Character Names

I have not posted for a couple weeks; I have been preparing for a writers conference I signed up for in April-the LDS Storymakers Conference. I am very excited about this conference. Last week I sent in a few of my first chapters for the First Chapter Contest they are having.

I am showing a new brave side of myself. I even went to a League of Utah Writers chapter meeting this week. While there I discovered so many ways that I can improve. One of which is grammar. I know that my dear mother, and my brother-Sassafras-(who edited my chapters for me)will both be very glad to know that at this meeting they covered grammar. I learned a lot and hopefully some of it will STICK in my brain.

Another area where I can improve--one of many other areas I'm sure--is coming up with character names. My children think I'm very lame when it comes to names--my middle daughter especially--she hates her given name. My husband, who is a police officer, saw her name on a missing persons milk carton and we fell in love with the name. It is a boys name, but I happen to know an actress with the same name, but somehow that doesn't make it OK for my daughter.

This became especially apparent when I made HER an OBGYN appointment and the Doctor's office called me back. They had to make sure we called the correct Doctor and that HE needed this type of appointment. I felt really bad. Last week when SHE went to a drive through and handed them HER debit card, they would not give HER the hamburger SHE wanted until SHE proved that SHE was the person named on the debit card. SHE showed them HER drivers license and proved it! They should have given the poor GIRL a FREE MEAL!

I am sure that anyone who doesn't know my daughter's real name is wondering what it could possibly be? How bad could it really be? If I ever decide to not be paranoid-remember my husband is a cop-then I'll tell ya. But, her nickname is Neuman--which I'm sure doesn't help AT ALL!

Well...back to my books...I'm going for 10 pages today...How about the name...Bob? I'm much better at nicknames!