Finished chapter 39; 69,767 word count.
Writing tip: In the last chapter I had some minor players come on the scene with the purpose of transferring some important information to the villains, so they could act upon it and cause my good guys a lot of trouble. I didn't name them for they truly are very minor charactors. But as I entered into the next chapter and it was time for them to speak, I ran into a problem. The first man spoke, then the younger man spoke, then the first man spoke again, then the character who wasn't speaking moved to another spot and in the end, I just couldn't handle these nameless folks properly. So I gave them short names so that I could keep track of them and so could the readers.
Often the cab driver can just be the cab driver. Or the cowboy is the cowboy. Or the cop is the cop. No names need to be introduced as these people are going to walk onto the set, do their duty, and depart. But once in a while the scene calls for multiple bit players to have labels, and names are the handiest form of label to use.
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Mrs. Paul is a fantasy author and grandma. 
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Great advice! It is so true. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteI love searching genealogy sites for name meanings, and give characters names that have meanings that relate to their characteristics or role in the story. Or at times, it's just the way the word looks on the page. It's one of my favorite parts of writing, but I've never asked anyone where they get their names...
ReplyDeleteSo, Mrs. Paul--how do you pick names?
When will this book be out, and how many chapters are you planning?
ReplyDelete~Katie
Hi, Kat
ReplyDeleteI answered your question in today's blog.
Girl for Christ,
the book should be out in August and I usually aim for 50 or so chapters.