When I go shopping, I like to look at the cashier’s badges and see their names. Is that weird? Well, as far as I’m concerned it’s not weird because I’m a collector of names! When I write a story I need to come up with names, all sorts of names. Did you ever wonder how writers do that? I’d like to know how my fellow writers come up with the names of their characters. What’s the story? Is it random?

For me, for example, it’s not random. I mean, it can’t be random. So I come up with the basic idea for the story – that’s what always comes first, even though a story can be born from a name, just as well, but that’s another thing – and then I have to come up with the people. Should it be a woman, should it be a man, a girl, a boy? And then, the naming. Well, the naming is hell. Because it can’t just be Mary or John. The name has to fit the story.

Here’s how I came up with the names for my story “THE FUTURE COMES FROM THE SKY”.

1. There’s MIHAELA, she’s the hero.

Originally, her name was Michael – she was a man – but I didn’t like Michael at all, something nagged me about him. So I decided my hero will be a woman, but what to name her? And then I remembered my partner likes the name MIHAELA. This is a very common Romanian name. My partner loves this name – he says it funny, too, like an American, not quite right, and it’s so funny but also endearing how he tries to say it. I find it very interesting that he likes this name in particular. I never particularly liked it but I like it that he likes it, so now I like, too, if that makes sense. So for this convoluted reason this name fits nicely in my story. I never intended to have a Romanian in my story, but that’s how things work out sometimes.

2. There’s also MIRANDA, Mihaela’s daughter.

This name came from that TV show ‘Firefly’, from the planet, Miranda. If you know the show or the movie, ‘Serenity’, you know what I mean. I watch the movie at least once a year. I love it! And this name is stuck in my head, in a good way.

3. And then there’s EVAN MOODY.

Haha, you wouldn’t believe where I got this name. From Evan Rachel Wood. Her name has been on mind because I’ve been looking forward to see the next season of West World. I haven’t seen yet.

See you, 

Misty

When I go shopping, I like to look at the cashier’s badges and see their names. Is that weird? Well, as far as I’m concerned it’s not weird because I’m a collector of names! When I write a story I need to come up with names, all sorts of names. Did you ever wonder how writers do that? I’d like to know how my fellow writers come up with the names of their characters. What’s the story? Is it random?

For me, for example, it’s not random. I mean, it can’t be random. So I come up with the basic idea for the story – that’s what always comes first, even though a story can be born from a name, just as well, but that’s another thing – and then I have to come up with the people. Should it be a woman, should it be a man, a girl, a boy? And then, the naming. Well, the naming is hell. Because it can’t just be Mary or John. The name has to fit the story.

Here’s how I came up with the names for my story “THE FUTURE COMES FROM THE SKY”.

1. There’s MIHAELA, she’s the hero.

Originally, her name was Michael – she was a man – but I didn’t like Michael at all, something nagged me about him. So I decided my hero will be a woman, but what to name her? And then I remembered my partner likes the name MIHAELA. This is a very common Romanian name. My partner loves this name – he says it funny, too, like an American, not quite right, and it’s so funny but also endearing how he tries to say it. I find it very interesting that he likes this name in particular. I never particularly liked it but I like it that he likes it, so now I like, too, if that makes sense. So for this convoluted reason this name fits nicely in my story. I never intended to have a Romanian in my story, but that’s how things work out sometimes.

2. There’s also MIRANDA, Mihaela’s daughter.

This name came from that TV show ‘Firefly’, from the planet, Miranda. If you know the show or the movie, ‘Serenity’, you know what I mean. I watch the movie at least once a year. I love it! And this name is stuck in my head, in a good way.

3. And then there’s EVAN MOODY.

Haha, you wouldn’t believe where I got this name. From Evan Rachel Wood. Her name has been on mind because I’ve been looking forward to see the next season of West World. I haven’t seen yet.

See you, 

Misty