Friday, March 22, 2013

HELLO, My Name Is…

 
HELLO, My Name Is…

So many people have asked me, “How did you come up with all of those different character names?” Well, I’ll tell you, but I will have to back up a bit first.

When I first started writing, I knew that I needed to write with an audience in mind. Of course, the young adult fantasy audience was my primary target. But I wanted a wider arc. Who else could I entice to read my book? That’s when I had a fabulous idea!

BRAVO! Yes, Bravo, as in the television cable network. I love everything about Bravo! I watch all of the Real Housewives Programs, Millionaire Matchmaker, etc. So, how could I merge my love of Bravo with my novel, Grishma?

The answer was easy! I would take names from some of my favorites on Bravo and turn them into character names in my novel. For example, Andy Cohen is the Executive Vice President of Development and Talent and host of Watch What Happens Live, well I just switched around the letters in his last name and Viola! I came up with Necoh. The delicious tangy red lera berries, were derived from the word “real” as in Real Housewives. And what about the adorable orvba creatures? Well, just switch around the letters and Ta Da! You have Bravo!

Now, I didn’t always switch up the letters, in some cases I used actual names of people on Bravo. Like Bethenny, Ryder’s mother in Grishma, is actually named after Bethenny Frankel. Or the giggy bird, which is named after the one and only Giggy the Pomeranian, Lisa Vanderpump’s adorable dog.

This innovative idea helped me create unique names and characters that no one else had ever written. There are at least nineteen characters in Grishma that whose names were inspired by Bravo celebrities. Can you find them all?

Pick up your copy of Grishma on Amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/Grishma-Necoh-Saga-ebook/dp/B00BSG4XG2