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I wrote all my character names for a year before realizing I was just renaming the same five people
Sat down at a diner in Boise last Tuesday and laid out 14 short stories I'd written since January. Every single protagonist was a tired guy named either Jack, Cal, or Ray who drank too much coffee. The waitress asked if I was writing a series. I wasn't. Now I keep a sheet with 30 names and force myself to pick one I've never used before starting anything new. Does anyone else have a name they keep falling back on without noticing?
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pat_stone1mo ago
Jack, Cal, or Ray is such a specific trio that I'm honestly a little impressed. It's like your brain has a casting agency with only three actors on the payroll and they all show up in the same coffee stained shirt. The waitress asking if it was a series is the funniest part because she just assumed you were being consistent on purpose. Meanwhile I've got a Dave problem myself, every side character I write who needs to be mildly annoying is named Dave and I did not plan that. Your 30 name sheet is a solid move but watch out, you'll just end up with 30 names and still reach for Ray every time.
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