Names & Wrong Associations...

What most people don't realize (including myself a few months ago!) is that, before you can start writing, there is really a lot of preparation to do! One of the most exciting phases is creating the characters in your story. The first one to start with is the protagonist, which, in my book, will be Elena Mancini. (Beware! She might change names before the book is finished!) Just to give her a name is not enough, of course. She has a birth date, a hair color, needs qualities but also some flaws, will have insecurities and frustrations like you and me, she has family, needs an income to pay the bills, likes a certain kind of music, has hobbies, may have pets, has her own way to dress and (hopefully) goals in her life. In other words: she needs to come alive. For me - being the writer of the book - , but also for you as a potential reader. That is exactly what I have been doing today. Not just by using my creativity, but also by doing research about Italian names. After all, you wouldn't like the name of the most important person in your book to recall any wrong associations with a notorious criminal, an evil dictator, a hairy pet or the most annoying tv-personality. To make sure that she is not a tall blond with blue eyes at the beginning of the book and a corpulent redhead with brown eyes at the end of the story, documenting everything is a smart thing to do. It was another satisfying day in the life of this novice writer... Love, M.