What’s In a Name?

By Cait Collins

Do you love your name? Does it fit your personality? My given name, Barbara, comes from the Latin meaning stranger or foreigner. Some books use the term barbarian. Stranger, maybe. I’m shy and tend to make friends slowly. However, barbarian indicates wild and untamed. Definitely not me. I am asked why I took Cait for a pen name. Simple. The name is Irish meaning pure. My mother’s family is Irish. The meaning of the name fits me. Pure in heart, pure mind, you get the idea. It’s me. So, did my parents make a mistake with my name? No. They liked Barbara Ann, it was popular in the 1950’s, and they chose it for me. I doubt they knew the meaning of Barbara. But even if they did know, it would not have changed their choice.

Prospective parents place great importance on selecting a name for the baby. They make lists, consider religious or cultural significances, think about inherited names, and popularity before selecting a name for their newborn. If moms and dads make name lists and whittle down the choices to find that perfect name, shouldn’t a writer put equal thought into naming his characters? After all, the author is like a parent giving life to the characters and the work.

Authors have varying methods for selecting a character’s name. Sometimes it just comes to you. For example, I have a character named Macon Georgia. That name had no rhyme or reason until an inebriated Macon explained. “My daddy didn’t have much imagination when it came to naming his children. I was born in Macon, Georgia. I have a baby brother named Mobile Alabama.” I also used Houston and Austin for brothers in an early novel. The heroine quipped, “Don’t tell me. You have another brother named Dallas.” “Actually,” Houston stated, “Dallas is my sister.” I don’t try to analyze name inspiration like this. If the character is shouting “I am…” who am I to argue? Sometimes the fictional entity just might know best.

More research may be required when writing a period piece. What names were common to the time period? Were there regional variations or spellings of the proposed name? Was the name used at the time in question? There are good books to help with name research. I use THE VERY BEST BABY NAME BOOK in the whole wide world by Bruce Lansky for some of my research. The book contains little known facts, stereotypes, positive and negative perceptions of names for both boys and girls, popular names for different countries, gender neutrals, and name selection worksheets. It defines the country of origin and the meaning. Unfortunately, the historical age is not provided. That’s where search engines come into play. Do not neglect this step. A name not associated with the times or the setting could destroy chances for publication.

Even minor characters need to be named. If he is known only as Joe’s friend, one could assume the person has no real value to the story. He’s just thrown in to fill space from point A to point B in the scene. Even if he makes only one appearance in the work, give some consideration in choosing the name. If he’s gentle, compassionate, and concerned, Luke might be a better choice than Bubba.

So what is in a name? The rose’s fragrance may be sweet, but if we call it gardenia, that’s a whole different scent. Names help define characteristics, explain why a character behaves in a certain way. A character might fail if he cannot live up to granddad’s name. Choosing names for characters is an important step in developing the story. A boy named Sue just might be the spice that flavors the novel.

Outtakes 93

Writing Loss

By Cait Collins

The protagonist in your current work is a successful cardiac surgeon. He is in route to a conference where he is to present a paper on a new surgical technique he developed. The pilot comes over the speaker announcing engine problems, and requesting the passengers comply with the instructions from the crew. As the cabin attendant is relaying the crash procedures, there is a sudden drop in altitude. The airplane crashes into a field. Your character survives, but suffers a head injury and damage to the optic nerves. He is blind.

Psychologists tell us there are five stages of grieving:  denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.  Everyone responds to loss differently. There is no order or time limit for passing through the various stages. If the writer is not in his character’s head, if he hasn’t invested a part of himself into this individual, the story may fall flat.

Put yourself in the surgeon’s place. What do you imagine his reaction to the news will be? Or, maybe more important, what do you think your response would be? Consider all the possibilities. Will he be in denial, refusing to accept the diagnosis? Perhaps he will respond with rage and push everyone who cares for him from his life. What if he gets stuck in the grieving process? All these emotions and more are possible. But how do you write the story without losing the emotional impact? Permit yourself to access a similar experience. Recall your responses, the pain, the tears, and then write what you feel. Avoid clichés. Use word images. Vary the tempo of the prose. Since emotions are messy, it’s important to allow your character to experience every range of feelings. Don’t hold back and do not edit.

Writing for emotional impact is not easy. I have recently learned the best way for me to write feelings is to accept the mess and wade through the mire. While the writing has been difficult, it is freeing. There’s something rewarding in seeing the readers’ teary eyes, and hearing their choked voices. When you get this response, you know you did your job as a writer.