who's that again?
A while back I got a contract for a new book...it's a YA at Cerridwen, or whatever imprint EC does for YAs. I'm now filing out the cover sheet which means trouble because though I remember the name of the book, but I don't remember the characters. This means I have to go open the manuscript and go on a hunt.
These days I keep a character sheet for my stories. I have a list of details like eye color, hair color, clothes particular details that make that person distinctive. I didn't for this story. Fact is, I can't even remember the names of the people in the story.
Here's something even worse: I can't even remember my own name for this book.
Since this is a young adult contemporary, I didn't want to use Kate Rothwell (for historicals) or Summer Devon (for hotter stuff). Last fall, when the editor said he liked the story and wanted it, I picked a name for myself I'd used before, but then I made the mistake of googling it.
I discovered that the most online hits for that name went to a person who greatly admired Sarah Palin and hated all libruls. She spent the whole night after the election praying for bad things to happen to Obama. Or maybe it was that the country would survive his hateful message. I don't recall which and I'm not going to go look.
I figured we probably didn't want to be mistaken for each other so, I started putting first name/last names together, googling them, etc. It was a fine afternoon's procrastination. And I know I found something that worked. Apparently it wasn't particularly memorable. That editor left, I got a new one and she's at last ready to go to work on this story. She even loves it. Yay!
Work starts today when I go to hunt through my computer for hints of my characters . . . and who I'm going to be this time. I'll get back to you on my name.
UPDATE: Found me. Here's who I will be: Callie Braden. There aren't a lot of her out there! Kind of sounds like the word "calibrating.: Also could be an earnest YA novelist, don't you think?
When I hear this name I imagine she's probably the sort of person who doesn't do timing in jokes very well..... but has known the difference between a liquid and dry measuring cup since she was 10 years old . Callie sews her own clothes. She proudly announces "I made it' when anyone asks about her prairie dresses.
Uh oh. I better take some time off from this before Callie turns into a prig.
These days I keep a character sheet for my stories. I have a list of details like eye color, hair color, clothes particular details that make that person distinctive. I didn't for this story. Fact is, I can't even remember the names of the people in the story.
Here's something even worse: I can't even remember my own name for this book.
Since this is a young adult contemporary, I didn't want to use Kate Rothwell (for historicals) or Summer Devon (for hotter stuff). Last fall, when the editor said he liked the story and wanted it, I picked a name for myself I'd used before, but then I made the mistake of googling it.
I discovered that the most online hits for that name went to a person who greatly admired Sarah Palin and hated all libruls. She spent the whole night after the election praying for bad things to happen to Obama. Or maybe it was that the country would survive his hateful message. I don't recall which and I'm not going to go look.
I figured we probably didn't want to be mistaken for each other so, I started putting first name/last names together, googling them, etc. It was a fine afternoon's procrastination. And I know I found something that worked. Apparently it wasn't particularly memorable. That editor left, I got a new one and she's at last ready to go to work on this story. She even loves it. Yay!
Work starts today when I go to hunt through my computer for hints of my characters . . . and who I'm going to be this time. I'll get back to you on my name.
UPDATE: Found me. Here's who I will be: Callie Braden. There aren't a lot of her out there! Kind of sounds like the word "calibrating.: Also could be an earnest YA novelist, don't you think?
When I hear this name I imagine she's probably the sort of person who doesn't do timing in jokes very well..... but has known the difference between a liquid and dry measuring cup since she was 10 years old . Callie sews her own clothes. She proudly announces "I made it' when anyone asks about her prairie dresses.
Uh oh. I better take some time off from this before Callie turns into a prig.
The name thing is pretty funny! LOL
ReplyDeleteGood luck with YA. Do you remember the title of the book? :)
I thought it was just me who couldn't remember character names and details of a story months later.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on figuring out who you are this time.
LOL I think it would be hard to keep track of all the name in all your books. Especially if you did not want to reuse the same name and description in a diferent book. Hope you figure it all out. Catch up with you in Samhain Group.
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate, I am terrible at remembering names of characters, especially once I've started reading another book.
ReplyDelete