Names

Writing a story usually involves dreaming up a scenario or event that prompts a hero into action. Sometimes, it is a group of people who are put into a situation that forces them all to deal with their own personal demons or limitations making our stories that much more engaging and that much more enjoyable.

However…

How much importance do we place on coming up with names for our characters? Do we pick the first name that pops into our mind or do we research every possible database for just the right name to use for each and every character in our story?

There are endless books available for anyone interested in the definitions or history of names as well as web sites like: www.behindthename.com, http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/name and www.babynames.com to name a few.

The advice given to writers when emphasis is to be placed on your character’s name can cover the need to have the most appropriate name to create the necessary impact for your story or even something as simple as naming a beloved pet so as to make it as endearing as possible to your audience. In the end, it is a decision for the individual writer to make.

As for me, I gave up on researching names beforehand the day I returned to writing from my brief (20+ year) sabbatical in hell. Trust me. Hell might look all cool and glamourous, but trust me, don’t stay if you can help it.

Looking at the stories I had to tell and following them on the adventures always leaves me with more than enough excitement. When the time comes to name a character, I either throw in the first name I think of or look up a list of names quickly and use the first one that catches my eye. Also, if you ever find a name you particularly like, but don’t have a use for it in your current story, just save it for another. Make a list of preferred names and when you next have a tale to tell, the prospect of naming your characters is already done

Regardless of how you find the names, use them and tell your story. Is your hero named Bill? How about Andy or Millie? If you want a name like Stephen or Conan, don’t stop to look up how many times the name has been used. Just go with it. You need to feel comfortable with your character’s name. Don’t like Jessie? Change it. If you specifically like a name, don’t let anyone else change your mind about it. Use the name that fits and get on with telling your story.

Remember, the hero isn’t made by what name is used. The hero is made by his story and how much the reader learns to love reading and (hopefully) re-reading your tale. Who would ever remember the name Sherlock Holmes if he hadn’t become such an iconic character? How about Katniss Everdeen, Harry Potter, Hannibal Lecter, Inigo Montoya, John Galt, or even…Bond, James Bond?

The only reason those names come up quickly in any search engine is because of the stories they were in. A hero impacts the world by facing dangers and saving lives no matter the cost. Harry is a common name, but when you say Harry Potter, the name is no longer random. It is now surrounded by his story. Frodo Baggins can bring about a discussion of adventures, orcs, battles and talking dragons.

For anti-heroes few compare with Hannibal Lecter. A villain in his actions, but a hero in his own mind which we get to know all too well.

If you mention Doctor Who, fans will immediately think of their favorite incarnation and can discuss their favorite adventures without pause. Non-fans might say they either have not watched the show, read the books or ever followed The Doctor. However, it is unlikely someone will consider “Do you like Doctor Who?” as a question about your physician.

Also, who can forget the introduction of Inigo Montoya? “Hello! My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”

More often than not, as a writer begins a new story, it is best to concentrate on the story rather than the names. If you have the name already in mind, terrific! If not, you can always change it if you like or simply learn to love the name that came to you as the story took shape. Once your story is complete, there’s plenty of time to search for the historical significance of your choice.

In the end, tell a great story and the name will be remembered.

Favorites

Questions posed to writers range from where they get their ideas to how they became writers and everything in between. One question in particular continues to come up regularly which I find difficult to answer.

“Who is your favorite author?”

I would like to say one name, but it so happens I have four and each is a favorite for different reasons. (Understand that they all hold my number one spot, so despite the order, they are all shining brightly in my mind’s eye.)

Edgar Allen Poe was one of the first great writers I found as I was discovering my love of stories. He crafted his poems and short stories with a mastery that I will always love. His works touched me deeply and helped me respect the written word while finding both the joy and tragedy in storytelling.

The second writer is Neil Gaiman. I discovered this amazing writer at a time when I was still obsessively reading comic books and hadn’t yet discerned what good stories were until he shared a great one. It was a comic book entitled The Sandman and I only picked it up because the cover had a hidden face that glowed in the dark. I read the story that very night and have never been the same since.

The third is Dean Koontz. I first read him when I was in my thirties and, like Neil Gaiman, I picked up the book Strange Highways because the cover drew my attention. It was glossy silver and depicted the shadow of a man standing at a crossroads. The story drew me in at once and by the conclusion had me thinking seriously about second chances. I soon found the courage to pursue my passion for writing once more. I owe Dean Koontz more than I can say, for he helped me look deep inside and discover the passion I always yearned to follow.

The fourth is an especially favorite author because his inspiration was not by his writings alone. His PRESENCE impacted me like none other. I owned several books by Ray Bradbury the day I learned he was going to attend a seminar where he would speak. When I saw he would sign autographs afterwards, I rushed out to see if I could attend. It was a full house, but I made it in and by the end of the discussion I nearly forgot about the books I carried for him to sign. His passion was so overwhelming, I could feel his energy filling the room. The intensity of his words remain with me to this day. He was a true artist who followed his dreams throughout his life. If I can hold onto a fraction of that passion when I have doubled my years, I will consider it a blessing. Mr. Bradbury, I thank you. May your works and words inspire generations of writers for all time.

There are many other authors I enjoy reading and many I hope to discover in the years to come. As far as my all-time favorites go, these four are mine. I hope yours lift you up and carry you forward always.

Know

One of the most common pieces of advice I find handed out to writers who are still beginning to develop their craft is to write what you know. I have never liked it. True, it is a well-meaning piece of advice, but it is also mostly wrong. People take the term “What we know” as knowledge and experience. While both are critical to a nonfiction writer, for fiction, writing only what we know can quickly become counterproductive.

My first published book was Science Fiction. A captain and crew on a suicide mission that no one realized until it’s almost too late. Did I have experience as a spaceship captain? No. Suicide missions? Unlikely. However, I did watch plenty of science fiction flicks in my time. Star Trek, Star Wars, Serenity, 2001, Interstellar, BSG (Battlestar Galactica for those not in-the-know) And, of course, countless books such as: War of The Worlds, Ringworld, Dune, A Princess of Mars, Ender’s Game, Starship Troopers, Battlefield Earth, The Martian and many many more.

Did writing a space adventure require experience running a ship in space? Not at all, but I have enjoyed stories throughout the years in every media you can name. Written, Drawn, Animated, Recorded, Live-Acted, Movies, Television, Online, etc., etc., etc… The greatest source of experience I discovered is the best one of all: Imagined. When you write, what’s the difference between having lived a story in your imagination opposed to living it in real life?

When it comes to fiction? None.

One of my favorite scifi shows is Doctor Who. There’s a phrase you get to hear repeated throughout the series and is often said when someone first enters the TARDIS (A ship that looks like an old police box not much larger than a shower.) As a new person enters, they find themselves – not in a confined space with barely any room to move, but in a massive control room to a ship full of corridors, pathways, distant rooms…and a pool.

The phrase? “It’s bigger on the inside.”

That’s the most important thing to realize about being a writer. We’re bigger on the inside. What we imagine is vast and endless. The physical world holds a mere fraction of possibilities in comparison to what we create inside ourselves. You can take your life experiences as inspiration, but with the right spark, you can create the most amazing characters that will remain with you and your readers for years to come.

The stories you create within come from an endless universe whose moment of creation takes place the moment inspiration strikes. The spark of an idea forms behind your eyes, producing magical realms few others can fathom.

Let’s not hold in all that magic. The world outside needs it. Share the characters you love. Share the characters you love to hate. Write the adventures you see in your dreams. Feel the magic at your fingertips and let it pour out with words and passion.

So the next time you are advised to only write what you know, just smile and accept the fact that what you know expands beyond the limits of the world outside your head. Enjoy that little secret and restrain a chuckle as you take the helm of your own starship, setting course for endless adventure.

Thankful

Since I didn't get to post this on Thanksgiving, I finally decided to do so here.  The holiday is just a date, after all.  Being thankful is something we should acknowledge year round.  I hope this finds many others who are doing what they dream and thankful for the chance to do so.

I talked to a friend not long ago about my thoughts on being a writer. It may have come up after being asked something along the lines of why I haven’t put everything on hold so I can promote my works. Whatever the case, my answer was simple: “I’m a writer first.”

The look of confusion is what prompted me to provide a more detailed explanation.

I consider social media as a way to send out virtual messages in a bottle every night via twitter and Instagram. I’m doing my best to post a weekly vlog and even though I try to post a monthly blog, balancing 10 hour work days makes it a struggle. Writing a blog to me is like writing a journal that is being shown to the world. It’s not just a thought or two tossed into the world wide web. It’s an expression of what I feel, think and hope for. It’s a way for an introvert like myself to share what’s going on between my ears.

I didn’t always see myself as a writer.

I doubted myself. Lots. I struggled for years as I worked long hours, tried different hobbies and did my best to hold onto something that made me happy. Drawing. Designing. Sculpting. Video editing and recording became wonderful outlets for my creative expressions, but inevitably they were all too hard to maintain and I left them behind.

In the end, I gave up on all of it. After one discouraging comment too many, I let it all go and descended into a daily work routine. Paying bills and living a “Normal” life became my new routine. I soon watched helplessly as all my passions dried up until I found myself working at a job that had no future while surrounded by co-workers, rather than friends and family.

It was at this time that I ran across a website promoting a writer’s challenge in November. I looked up the challenge on my 40th birthday after making myself a Jib Jab card that joked about getting old, going to the doctor, being out of shape, failing to accomplish your dreams and not writing a book.

It was funny.

I liked it at the time and chuckled at the humor. Unfortunately, I also hated the truth it held. I was a “one day” novelist. I was going to write a book “One day” and deep down inside I knew that day was never going to happen.

Seeing that challenge set for November, I decided to try one last time. I would rather have tried my best and failed than never to have tried. I was already spending my life in regret so I worked up my courage and decided once and for all, that if enough of the old passion was still inside me, I would meet the challenge. I told myself that for once in my life I was going to sink or swim. No matter the consequences, I was going to face that 30 day challenge in November and truly give it my all.

So at the end of November in 2008, I discovered two things:

First, I was subconsciously sabotaging myself at every turn.
Second, I wasn’t kidding about giving it my all.

I wrote the book in first person. My preferred point of view is third person, so I was out of my comfort zone from the beginning. I wrote only during breaks at work, meaning I had only two fifteen minute gaps in the day to write. The weekends were my catch-up times and by the end, I barely made the 50,000-word limit.

Despite the struggles, I did what I said I would. I wrote a book. I may be wrong in the following statement, but for now, it holds true. When I finished that first book and felt the finished story take shape within my mind, for the first time in my life, my imagination and dreams felt real.

That last day of November became the most important moment of my life.

I rediscovered my passion for writing. It didn’t matter how good or bad the book was. What mattered was what I felt. It was a feeling of purpose and belonging. It was a feeling of peace, as if a great longing I had been trying to find had at last appeared and I knew what I wanted to do with my life. This also brought forth a realization.

I have always been a writer.

I spent my life dreaming up stories and searching for ways to put them down. I’ve told stories using sculptures and illustrations as well as photography and video. Stories have always been a constant companion. They have always been my passion. I can only assume that it was fate that led me to find the writing challenge. The stories I once feared would fade away inside me are once more alive and well in my waking dreams.

I hope to refine and improve on my method so as to share those tales with others.

So this Thanksgiving, I am thankful. Thankful for my friends who encouraged me to follow my dreams even when I wasn’t sure they were possible. Thankful to NaNoWriMo for the challenge they posed. Thankful to my family, distant and far removed, but always in my heart.

Lastly, I am thankful to Mugwai. My dearly departed cat, who inspired me with her presence and who gave me the companionship I yearned for without realizing how much she meant to me it until she was gone.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone seeking their purpose and following their dreams. May you all find your passions. I hope you also have friends, family and companions standing by you to help you through the difficult times and celebrate your achievements.

Images

The writing process I have grown accustomed to entails many levels of involvement. As other new authors soon discover, writing the book is just step one. As soon as you are done with the story and have typed “The End” it is a great irony to find you are actually at the beginning. The steps following your book creation involve an array of publication and promotional avenues I barely grasp myself.

Don’t believe me? Well, have you seen me in the bestseller lists out there? No? Well, there you go.

Regardless, one of the things I enjoy about my process is the chapter illustrations. When I am writing a book for the first time and the story forms within my mind, I stop to think about what stands out in each chapter. What images do I see lingering in my mind’s eye after each scene? Which ones do I see clearly? Like a movie playing in my head, I rewind, fast-forward and pause the story as I examine each jewel. Once I have a number of selections to choose from for each chapter, I ask myself the most important question:

Which ones can I actually create?

Just like Blogging or Vlogging, illustrating is a learn-as-you-go process. I have always had an artistic side to me, but until recently have never attempted to put my skills to the test. Will I be remembered as the next Michelangelo? Only time will tell.  However, I am working on my craft every day. Just like writing, the skills of an artist take time and patience. I’ve got plenty of patience, despite the lack of time. So every chance I have to do something for my writing, I take it.

I’ll describe a bit of the first and last image I tackled while working on the second edition of Linked. Recently, I went back to illustrate that particular book. It is the first installment of The Cat Rule Chronicles series. Since it was a first book to a long series, I didn’t feel confident enough to attempt illustrating each chapter. There were images galore going through my mind after completing book 4, so returning to book one was thoroughly enjoyable.

The first image I tackled was the cover. It needed something to differentiate from the first edition so I altered it, enhanced it, and made the eyes far more unique. It took me longer than most other images because I needed to keep the cover as close to the first one as possible while making sure it could never be confused with that of the first edition. I made it darker, added colors and thanks to the many tools in Photoshop, didn’t struggle with the fine details or changes as I would have in the past.

The final image I put together was a cliff. I went online and saw many mountainsides and many cliffs until I found one that came close. It didn’t have the curve I needed, but that wasn’t an issue. I used Photoshop to crop the edge and turn it from a photograph into a line drawing I could stretch and shape. From there, I treated it like a canvas. The tools in Photoshop are like having every artists tool at your disposal along with every photo-manipulative tool at the ready. I re-shaped the cliff, added grass, darkened the rock and enhanced all colors. Next, I pulled up an image of a truck. Namely, the end of one. It was not as old as I would have liked, but as an illustration it would do just fine. I positioned it outside of the frame and then dragged pebbles and particles behind it with the brush tool, making it look as if it had gone over the cliff. Once the color was adjusted, I took a look a the sky and decided it needed something other than dull blue. I finally settled on a cloud covered sky with the sun hidden behind, illuminating the clouds and the sky dramatically.

I took that particular picture several years ago and was amazed at how well it converted from a photograph into an image more resembling an illustrated sky. Did I mention I like taking pictures of the sky, sunsets and scenery? It’s another passion of mine.

By the end, the illustration was perfect. I added it beneath the chapter listing. In this case, the Epilogue, and adjusted the color so it was as unified as could be. Why didn’t I just keep the images looking like photographs? I suppose with great effort, I could have done that. The problem I see is that I don’t want to make it seem as if my stories are too real. Depicting a kitten jumping out of a tree (Chapter 6) or a gun pointed at a boy (Chapter 14) would prove far more disturbing than entertaining if I chose to make them photo-realistic. Besides, not all images turn out as good as I’d like. Some are difficult despite their simplicity and others are just too busy to look good as simple illustrations. The final image of the truck over the cliff was a success which, despite the imagery, made for a good ending to book one of the series.

I enjoy the writing process and all it entails. Entering the world of storytelling has been one of hard lessons and difficulties. I am now writing, illustrating and editing my works where other writers might have multiple people handling every aspect separately. I am also vlogging, tweeting, Instagraming and, yes, blogging. I hope everyone who finds my works can enjoy something of my creations. Such passions are worth sharing.