Since I started editing my (let’s call it) current draft of my novel, a bunch of characters walked in who weren’t there before. I’m not sure yet if I really need them, but they help me finding the way through the labyrinth of my brain. And my novel. Only problem: Everytime a new character arrives, I have to rename someone. It’s like a jinx. Either I already have a (rather important) character with a name similar to my new acquisition, or a (not so important) secondary character with a similar name to the new character. Which is, in its essence, one and the same thing. It’s kind of unconscious naming (if that’s a thing). Oftentimes I don’t notice it right away.
I have characters that had their name changed four or five times already, and I can’t promise that it won’t happen again. Luckily I didn’t rename them so often as to forget who they are. I hate name-generator-thingy-things, so everytime I realize that there was another one (how could that even happen? Again?), I take my encyclopedia of names and start digging. Or I take my book on mediaeval culture and literature and skim through the index of names, if I’m looking for a mediaeval name. I try not to have more than one name that starts with the same letter, to not be confusing. Most of my characters tend to start either with B or W, for what it’s worth. My mind seems to like those letters.
I’m so more than thankful for the search and replace option of my writing program. Makes changing names easy.
