Naming Characters

Sometimes this is the hardest thing for me. Not because I can’t think of a name, but because I often pick the SAME names I already have in other novels. I tend to like names that start with D, T, J, C, and N. I have a list of names on word doc, but it only works when I LOOK at it. I’ve been stumbling along because I named one of my recent characters “Tory”. I like it. Short version of Victor in my current WIP. The problem is that I JUST wrote Names Can Never Hurt me and one of the characters is named Corey. Corey and Tory… I’m not much on rhyming names one book right after the other so I figured I needed to change it. Status on facebook and people chime in with suggestions. Some good ones by the way, but also ones that reminded me of my list so I updated it today and discovered I repeat names. Not good.

Latest culprit? Nicholas. Apparently I love that name. I used it three times in various forms. It won’t really cause too much of a problem I don’t think, but it did get me to see that I need to pay attention to naming characters. The problem that you readers can’t factor in, is all the other novels I have planned out or partially written that you haven’t learned the names of the characters yet. AND, the newer ones I added to the list.

Published:

When Love Is Not Enough – Jimmy (Jamie), Matt (Matthias), Darian. But also Dan, Cheryl, Joan, Scott, Jason, Kevin, Anna, Emily, Kenny, and Joey.

The Cost of Loving-  Jimmy (Jamie), Matt (Matthias), Darian. But also Dan, Cheryl, Joan, Steven, Hannah, Scott, Jason, Kevin, Bob, Billy, Lori, Ian, Tommy, Anna, Joey, and Fred.

My Roommate’s a Jock? Well, Crap! – Cole, Ellis, Rob (Robin), Russell, Sara, Lori, Marcus, Mike, Brian, Ben, Brice, Stan, Bethany, Jonathan, Brad, Garrett, and Meredith.

Submitted: Names Can Never Hurt Me – Nick, RC (Raffael), Paul, Corey, Marcy, Tara, Tyler, Terrell, Julie, Laney, Dawn, Elaine, Annia, Cathy, Jennifer,

Newer ones (by me) you may not have read (because they were published in ’09 & ’10 under a different name) …

Sculpting Clay – Clay, Taran, Javier, Vincent, Geena

All I Want For Christmas – David, Nicholai, Joey, Jack , Tyler, (mention Tony)

Books I am working on:

Current WIP: Misplaced Affection – Zach, Flynn, Keith, Gwendolyn, Amelia, Greg

Others:

Road Trip Recipes – Avery, Cash, Crimson, and three girls I can't choose a name for.

Blue Jays – Jayden, Alex

Love Trust and Learning to Live Again- Jimmy (Jamie), Matt (Matthias), Darian. Also Dan, Cheryl, Joan, Steven, Hannah, Scott, Jason, Kevin, Bob, Billy, Lori, Ian, Tommy, Anna, Joey, Fred, Ben, Sara, Ariana, Kyle,

And then the paranormal books. Sci-fi, and fantasy:

My Lover Sucks - David, Nicholai, Joey, and more people.

And a sci-fi/fantasy series with characters: Jackie, Tony, Dominicq, Tadhg, Keegan, Marcellus, Anna, Moyra, Catherine, Cecilia, Tighernan, Edonnon, Molly, Larisa, Galen, Maya, Max, and others…

I have lots of stuff going on. If I can keep up the consistancy, next year should be a good year!

I think I'm doing well. What started as an English paper of 1200 words (over her requirement by 900 words) is now over 16000 and keeps on coming. I have chapters outlined that I haven't had a chance to write yet, but I have the ideas in my head. I am confident. I wanted to write 50k in november but I don't see it happening. It's okay though. I am writing at my own slower pace, but I AM WRITING. That is the key to writing. Haha- DOING IT! And the last 467 words I did for a paper due on Monday were chilling. Made me cry. Very powerful in my opinion. I think I am improving. 

So yeah. That is all for now.

Catch ya laterz,

Wade

NaNoWriMo - WIP

So NOVEMBER is NaNoWriMo month. Why I will never know. November is a very busy month with Thanksgiving in there. Maybe some think you can find extra time to write during time off for the holiday, but for me I spend my time cooking so there is less time to write. No matter, I am up for the challenge.

NaNo basically challenges a person to write 50,000 words in one month. It comes out to be about 1,667 words a day. For some, this is easy-peasy. Not so for me. A consistent 1667 is difficult. The most I have ever written in one day EVER was 12k. I did that once. I can write in bursts and get 12k in a couple days and that is great. What I am doing is trying to focus the challenge and use it to MAKE me write more consistently. Would I like 1667words/day? Oh heck yeah! The obstacles are basically daily living. I have kids. They have sports. I have obligations and stuff I need to do and sometimes it takes priority over writing. HOWEVER, this is the first year were I have had support to write. This is the first year in my published career where my FAMILY knows I write, allows me time to write, asks me how the writing is going, and on that rare occasion when something gets published they are happy for me. This is also the first time when I have been able to share freely about my writing to people I know, people I meet, and people I interact with on a daily basis.

THIS IS HUGE!

That is why I go back to 2013 being "My YEAR". (*Blog reference to WEIGHTLESS IN 2013) It is the best feeling in the world to be myself everywhere I go. I'm not saying I am wearing a gay pride T-shirt and waiving my Wade Kelly Books banner everywhere. NO. I have tact, and residual fear. I know homosexuality is almost as controversial as talking about religion or politics. At least in Carroll County. But I am opening up one person at a time. I tell people straight up I am an author. I never used to do this. I avoided saying anything. This year has been so awesome for me!

From my "Weightless" blog there was a list of things to accomplish:
1. Write everyday. - Not accomplished yet, but I am hopeful. I write MORE than ever before, so that's good.
2. Publish The Cost of Loving. … DONE!!
3. Finish writing Names Can Never Hurt Me … DONE! (and submitted 11/3/13)
4. write Darian's story. hmm, it stands at over 36k which is good, but I haven't worked on it for a while. (writing "NAMES".) I will get to it. Just not yet.
5. Come up with a storyline for the sequel to JOCK. Hmm, not quite, but further along in my head than in January.

MY GOALS NOW:
(10 months later)

1. Publish Names Can Never Hurt Me. This is contingent on signing a contract so please, everyone, cross your fingers for me!
2. FINISH writing another book, preferably by the end of 2013. Doable? Maybe. If I keep the pace I am writing at currently.
3. Write Darian's story.
4. Write a sequel to JOCK.
5. Write another novel. (I have several to choose from.)
6. Basically -- WRITE my fingers to the bone.

Currently I am writing Misplaced Affection. This is a novel I started because I had to write a piece for English class. I wrote like 1400 words and just kept going. It is cute, so far, and full of angst. My hands were shaking and I was breathing rapidly when writing several scenes. It is basically what I call the "Wade Kelly Special". Full of real characters, raw pain, and lots of angst before the characters find love. And, well, maybe, some sex thrown in there as well. LOL! "NAMES" is on the lighter side of the Wade Kelly Special. Misplaced Affection is probably more toward the angst side. If I had a scale????
1 being the lightest read. Happy. Fun. little angst. HEA. AND 10 being torture on the emotions.

1            2             3            4              5             6            7           8           9           10
                                                                                                                                      
         JOCK                                  NAMES                  MA      TCOL              WLINE

What do you think? Are these ranks accurate? (And for those who read this on GR and the format gets all messed up, Jock is a 2, NAMES I ranked 5, Misplaced Affection I said 7, TCOL 8, and WLINE 10.) My favorite part is writing 5 novels on that scale. heehee. Gotta get them all published!

This is what I am concentrating on for November and NaNoWriMo:

Misplaced Affection

Two best friends, one huge secret, and a wedding that stands in the way.

Victor Adams, or “Tory” to his friends, has a secret, (two secrets)—he’s gay, and he’s in love with the boy next door. Tory’s known for years how he felt, but he’s kept his secret because he’s convinced that telling his best friend, Jack, could destroy their relationship. And then, when Tory finally works up the nerve to tell him, Gwendolyn and her friend enter the picture and mess up everything. Tory couldn’t say the words now. Not when “I love you” sounds like a lame attempt at hiding his jealousy over Gwendolyn. Besides… so cliché.

Jack Mitchell was every girl’s heartthrob and every boy’s wet dream. Quarterback from high school turned horticulturalist, Jack had a personality that could sell anything, do anything, or be anything. Except, he couldn’t sell the truth—to himself. He’d been living a lie ever since his best friend Nate, Tory’s brother, died eight years prior. And just when he thinks he’s ready to talk about it, and tell Tory how he feels, he meets the prettiest girl in town and gets swept away.

Two years later, both friends stand ready at a wedding neither one wants to go through with. The best man, dying on the inside as the only man he’s ever loved commits himself in marriage—to a woman; and the groom, going through the motions of what is expected of him, even though, in his heart, he’d rather be saying “I do” to someone else. At this point, only God could intervene to avert disaster.

SO THERE YA HAVE IT.

let me know what you think.

Other news: the Goodread M/M Romance Choice Awards are open for nominations. check out the page. Mine have been nominated, but in case you read a book you think needs to be on the list, head over there and nominated one or several. (HERE.)

Laterz,

Wade