Forum: Author Hangout

What do you mean by CRS, it has over 200 meaning?

So far the 'paper' is completely blank because, unusually for me, the right name for the protagonist is being elusive

I get round that issue, by simply giving the problematic individual a symbol for a name. Something obscure helps. Then I just carry on writing. When I finally decide on a name, I simply put symbol into the 'find/replace' function along with the new name and tell the program to swap them out.

My method is more organic(?).

The character is a middle-class girl, so her name might be slightly old-fashioned. She is book-smart but street stupid, which allows the in-girls to exploit(?) her. But she has a quiet determination, which keeps her going when she encounters angels (not the good guys) and daemons (also not the good guys, but not bad guys either).

Once I think of a possible name, I consider the characteristics I associate with the name. If they're consistent with the character I have in mind, I use the name and include those characteristics in the story. Otherwise I bin the name and start again.

I don't think you completed the swap out when you changed symbol to Prince ;-)

AJ

Re: names. There are plenty of "top baby names for year X" lists on the internet. I generally find one for the year of the character's birth and scan down until I find a name I like (generally outside the top 20).

Not so much for a fantasy setting, future setting, or ancient history (say 1st century BC Rome).

I daresay that isn't a problem for Big given the genre(s) of the stories of his that I've read. And it's not a problem for me either.

I guess it might be for you.

AJ

Fair enough. The way I got around that for historical settings is to spend some time looking up the mythology of that culture. There's usually a secondary character or two you can steal the name from.

A while back, I took lists of first and last names and merged them into a single list. I then combined them to create a list of names.

I use that list as my character names. The list consists of over 2000 pairs of first and last names.

I have offered to share that list but no one has requested it from me.

private message me, if interested in obtaining a copy.

I don't think you completed the swap out when you changed symbol to Prince ;-)

Is that Beth again? Which story, so I can add it to the corrections pile.

That was a pathetic attempt at humour based on pop singer Prince, who changed his name to a symbol.

AJ

Ahhh, that was a definite case of "Whoosh!" 🛫 on my part...

Brain fog is also a major symptom of long and medium COVID. Long COVID is where you're still having symptoms long after having caught it. Medium COVID clears up after 6-9 months compared to the few weeks for most people.

I do my best thinking when I'm isolated - driving, walking, or taking a shower. I can't use a written journal for any, but can use a phone in the first two.

Benadryl just takes me straight to unconscious.

Diphenhydramine is also linked to increased risk of Alzheimer's. I recommend not taking it unless you really have to.

It's my allergy medicine of last resort. First a daily spray of Flonase, then some Zirtec. Only when those fail do I go to Benadryl.