There are many hard things about creating a story. The characters. The world they live in. But, I think one of the hardest for me is naming the hero and heroine. When I write a draft, I usually just slap names to the characters.
But, I find not using a permanent name really hurts the story. How can I imagine what the hero is going to say next when I've tagged him as Abe Vigoda? (Those of you who grew up in the era of Barney Miller and Fish will know what I'm talking about.)
Instead of the sweet talking 28-year-old he's supposed to be, my character becomes a grumbling 75-year-old.
So, I have to name my characters in advance. The problem here is I really like to think about the names. To me, it's like naming your own child. It can be a long process.
Any thoughts on how to shorten it and still be happy w/ the name?
Abbi :-)
