Name

What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

As a writer I name a lot of people. I am having a major problem with one character, that turned up as a surprise to me in the novel Day Care that is about 40,000 words done.

First, she wasn't supposed to be a character at all, but was part of an exercise I was doing where a writer was interviewing my main characters: Anne-Marie, Maura, Sally and Ashley. Those four women's names fell in place from the first touch of my finger to the keyboard.

Then Character X took over the novel, shifting the focus. I started with the name Susan Ainsworth. It didn't fit so I switch to Lauren. The problem with using Lauren, I keep picturing a writer friend Lauren, and Ms Ainsworth doesn't look anything like the real Lauren.

Names need to reflect place: geographically and in time. I know romantic novels often do exotic names. I have forgotten the book, but I remember a male character from Louisiana named Cash Boudreau. Boudreau is a good Cajun name and also my maiden name. But Cash?

The character was also known for his exceptional blue eyes, another trick in romantic novels but frowned upon in other genera.  

Where do I get names?

Often from lists of popular names for the year the character was born. Susan was number 11 in 1969. Lauren wasn't on the list. I new Jessica and Jennifer were popular from the number of Jessicas and Jennifers in my daughter's (born 1969) classes throughout school.

When was writing Murder in Argelès, I walked through the cemetery with a notebook taking down names and birth years. For Murder on Insel Poel, I went through the telephone book on the island. Murder in Geneva I read history books about the city from the period of Calvin.  

Murder in Edinburgh? A variation of the method although not all male characters could be named Duncan or Malcolm.

Now I'm thinking of the name Cynthia, not Cindy and definitely not Cindi for my new character.