tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post2698444881710390266..comments2024-03-29T02:43:11.575-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: what's ON A NAMEJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-58690778059056117252010-09-25T01:20:14.528-04:002010-09-25T01:20:14.528-04:00Harry Bosch has a daughter named Maddie.
Ian Ran...Harry Bosch has a daughter named Maddie.<br /><br />Ian Rankin has a character named Francis Nealy in The Naming of the Dead.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-18342014129312867662007-09-15T10:57:00.000-04:002007-09-15T10:57:00.000-04:00And Marianne is the queen of names--once you ventu...And Marianne is the queen of names--once you venture into building other worlds, as she has--you also get to build the names they'd use. <BR/><BR/>Which would have to be an entire world-design, wouldn't it? Actually creating that world's structure of what names mean and how they are and which gender gets what. <BR/><BR/>Especially if there are more than two genders.Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-20043272320801662772007-09-14T13:40:00.000-04:002007-09-14T13:40:00.000-04:00Sorry, Hank. My March book News Blues has a heroin...Sorry, Hank. My March book News Blues has a heroine name Maddy. :)<BR/><BR/>I usually can't start a book until I am settled on the character's names.Mari Mancusihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13836247014927417229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-5111350355572138702007-09-13T23:42:00.000-04:002007-09-13T23:42:00.000-04:00Oh, Mo.That's such a genius idea. I'm SO tempted. ...Oh, Mo.That's such a genius idea. <BR/>I'm SO tempted. <BR/><BR/>I once had this little plastic alligator in my office, I have no idea where it came from. About a foot long. Since we're the investigative unit, my producer and I used to call it the <BR/>Investi-gator. (We're a laugh a minute.) <BR/><BR/>I really really wanted to put it someplace in the background video of every story we did, just to see if anyone would notice.<BR/><BR/>We didn't do it.<BR/><BR/>I also always wanted to get a family photo, in a frame, and then just put in the the shot behind everyone we interviewed. Just to see if anyone would notice.<BR/><BR/>I guess we had all been working too many hours.<BR/><BR/>We never did that either, of course.<BR/><BR/>But the Frances idea--I like it.Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-72246026974504564372007-09-13T22:14:00.000-04:002007-09-13T22:14:00.000-04:00Guess we both have OCD, Hank, or way too much time...Guess we both have OCD, Hank, or way too much time. Was there life before Google? How about we all try to use a character named Frances L. Neagley in a story this year? See what kind of variety we get? Bet she'd get a kick out of it.AliasMohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02215864597874551595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-12632911010194076512007-09-12T23:35:00.000-04:002007-09-12T23:35:00.000-04:00Kira--that's amazing. And must have been quite a m...Kira--that's amazing. And must have been quite a moment for you. Hallie quotes E. B. White as saying, "I know when something is right because bells begin ringing and lights flash." And it's also good if you find your "made up" character's name on a real map!<BR/><BR/>Lisa--you're so right. Those names are perfect. Now--why? Because they're real sounding--but just a couple of twists off normal?<BR/><BR/>I found photos of Frances Neagley on the web, by the way. When Lee Child comes to Crime Bake, I'm going to get the scoop.Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-61741304764218387672007-09-12T10:20:00.000-04:002007-09-12T10:20:00.000-04:00I got one character's name from a map of Sicily. T...I got one character's name from a map of Sicily. Taking a page from Mario Puzo (who got the name Corleone from the same place) I named an old Italian guy, Chiaramonte. One of my fave names.Rosemary Harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08033747422699443024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-54826126839031525622007-09-12T09:23:00.000-04:002007-09-12T09:23:00.000-04:00Kira,That's Twilight zone stuff! But it sure makes...Kira,<BR/>That's Twilight zone stuff! But it sure makes you wonder......Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-67699284464665759902007-09-11T22:04:00.000-04:002007-09-11T22:04:00.000-04:00I'm working on a short story and came up with a na...I'm working on a short story and came up with a name easily. I set it in a "fictional" town that used to exist but doesn't anymore. I found an old map of the town, with residents' names where they lived. Not only did my characters last name appear on the map, it showed up next to a pond where I'd set her home in the story.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-19699638163826585852007-09-11T18:01:00.000-04:002007-09-11T18:01:00.000-04:00One of my favorite authors is a Dartmouth professo...One of my favorite authors is a Dartmouth professor named, Ernest Hebert. The characters in his books (set in NH) have some of the greatest names I've ever read. Here's a sample list of names from his book, The Dogs of March:<BR/><BR/>Howard Elman, Zoe Cutter, Everett Swett, Cooty Patterson, Ira Lodge, Ollie Jordan, Willow Jordan, Pegeen Elman, Ann Rae Swett, Harold Flagg, Russell Pegasus, Arch Sawyer, Fralla Pratt, Turtle Jordan, Bert Reason...Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00665632105920753931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-32024522763937020702007-09-11T12:37:00.000-04:002007-09-11T12:37:00.000-04:00Not to compare either incomparable Hallie to a poo...Not to compare either incomparable Hallie to a pooch, but when I rescued my first golden he was named Sprawl - a ridiculous name for a dog. So we renamed him Patrick (after Patrick Ewing, I might add.)Either he was dissing us, or the new name never really took. When we rescued our second golden he was called Max and we kept it that way. Sometimes ya gotta stop editing.Rosemary Harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08033747422699443024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-83559609180015009572007-09-11T10:03:00.000-04:002007-09-11T10:03:00.000-04:00Hey Susannah,I had to do the ultimate name change....Hey Susannah,<BR/>I had to do the ultimate name change. In Final Copy, my protaganist was Addy McNeil. My publisher folded just as I finished the sequel. Since it was a different locale and slightly later time period, my agent suggested changing her name so a new publisher could launch it as first in a series. It was like hell trying to envision this character as anything other than Addy (Short of Adelaide). I spent weeks on this, toyed with several different names, including Tish. This was axed by the publisher who bought it -- because it was too close to Laura Lippman's Tess. (which I hadn't read at the time). Finally, Hallie Ephron, graciously allowed me to steal her name. And viola, she became Hallie. But it was like renaming your child. Really, really hard.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-86513263153346901852007-09-11T09:39:00.000-04:002007-09-11T09:39:00.000-04:00I don't get it. I'm not anonymous.I don't get it. I'm not anonymous.Rosemary Harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08033747422699443024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-15335574764534425122007-09-11T09:38:00.000-04:002007-09-11T09:38:00.000-04:00I think the placeholders I used were all, generall...I think the placeholders I used were all, generally speaking, on the right track, character-wise. For example I eventually changed a Lola to a Wanda - she's a former backup singer who now owns a diner, most people call her Babe anyway. But I decided on Lucy as another character's name and thought Lola and Lucy sounded...goofy! This may be weird but I didn't want too many characters names to start with the same letters or have the same feel to them. <BR/>Jan, I love the fact that all Karens are supposed to be blonde. You're right! BTW, I didn't know about search and replace and I suffered changing names.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-50817037302624679322007-09-11T04:12:00.000-04:002007-09-11T04:12:00.000-04:00I have a question for Rosemary. When you finally ...I have a question for Rosemary. When you finally settled on names for characters who previously had 'placeholders' -- did you find your perception of those characters and personalities changed at all, once they were finally named? Did those final names cause personality changes in late drafts?<BR/><BR/>I've heard a few people speak not only how how characters affect the choice of their names, but also the inverse -- how naming affects the characters. Even Margaret Mitchell said something about the revisions to character that followed after 'Pansy' O'Hara was renamed Storm, then Scarlett.<BR/><BR/>This is posed to all of you, actually. If you've had a character nicknamed 'Tiddles' who previously lived for spiked iced coffee and Milano cookies, then got renamed 'Barb' and suddenly wanted straight gin -- please share! }:>Susannah Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660387525544941776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-12016958176685904322007-09-10T23:11:00.000-04:002007-09-10T23:11:00.000-04:00Oh--that is the most interesting thing. The MOST.I...Oh--that is the most interesting thing. The MOST.<BR/>I just finished Bad Luck and Trouble--and loved it. Of course. I'm addicted to Lee Child.<BR/>But let me say I did notice-- strongly and with some curiosity--the name Frances Neagley.<BR/>Because, no spoilers here, but if I had been naming that character, that's not what I would have named her. (Not that that means anything. I'm just saying.)<BR/><BR/>But I had seen, right off the bat, that the book was dedicated to her, so I figured it was someone he --loved. Respected, cared about in some way. Something good. It was just--such an unpredictable choice for a name.<BR/><BR/>So that's fascinating to have an explanation.<BR/><BR/>And perfect timing, too.<BR/><BR/>(Does anyone know who she really is?)<BR/><BR/>If you want to have a contest here to name the former bad boy turned true crime novelist, let us know. Were here to help. Or, to make everyting more complicated. Marcus Shaw?<BR/><BR/>Thanks, Aliasmo!Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-14739739072709655682007-09-10T18:37:00.000-04:002007-09-10T18:37:00.000-04:00Since I'm in the process of reconsidering, once ag...Since I'm in the process of reconsidering, once again, the names of several key characters, this discussion is reassuring. Some names just fall into place, like the two cops in my "Still Waters" story, Beth Frobish and Lon DiAngelo, or my zoo security officer, Janet Farmer. Others, like Farmer's Italian-Irish cop love interest or a former bad boy turned true crime novelist, keep shifting on me. <BR/><BR/>There is a temptation to give your favorite characters the names you wanted for yourself or couldn't give your kids. (I like "Paul" but it sounds funny with Walsh, and I axed all the names with "ar" syllables that Bostonians pronounce "ah." Good-bye Martin, Charles, Margaret, etc.) I'd love to do something nasty with the names of our remodeling contractor and a couple of my former bosses. That last could be a double-whammy, since their last names combine to form Martin Bogar or, as the Bostonians would say, Mahtin Bogah.<BR/><BR/>Funny note on the "name auction" trend: I picked up the first two books in a new series by Zoe Sharp, in part because the front cover blurb on #2 is by Lee Child. In that book, a former cop turned private investigator is named Frances Neagley, the same name as a former MP turned security consultant in Lee Child's "Without Fail" and "Bad Luck and Trouble." I went back to the acknowledgements (which I never read in advance, in case they tip me off to a plot twist) and found out Frances Neagley placed the winning bid to be in the book at Bouchercon. Child's "BL&T" is dedicated to "the real Frances L. Neagley." So somehow two similar but different characters in books by two different but connected authors are named after the same woman! She must be something.<BR/><BR/>Last of these rambling comments: My favorite all-time real name belonged to an elderly farmer who was my dad's patient--Lovelace Kitchen.<BR/><BR/>MoAliasMohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02215864597874551595noreply@blogger.com