tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21629015.post9118942927614076910..comments2024-03-04T12:44:00.261+00:00Comments on Debi Alper: Family mattersDebihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09600815804658702077noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21629015.post-57165804185567778372009-11-12T15:16:35.352+00:002009-11-12T15:16:35.352+00:00Yes, that's it, Marie. We have to go with the...Yes, that's it, Marie. We have to go with the flow. It's so strange that we create the stories yet seem to have so little real control over the direction they take sometimes. <br /><br />It's a matter of letting go and I do believe that many books sink because the writer has attempted to force the narrative and characters into a preconceived detailed synopsis.Debihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09600815804658702077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21629015.post-85268153554472285902009-11-12T15:01:49.414+00:002009-11-12T15:01:49.414+00:00As I write mostly historical fiction I have to mak...As I write mostly historical fiction I have to make sure the names I choose for characters are right for the era I've set my novel in. I have a book of names, and I also search online.<br /><br />With my current WIP a minor character made himself become a major character, one who is now central to the plot, so yes, I was quite freaked out by that. He'd been battling for some time to get a starring role. I even kicked out one lead character because of him. This character is so interesting (based on a real life historical figure) that it was silly to keep him in the background.Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08507037483019197630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21629015.post-78299372523034058212009-11-09T15:48:41.410+00:002009-11-09T15:48:41.410+00:00All pix are pretty fuzzy to me these days, Babs. ...All pix are pretty fuzzy to me these days, Babs. Another symptom of art imitating life - or possibly the other way round?Debihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09600815804658702077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21629015.post-40096446101130646942009-11-09T15:34:33.756+00:002009-11-09T15:34:33.756+00:00Great look behind the scenes of writing, Debi, and...Great look behind the scenes of writing, Debi, and as always, well told!<br /><br />When I name characters I usually find it's a name that's popped into my head, along with a fuzzy sort of picture of them - sort of like how photographs used to look when you took them with those cheap Koadk cameras in the late 70s/early 80s - before they improved the lenses...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06280161801824435219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21629015.post-44725545679860934662009-11-09T14:30:57.212+00:002009-11-09T14:30:57.212+00:00Fascinating insights here. (Knew there would be. ...Fascinating insights here. (Knew there would be. You lot are so predictable ...)<br /><br />Miriam - interesting how their names came AFTER their personalities were revealed.<br /><br />Queenie - a spreadsheet?! Oh, don't tempt me ...<br /><br />Sue - I see you too use books. And sons. Feel free to borrow mine if you need help.Debihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09600815804658702077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21629015.post-2462888450718486192009-11-09T14:23:47.268+00:002009-11-09T14:23:47.268+00:00Yes, yes, yes. One weird way I use to choose a nam...Yes, yes, yes. One weird way I use to choose a name is a book I bought years ago called "the Character Naming Sourcebook" -lists all sorts of names by ethnicity and country. As far as family's help: I depend on it. I especially go to my younger son for help with plot. He's full of ideas for strange intricacies that i could never come up with. Alas, he's now at Uni. What will I do?Sue Guineyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13556228394020314560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21629015.post-86840578525949014482009-11-09T13:41:26.252+00:002009-11-09T13:41:26.252+00:00Choosing names: mostly I use baby books, or a love...Choosing names: mostly I use baby books, or a lovely spreadsheet that a friend made of the 100 most popular girls' and boys' names per decade over the last 60 years.<br />Enlisting people's help: yes indeed I do!!! And from one or two other people, as well!<br />Characters muscling in: generally I'm far too much of a control freak to let them do something so major, but sometimes my characters say or do surprising things, and that blows my mind.Queeniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06988379866736219329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21629015.post-380470399164157382009-11-09T13:09:52.118+00:002009-11-09T13:09:52.118+00:00Someone who read my novel thought that one charact...Someone who read my novel thought that one character's name begins with M because he shares several traits with me. "No," I replied. "At first, I didn't know what the two characters were called, so I called them M (male) and F (female). At some point they turned into Martin and Fiona." ~MiriamAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com