Guest Post with author Linda Juliano

Creating a Snappy Title & Character Names

The title of a book is intrinsically important. As a reader, I can tell you the title alone has a great deal of influence over whether I take the next step and read the book flap or put it back on the shelf (or click to view the next e-book). Knowing this to be true about myself, I’m sure there are plenty of other readers who find the title to hold equal importance. So as a writer, I work hard to give my novels a title that will (I hope) capture a potential reader’s interest enough to take them past the cover and into the story.

A title has to be well thought out and connected to the story-line in some clever (if not obvious) way. In the case of “Cadence Beach”, the location plays a large role in the story, so the title was appropriate. But as easy as creating a title for this particular book was, it’s rarely that smooth and simple.

I have an odd process of creating my stories; I tend to begin with a title. For me, the title coaxes the story from my imagination. It’s not easy to explain, but I begin with a snapshot of a story idea, follow it with a preliminary title then sit back and let the story flow from there. It actually works for me, as strange as it may sound. I don’t always stick with the original title, but whatever title I choose, it’s with the intent of capturing a potential reader’s curiosity right away while offering some sense of what the story is about.

Naming each character is another example of a hidden consumer of time. It may not seem like the name of a character is a big deal, but it actually is. Not necessarily the actual meaning of a name, but what characterizations it may project. Some names are associated with strength or meekness, for example. Of course, we don’t all have the same ideas of which names represent specific personality types, so sound or rhythm of a name plays a role as well. Some names simply sound powerful, rich, weak or shy.

There may not be an exact science to choosing a character’s name, but there is a definite process of thought involved. There’s a lot of personal preference in the final decision, too, but I think that ultimately whatever emotional attachments a writer has to a specific name, they will consciously or subconsciously connect (through their writing) the appropriate personality to that name.

The bottom line is that the title and the names of each character are important and require thoughtful attention. All the pieces of a completed novel connect much like pieces of a puzzle. If one is missing or in bad shape, it will affect the overall project be it puzzle or story. 

Linda will award a $10 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour and an antique copper bookmark to the two hosts with the most comments (excluding the author's and the host's). The other tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/04/virtual-book-tour-cadence-beach-by.html

About the Author:

I spent the first 24 years of my life living in a suburb of Portland, Oregon until I was offered a job with United Airlines that took me to San Francisco, CA where I subsequently met my husband and accepted San Francisco as my new home. As strikingly different as Oregon and California (San Francisco, particularly) are from one another, I have a great deal of love for them both.

After the first of my two children was born, I left my job with the airline to become a full-time mother (what an adventure!). When both children were well into school, I began my pursuit of a writing career, following my lifetime love of the craft. I’ve done some children’s stories and several poems, three of which have been entered into a poetry anthology, but found my place as a novelist despite my initial fears and reservations about taking on such a demanding form of writing.

Like most writers (or any artists, really), I’m happiest when I’m engaged with my craft, and for me that means constantly tapping in to the endless supply of story ideas roaming the corridors of my mind.

Every day is a journey with writing (as with life), and with each bit of knowledge I gain, I feel a growing sense of strength and accomplishment. Perusing this as a career is not an easy road, but one of my favorite quotes (from Hebrews 11:1) helps to ease some of the angst. “Faith is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead”.