I used to be a teacher, so let’s start with a quiz.
Yes, it’s a bit of shameless self promotion, but I promise it will be fun, and
I’m sure you’ll earn an A+. Your task: Match the names of some of the
characters from my cozy mysteries to their correct identification. Which decription
FITS which name? Answers are listed at the end of this blog. No cheating!
1. Miss Rusty a.
Construction worker, well-meaning but a bit naïve
2. Ethel and Doreen b.
Obnoxious TV news reporter who’s always butting in where he’s not wanted
3. Karen Sembler c.
2 goats who wander off the farm and into trouble
4. Rose and Ruby d.
Bra saleswoman who’s partial to wearing mini-skirts and stillettos
5. Evert Osgood e.
Parrot who repeats everything it hears
6. Bee Bee f. A chubby basset hound
7. Candy Poppe g.
Carpenter who considers her tool belt a fashion accesssory
8. Jimmy Beak h.
Best friends, 2 fiesty old ladies who take pride in driving their grown sons
nuts
All done? Easy, right? If so, I did my job well—I gave
my characters names that reveal something about who they are.
In genre fiction, it’s fun to use names to provide hints
about a character’s gender, age, job, and personality. For instance, would
Ethel and Doreen really be the names of two goats, or two teenaged girls
heading to a tatoo parlor? No! Ethel and Doreen are the old ladies, of course.
And does Evert Osgood sound like an obnoxious reporter or the kind-hearted
construction worker? Jimmy Beaky’s the nosey (Get it?) reporter. Who’s the bra
sales woman in stillettos? Karen Sembler or Candy Poppe? Do I even need to
clarify that one? That leaves the animals. A basset hound named Bee Bee is
possible, but doesn’t Miss Rusty say so much more? And Bee Bee for a parrot who
repeats things? I like it!
Although I gave you a test, try not to test your
readers. Names should help the reader keep track of who’s who. With that in
mind, avoid giving characters names that sound alike (Jimmy and Timmy), and/or
start with the same letter (Ethel and Edna). Avoid names that aren’t
gender-specific (Francis, Gale, and Terry could be boys or girls), and avoid names
that end in “S” because conjunctions and possessives get so darned awkward. (Miss
Rusty is Francis’s dog, versus Miss Rusty is Frank’s dog. Neither is a great
sentence, but you get the picture.)
Always be on the lookout for the perfect name. Call me
odd, but I love wandering around cemeteries! I also have a book of baby names
and keep a stockpile of old-fashioned (pre-cell phone era) phone books. Church
directories and commencement ceremony booklets are other good sources.
Names may seem like a minor detail, but they’re
important!
Answers: 1-f, 2-h, 3-g, 4-c, 5-a, 6-e, 7-d, 8-b
_______________________________________________________________________
Cozy
mystery author Cindy Blackburn spends
her days sitting around in her pajamas thinking up unlikely plot twists and
ironing out the quirks and kinks of lovable characters. When she’s not working
on the Cue Ball
Mysteries or the Cassie
Baxter Mysteries, Cindy enjoys taking long walks with her cute hubby John
or playing with her fat cat Betty. A native Vermonter who hates snow, Cindy
divides her time between the south and the north. Most of the year you’ll find
her in South Carolina, but come summer she’ll be on the porch of her lakeside
shack in Vermont. Cindy’s favorite TV show is The Big Bang Theory, her favorite
movie is Moonstruck, and her favorite color is orange. Cindy dislikes
vacuuming, traffic, and lima beans. Learn more about Cindy and her books at www.cbmysteries.com. Cindy can also be found on Facebook
and Twitter www.cbmysteries.com/blog @cbmysteries
www.facebook.com/CindyBlackburnAuthor
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