Every one enjoys winning and everyone likes to win? Okay, I know there is an exception somewhere, but that someone will be hard to find. I want to share with you over a hundred creative ideas that will exercise your writing brain.
1. Picking a name in a story:
Coming up with a name for a hero or heroine should not be loud. Don’t make it overly dramatic so it takes from the depth of the story, picking an obvious name like Jack Ripper who is a modern day killer of women with a big knife will come across to a potential reader as cheesy and a cheap way to get a judges attention. For my evil character in Miracle on Snowbird Lake, I chose Jim Underwood. Almost too obvious, but not. Make it resonate, but not feel obvious.
A well chosen name can give the reader so much richness to their imagination when reading. A few words can help describe your character without a long list of descriptions.
Let’s try a test. If I give you the name Penny Byrd, what images come to your head? Maybe she’s a penny pincher, light on her feet, hardly overweight, young, somewhat attractive but shy. The list images might go on and… Just based on a two word name, then like a good painter, you fill in the background around the character.
If your plot is character driven, this is a must!
Don’t be flippant about names in a story, give the story depth, character, and a sense of belonging. you want people to identify with the characters in your story, and the best way to start winning the reader over is to give them a memorable name, not cheesy cliché name, but one that enhances your uniquely told story.
Win with names.
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