What is in a name?

It has already been a week since I made my decision to write 50k words a month for a year.  What have I done in the last 7 days?  Well, I have  been writing and editing some everyday, which is a first for me, after the frenzy of NaNo is over. 

Even with Writing daily, I am still behind in my word Count.  Part of this is due to the fact that before I started really writing in the Veil, I went back and did some basic editing, including renaming  some characters, and naming others for the first time.  This brings me to the question. What is in a name?

When I first started writing the Veil, I had the great character, her name was Nurse Hathaway,  I just liked the way it sounded. No,  I loved it. To me it sounded caring, familiar, and loyal.  Well it should, sound familiar. It took me some time to realize that the name is from a character of a widely popular television show ER.  Once I realized this what could I do,  the character is still a nurse, she still needs to be caring and loyal.  So at the beginning of December I took the time to discover this character, beyond my initial first impressions. 

Her office, at the White Institute describes a world traveler,  someone who has been from the cold beaches of Rockaway Beach, Oregon, to the warm sands of Thailand. She loves nature, is a vegetarian.  The key aspect of her that builds the tie between her and the main character is her voice, it calms and soothes the main character, encourages her when needed and warns when appropriate.  She is strong, caring, independent and fiercely loyal to her own.  Now my once Nurse Hathaway,  from a forgotten 90's sitcom has been reborn as Xea Song. 

Xea Song,  is a name but does it hold up to my character,  over shadow other characters,  is she in harmony with the novel. Does a characters name have to be ideal, or can it just work?  How unique should they be?  Or should they ring of familiarity and forgotten bed time stories? 

For me a characters name, is like any other characteristic, it must serve a purpose.  From the main character in the Veil,  Amelia Courant to Joshua Morningstahl.  to the diminutives that others call them Amy and Junior,  it service to show growth and their own since of self and a choice in who and what they are and will become. 

Excerpt The Veil

I never thought of it that way.  Watching the Xea leave her room Amelia began to plan,  Rebecca was right, she has to bid her time,  until she can escape.  But escape where and how, are the questions rattling around in her head,  as she sips the warm soup.  

Her meal finished, she slides the tray out of the door, and decides to rest.  Sleep, maybe in her dreams she can find a way to escape,  or maybe she will see him again. Curling into a ball on the small cot.  Amelia is firmly planted in this reality for the first in more days that she can count.   Though the veil is at the edge of her vision, it is not consuming her, but her dreams are another story.  As she drifts asleep, she dreams of her childhood. 

The large houses surrounded by gates and fences had always been her home, and her prisons.  She cannot remember, ever having a loving Mother or Father,  she had nannies and guardians, people who took care of her but never loved her.  As she drifts into her past, she remembers playing kick ball with her imaginary friends. Today was a rarity the front gate was open,  they had just moved into the house, and moving trucks were bring in furniture and her stuff.  In a couple of days, the gates would close and she would once again be cut off from the out side world.

The street out front is narrow and lined with cars and trees,  as she kicks the ball, she wants to go outside the gates. With Junior at her side she seeks adventure,  quickly she kicks the ball as hard as she can watching in glee as it flies out into the street.   She chases after,  it dashing into the street. Junior on her heels. Standing in the middle of the street, Junior at her side,  there are kids laughing and playing with each other,  she can not see them but she can hear them. Longingly, she looks around the neighborhood, it is the type which should have children, but there are none in sight, just the sound of their voices. 

Reaching down to pick up the ball, Amelia looks at Junior, I guess you are still my only friend.  The Boy smiles, his hazel eyes always so sad, brighten. He mouths,  Don’t worry I will always be your friend. Holding up their hands,  palm to palm but never touching.  Then Junior screams soundlessly,  a horn blares, tires and brakes squeal,  and she is on fire.  Her nightmare has consumed her, turned her to ash.  Then truck is gone,  and standing before her is Junior, she wants to hug him but knows she cannot.

 

So that brings me back to names,  was taking the time to really find names I loved worth it?  Yes, will the names shape the characters,  I think that they will,  even now as I write, today,  Xea, is doing things that she would not have done as Hathaway.  and Amelia is no Amy to anyone but Dr. White,  and Joshua is only Junior to his long dead abusive father.  Each character claims their space and lives up to the name I have given them,  but then again it could only matter to me,  maybe it does not matter.  And Harry Potter, would still be the same if he had be name Neville Longbottom.  I think not. 

 

	30-Nov	1-Dec	2-Dec	3-Dec	4-Dec	5-Dec	6-Dec	7-Dec
Red Book Expose	52454	2904	1682	13
The Veil	16071			71	1666	300		2459
Close Corp (edit)	22143
Cave City (edit)	3372
Ex Nilhio	13015
Gutter Punk	6373
Total		2904	1682	84	1666	300	0	2459