Evelyn David
Sullivan Investigations Mystery Series

The importance of being Ernest, Sybil, Miss Marple, or any of the thousands of characters whose names are part of their claim to fame, cannot be underestimated.



How do you choose a name for your character? Consider the following:



1. Is the name age appropriate? In general choose names that were in use the year the character was born, or you're going to have to explain the discrepancy to your reader in some way. Many books and Internet lists have baby name information. The Social Security Administration maintains a particularly helpful site, where you can search for popular names by year.



2. Does the name convey something descriptive about the character? Physical description? Robert Ironside was a detective in a wheelchair. Ethnicity? Hercule Poirot was a Belgian sleuth. Profession? Lavendar "Snake" Jones (Death Roll) was a zookeeper.



3. Is the name memorable? Is it different enough from the names of other characters in your novel? Too many Mikes, Marks, and Matts can confuse even the most careful reader. Consider avoiding too many names that start with the same letter or sound too similar.



4. Bueller? Bueller? Be careful about common associations with a name. For example, if you decide to use the name Gilligan in your book, will you feel obliged to maroon the guy on an island for several years with The Professor and Mary Ann? Who would you want to have as a family pet: Cujo or Lassie?



Choose wisely! If you're lucky the character you name today will be around a long time and survive many books.



Speaking of names - many readers have asked about the pen name, Evelyn David. Check out our bio page for information about the two halves of Evelyn David. If you send us an email (evelyndavid@evelyndavid.com) we'll tell you how we came up with the name Evelyn David.



Our wish for you this month is that you see your own name on a book cover, in lights on Broadway, or in a newspaper announcing something wonderful happening to you!