But this week I have made a few tiny steps forward with my second cosy manuscript, The Halloween Murderer. I thought Rhapsody´s life was in a rut so I planned to send her off to the local pub for lunch. Not bad, perhaps, but today I changed the scene. On her way to the pub she comes across her new friend, April Hellifield, who is having a loud argument with another woman over a missing painting. Right there on the pavement. I already feel more optimistic.
Another new idea: Rhapsody needs a cross-point screwdriver so she knocks on her new neighbour´s door. A girl has to get out a bit, hasn´t she?
So now I just have to pull myself together and get writing.
The Naming Game
Thank you for your kind words about my blog and my flash stories in your anniversary cum competition emails yesterday. One participant asked me how I came up with the funny names in my stories.
In my new work-in-progress, The Halloween Murderer, the women have flower names, and all the family names of the characters from ´Aldburgh´ are Yorkshire villages. So in this case it is just finding a list of those names (wonderfully imaginative; thank you Yorkshire) and pick a name which suits the character.
An important point to remember: don´t make up too many similar names. In The Cosy Knave I had female characters called Evy and Elvira. Fortunately my beta readers told me it was confusing so I first tried to rename Evy, but she wasn´t very cooperative. Then I tried calling Elvira Olivia, and I think Olivia Cadbury-Flake was quite satisfied with that.
And some time last year I participated in a flash fiction challenge: make up characters with brand names. Perhaps you´d like to revisit Tea for Ten I – Tea for Ten II to see my little name game.
And Shots is a Knavesborough flash story that suddenly came out of nowhere.
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7 kommentarer:
Dorte - I am so glad for you that you're inspired again. I love that feeling! And thanks for sharing your wisdom about names. I actually had to change several names in my work in progress because they sounded too similar...
Congratulations on having the Muse visit you again. Happy writing your new cozies. They sound very interesting.
Similar-sounding names is one of the things I look for when editing fiction. It can be confusing.
Regardless, I'm not a good creative writing, so I mostly sit back in awe of you.
Margot: I am not sure I can live up to my speed from this summer, but if I can just make some kind of progress it is okay.
Harvee: thank you. At least it is very funny to write them.
Beth: names are very important for me both when I read and write. When I have given a person a name, it is much easier to ´see´ what he/she is like.
I have a book with an Ivy and Lily but now they are Eve and Christine. Long story.
A "cross point" screwdriver. Would that possibly be what I call a "phillips head" screwdriver? (as opposed to a flat head)
At least I've read enough British fictions to know most of the terminology! (ie spanner=wrench, bonnet=hood, etc.)
Patti: names are really important, aren´t they?
Kelly: cross point means there is a point which looks like a star. When I am in doubt with terminology, I often google.
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