My special guest today is Cerridwen Press author, Liz Jasper. She writes paranormal mysteries, and her first book is called Underdead. Take a look at the blurb and tell me you’re not intrigued…
Science teacher Jo Gartner thinks teaching geology to hormonal pre-teens is deadly…until she is bitten by an inept vampire and becomes Underdead—all the problems of being a vampire, none of the perks.
When she finds a body on her classroom floor with teeth marks in his neck, she must figure out whodunnit before her Underdead secret gets out. But she’s running out of time. The detective in charge of the case is dogging her every move, her vampire traits are evolving in new and embarrassing ways, and someone wants Jo dead…the traditional way!
Review site, Two Lips Reviews said, “UNDERDEAD is certainly not your typical vampire story, it’s better…. I guarantee UNDERDEAD will have you laughing out loud, while keeping you in suspense right up until the end.”
Doesn’t this sound like a book you’d like to read? I know I’m sold.
Today Liz is talking about naming characters. Believe me, I know this isn’t an easy process. I have all sorts of problems when naming my characters. It seems Liz does too.
Take me now, Dirk Deedlehopper!
When asked why I write a mystery series instead of single-title books, I usually respond with something writerly about character development or plot arcs. And it’s true that I like the way one really gets to know and care about characters in a series. But writing a series has an advantage no one really talks about: you don’t have to come up with as many new names.
I hate naming characters. I’m not kidding. It’s really hard for me. Most of the names that pop in my head pop in because I know someone with that name. And that causes all sorts of problems.
For instance, imagine you’re creating your hero. He’s tall, dark and handsome or buffed, blond and gorgeous or whatever. You imagine your heroine leaning in for that first kiss. She moans, “Oh, John!”
Hold on. (And not because that’s terrible writing.) John was the name of the guy who took you to homecoming your sophomore year of high school. He had fish breath. O-kaaay. Not John. You rewrite. Your heroine and hero are sharing a box of Junior Mints.
He puts his arm around her. She leans toward him and whispers, “Oh, Rick!”
Backtrack, backtrack, ick, ick, ick. You forget about Uncle Richard, which is awfully close to “Rick.” And don’t forget about Ranger Rick Magazine which you read as a kid. How can you possibly write a romantic scene when you think “raccoon?” I mean, how much chest hair does the guy have? Eeew. Now in your head your tall, dark and handsome hero has developed long shaggy back hair!
Okay. Time to switch gears. Let’s name the murder victim. Okay. The victim is a female librarian in her 50s. How about Marge? You can’t think of anyone named Marge. Except for Marge Simpson, but since your victim is too old and square to have dyed her hair blue and too young to have a nice blue rinse, chances are no one is going to think Marge Simpson. Fine. Death to Marge! And then your mother reads the manuscript and you get this phone call:
Liz’s mom: “I can’t believe you killed off our next door neighbor.”
Liz: “What? What are you talking about?”
Liz’s mom: “Marge! Marge Wilkinson. How will I be able to look her in the face? Who’s going to watch our cat when we go to Florida?”
Liz: “Her name’s Marge?”
Liz’s mom: “What did you think her name was?”
Liz (in her head): “Mrs. Wilkinson.”
Liz (aloud): “It’s okay, Mom. I can change her name to…” (Liz looks frantically around desk. Sees ad for Glendora Cleaners.) “Glendora.” Hah. Perfect. Death to Glendora!
Liz’s mom: “Glendora? Tsk. That’s a ridiculous name for a librarian.”
So you can see how difficult coming up with names can be. I think we should all be glad I haven’t resorted to Dirk Deedlehopper. But if I’m honest, it’s only because my best friend used to date a guy named Dirk and George Deedlehopper doesn’t quite have the same ring.
Liz Jasper is the author of the 2008 EPPIE Award nominated paranormal mystery, UNDERDEAD, about science teacher Jo Gartner who is bitten by an inept vampire and becomes almost undead. Hailed by reviewers as “gloriously creative and funny” and “a nearly perfect read,” UNDERDEAD is available as an ebook from Cerridwen Press and is hot off the presses—this week–in print. To read the first chapter, visit Liz’s website at www.lizjasper.com. The sequel to UNDERDEAD is with her editor and Liz is at work on the third novel in the Underdead series.
Now tell me: What are your favorite character names? Do you think some are overdone and used too often? Are there some names you hate? And if you’re a writer, please share some of your character-naming adventures.
OMG Underdead … that’s too funny. I’m going to check that out. Awesome!
by Amy Ruttan February 1st, 2008 at 8:27 amI love the story about your character adventures.
There are not really many names that I don’t like but there are a couple and it has to do with the fact that I know people with that name and the association.
As for a favorite name I can’t really think of one. There are probably some names that are over used but for me if I get lost in the story it doesn’t bother me.
Your book sounds great.
by Larena Wirum February 1st, 2008 at 11:08 amI love your blog post, LOL!! And I can’t wait to read your book!! :) Congratulations!
by Red February 1st, 2008 at 12:38 pmHey, I think I need to open up a one-woman business. Names are my forte’. I absolutely luv naming my heroine and hero. And it’s rare when I have name troubles. ‘Course, all the names of my heroines and heroes are my favorites, or I wouldn’t use them. For example Lady Sheridan and Baron Zaggry, or Sher and Zag in my upcomining fantasy romance release.
by Savanna Kougar February 1st, 2008 at 12:54 pmAnyone need name possibilities, give me a holler over at Passionate Ink forum, an idea of your character’s personalites, and the type of novel you’re writing. I might be able to help.
Wonderful blog. What an intriguing fun story.
LOL, Liz! I feel for you. I have so many problems naming my characters. I can’t start writing until I have the perfect name.
by Shelley Munro February 1st, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I don’t have your imagination. The names stump me, since I write from personal experiences, I am alway debating shall I change the names or leave them.
by linda February 1st, 2008 at 1:59 pmHi Liz,
You had me laughing
I have no trouble dreaming up character names. I either know the name of the character instinctively, or if I need something unusual or from a certain time period or ethnicity I research and find one that fits my vision of the character. There are some names I would never use because they have bad associations in my mind. Usually from school times–although–I have found I can change my attitudes to names. I didn’t like the name Derek because of a boy at school, but I read a book I loved with a hero called Derek and my attitude to the name has changed.
by Helen Scott Taylor February 1st, 2008 at 2:08 pmI have lots of fun with character names.
My early books deliberately used family names to satisfy spouse and children and then a friend told me never to put her in a book, so the next one used the names of all her family, with just enough similarity in their appearances to be recognizable, although identifiably not them.
One of the grand children now gets the same treatment in every book.
Other than that, I collect them along the way, or spend time researching names from a particular area and their meanings, sometimes I fiddle with the spelling (Dale, became Dael in one book)
No, names are a lot of fun and a secondary character shortening the hero/heroine’s name can tell you a lot about their relationship.
by Amy Gallow February 1st, 2008 at 2:39 pmI love your post!
by Estella February 1st, 2008 at 3:04 pmYou book sounds great. I love paranormals.
Funny and entertaining as always. I have Underdead on my to read list and it’s rapidly moving to the top each time I read that blurb and an excerpt.
I’m sure your wit shines in the novel as it did in this blog.
by Linda Nightingale February 1st, 2008 at 3:14 pmThanks, Amy R, Red, and Estella. : )
Hi, Larena. I’m with you. There are names I don’t particularly like because of the people I’ve known with those names.
Savanna, I’m writing you down as a reference right now. (Note to self: Make Savanna name all new characters.) (Run, run while you can!)
by Liz Jasper February 1st, 2008 at 3:29 pmShelley, I have a similar problem trying to write a character before I name them.
Hi Linda, the problem with imagination is it leads me to ridiculous names like…Bartholomew Bickersby. Not good. I’m writing paranormal, not farce. : )
by Liz Jasper February 1st, 2008 at 3:29 pmHi Helen, fine, rub it in. LOL.
Hi Amy G. I’ve had requests from family members and friends to use their names, but so far I’ve resisted. My favorite request was from an old friend who, when I had contest to name a vampire in the sequel to Underdead, volunteered his own name. As in “Liz, if your vampire is tall, dark and extremely handsome, the name choice is obvious.” LOL. I made him a janitor. Heh, heh.
by Liz Jasper February 1st, 2008 at 3:30 pmHi Liz,
by Jane February 1st, 2008 at 3:39 pmCongrats on your first release. For some reason I like the name Sebastian. I notice it’s a popular hero name, but I haven’t gotten sick of reading it.
Thanks, Linda N. : ) I hope you enjoy reading Underdead when it gets to the top of the pile.
Hi Jane, I like Sebastian, too, but I have a good friend with that name so, once again, foiled. I need some friends with crappy names.
by Liz Jasper February 1st, 2008 at 3:52 pmI hate the name thing, too. But I can’t wait to read your book!
by Lillian Feisty February 1st, 2008 at 6:07 pmOMG- I love the story about your mom’s next door neighbour and the cat minding. Too funny! I love figuring names out, but I find myself going back to the same ones over and over again and I just discovered my current heroine has the same last name as the previous hero. Whoops.
by amanda ashby February 1st, 2008 at 8:23 pmHi Lillian, glad to have company in the nameless pit. : )
Hi Amanda, that’s just classic. : ) I’d ask what name it is, but then I’d probably want to steal it and our characters would have to form a support group.
by Liz Jasper February 1st, 2008 at 9:42 pmThat support group would probably be very interesting.
I could just picture that. Too funny.
by Larena Wirum February 2nd, 2008 at 8:23 amGreat blog,
by Mona Risk February 2nd, 2008 at 9:10 amOne of the first things I do when starting a story is line up the names and characters behind them. I need fun names for me h/H. My villains’ names are the most difficult to choose. I’ll often select the name of people I don’t like. LOL I’m also careful never to use two names that start with the same letter.
Hi Larena, hope the picture in your head isn’t too awful. : )
Mona, the problem with naming villians after people you don’t like is that they’ll KNOW you don’t like them. “Really, Uncle Charlie. When I wrote ‘he is the devil’ and named him after you, I meant it as a compliment.”
by Liz Jasper February 2nd, 2008 at 2:25 pm