A New Method to Name My Main Characters
I buy and sell jewelry to help support my writing. Recently, I had an online opportunity to buy a five-pound box of jewelry. I bought the box with the realization that everything inside might be unsellable. However, I found a treasure inside the box. The treasure I found was a new method to name my main characters for my next story.
As I dug through the box, I found lots of jewelry, some junk, some wearable. But, when I pulled out one bracelet, I got goosebumps. It was a charm bracelet.
My writer’s brain started asking questions, and I decided the names on the bracelet were going to be the names of my newest characters.
My number one thought was why did Ashley part with her charm bracelet. Was it stolen? Did she breakup with her boyfriend? Did either of them die? The questions are a fun part of writing for me.
When I write, I write by the seat of my pants, and before I choose my character’s names, I have no clue what will happen in the story. My often-used method is to grab an old phone book then choose my names from that book. Once I choose the names, then story ideas flow for me.
Ashley’s charm bracelet has more than names. It has dangling charms. Charms that might have held meaning to Ashley.
I need to decide whether I will create the entire story or use the charms as a very loose outline.
The word outline intimidates the writer part of me. I have had little luck with using them in my fiction writing.
I think about Ashley and those charms. She wore that bracelet. Or did she?
In my story, she will wear her bracelet and each charm will document something important to her.
I will never know the true story of Ashley and Justin. The goal of my story is that it will have a happy ending for my characters. My Ashley will not part with Justin or her charm bracelet.
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