. The atmosphere was nice. Quiet, but some people chatting and friendly with one another. Got in and out in 30 minutes, so not too bad. Before all of that, we got up to see the blood moon that occurred last night/early this morning. It was hard to see, but definitely visible. And a huge plus was we saw a shooting star, too! Very interesting start to the morning! I'm ok with saying that I'm not participating in NaNoWriMo this year. I geared myself up for it, but then just felt worse trying to force it into my schedule with very little planning. So, I am focusing on the positive. Since joining WDC about a month ago, I have written more often than I have in years. I've written new and interesting pieces, gotten feedback on them, and gained new insight into writing in general and for my big projects that I have planned. It's all good. Looking forward to getting our turkey! It's exciting to put it in the freezer and count down the days for taking it out to prep. I've already started stocking away the things we'll need for Thanksgiving... and I've bought a few Christmas presents to hide away, too. It's all coming together, just like every year, even if it feels so different for this one. One day at a time. One moment at a time. Breathe.  |
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