Naming our Characters

I've been struggling to find time to write. Well, actually, I'm struggling to determine what to write. An editor has Miranda's Mistake so I'm wondering if I should jump right into the stories of two secondary characters in the book or if I should start something completely new. If dear editor rejects MM, then I don't know that I'll have an interest in writing books using Miranda's friends even though the stories stand alone. :) Then again, if I change the names of the characters, they won't be Miranda's friends. Make sense?

Isn't it funny how a name can change everything? When I wrote The Groom Wore Blue Suede Shoes, my hero was named Johnny. It fit him. Then an unfortunate thing happened. Author Cassie Miles published a Harlequin Intrigue series with books called Heartbreak Hotel, Are you lonesome Tonight?, and Don't Be Cruel. One of her main characters was named Johnny. So what did I do? I changed my hero's name--forever changing his personality. Dumb! Especially since my book hadn't sold yet, wouldn't be out for at least two years. Especially since no one in a million years would compare me or connect me to a writer like Cassie Miles. I should have left my Johnny alone instead of weakening his character with a name like . . . forget it. I can't even say it. :) Just believe me when I say I betrayed the poor guy.

Stick to your guns when you name your characters unless an editor makes the suggestion. Would you even dream of changing your child's name five years later, or ten? Of course not. Well, on second thought . . .

I knew a young man named Dean. His mom has been a best friend since our high school days. As it usually happens, there was a gap in our friendship and during that gap, Dean became James. He started using his first name. My thought is--he can use it. I won't. To me he will always be Dean because I've been calling him that since the day he was born.

How do you name your characters? Or your children? ha!
Do you ever change a name mid-stream? Why?
Does the name change affect your character's personality or am I just a weirdo?

Let's talk!