Hope everyone had a great time on St. Patrick’s Day!

One of the best parts of St. Patty’s is the music and fun, which brings me to this blog post. Music is more than entertainment; it’s a heartbeat for our lives. How many of us hear a song reminding us of a special moment? First kiss? First child? Dancing as if there was no tomorrow? Even first mistakes, which are sometimes fun to remember. The lyrics, the tunes – – they bring us back to a time we once knew, if only for a moment.

I’m a self-proclaimed movie buff, and was astounded to watch several “Behind the Scenes” features that show the movie without background music. It loses so much, but you don’t necessarily know that while you’re watching it! Knowing how important music is to films and events, I think it’s important for books too.

Authors create their own soundtracks to our books, helping us get into the mood, the characters, and the setting. Of course, the type of music depends on the type of book and the author’s preference. Sherrilyn Kenyon, author of the Dark Hunter series, has shared that many of her books were written to Metallica and other hard rock/metal bands. They work for her. Tanya Michna, while writing a Christmas themed book during the hot Atlanta summer, spent a month listening to holiday tunes.

My first manuscript, The Cinderella Haters, had mostly 80s and pop music. My second manuscript, Desperate Stepmoms, featured some sassy Texas gals, so I lived on Reba McEntire and Shania Twain.

So, what am I working on and listening to now, you ask?
A ghost story, set in Savannah. Sorry, no sharing titles yet! I’m holding on to my baby until it’s time to let go. I will say there are Irish themes and characters throughout the book. And I discovered a PHENOMENAL Irish Band at the Savannah Irish Festival: Roger Drawdy and the Firestarters. They’re a combination of Irish rock/folk and have the uncanny ability to excel at slow ballads and fast-paced hoppin’ music. My past experience has seen folks doing one or the other – these guys excel at both, along with being incredibly entertaining, great w/the crowd, and wonderful musicians. Since returning home from Savannah, I’ve bought every CD I could get my hands on…and am eagerly awaiting more. For now, their songs are helping kick the muse up a notch (as Emeril would say) and get these pages written!

What music inspires you?

It’s always a good idea to ask friends, critique partners, and trusted colleagues what they think of your name selections. While not always necessary, hearing feedback from people not as close to your manuscript will give you a fresh perspective.

Perfect example: I’m in the process of choosing a name for a key character in my current work in progress (WIP). I want the name to mean something, and in my mind the name I chose made sense. When I asked 2 writer friends about it, they said it reminded them of an expansive, grandeur “place” with regal surroundings. Sooooo NOT what I intended, so I went back to the drawing board and began playing around some more. I think I’ve decided on what the character’s name will be, but am still marinating on the decision.

Other readers and writers feedback is invaluable, not only for name choices but for feedback on your manuscript!

Selecting the right character name is essential. “Wilber Noodle” and “Mason Stonewall” suggest two different people, two types of dress, employment, lifestyle, etc. So it’s important to pick wisely for the type of character you’re trying to portray.

I won’t lie – choosing character names is cool for me, but it can also be frustrating when I can’t find the exact match I’m looking for. I’m also a creature of habit, so if I name a character “Clay” and later need to change it to “Derek” it’s like reprogramming my mind because in my head, in those pages, he’s still “Clay.” So for me, it’s more important I pick the names I want first and stick to them.

How does one find character names?

• The Internet (God Bless Technology!) has many sites with baby names for every year, decade, cultural background. I love being able to find out which 10 names were the most popular during a certain year for a certain place.
• Dig up those high school and college yearbooks! They’re not just paperweights anymore! Mix and match, look through and see what you find.
• Use location-specific resources if you’re writing about a specific lineage. My work in progress has Irish themes and characters, so I’ve found websites and friends who know about cultural areas, myths and legends, etc.
• Don’t be too stereotypical when naming a character. “Paddy O’Daniel” or “Sean O’Malley” might be authentic, but try to be a bit more original. Although, as I type this, I knew a Sean and Colleen O’Malley growing up. They used to ruin my homemade mud pies, so no, I didn’t select their names for my Irish characters!

What works when creating your characters, especially if you are writing historical or paranormal? How do you choose?

Thanks everyone for being patient! I will return to regular blogging shortly!

Elaine

Isn’t it funny when we are in the midst of reading something, and we see examples of things we read in real life?

I’m currently reading Robert McKee’s Story (excellent book for any writer). He mentions the inciting incident – that thing which sets the action, emotions, and plot in motion – needs to be carefully timed. Do it too soon, and the audience is confused or not bonded to the characters. Do it too late, and the audience is bored.

The recently released movie Shoot Em Up is a perfect example of the inciting incident which occured too soon. The first fifteen minutes of the movie had action-packed adventure, incidents, and flashy stunts–but I wasn’t invested in the characters (other than liking Clive Owen as an actor and realizing he was trying to stop some bad guys). The movie waited until the second hour to offer the explanation WHY he was having to chase the bad guys (and even then, the reasoning wasn’t a great premise).

However, inciting incident timing aside – sometimes great stunts do have their place. And Shoot Em Up had some INCREDIBLE stunts.