Instincts and names

I am currently revisiting the names of my characters. Some of these folks just have their own mind and do not want to be who I thought they were and, as their true colors come through, they need better names.

Daughter and I debated her feeling that she would rather discover who these people are than have a name hint at it. This debate was never resolved, with both of us seeing both sides to the issue, and me being of a mind that my eleven year old reader may well not even know what the name "means" the first time they read it anyway.

I have also tended to use names by the fact that I have never met a "Butch" who wasn't rather a bully. The first Butch I knew, beat my brother up every other day. He was around twelve at the time and my brother was under nine. So, think bully, I think Butch. This site Bad Baby Names put a new definition for "Butch" in the mix. One I had not thought of.

Then, there was AOL's article Does Your Name Spell Success? - Careers Articles. A real quick simplification of it is that if your name starts with an A or a B, you sit to the front of the class and your grades live up to your initials. Those whose names start with D and F however, tend to get those grades. There is a lot more to it, so you might want to read it, but it is something to think about. Also, read the numerous comments underneath that totally disprove their theory.

My last name put me at the end of the row of students and often at the back of the room; which was not real successful with my poor eyesight. I got eyeglasses and A's. So, I think our lesson here is to read the available information and take it all with a grain of salt. If it works for your character, it is right. If you change his/her name five times, try out the first name you thought of for the character. It may have been the right one all along. Trust your instincts.