Something About Sheritta #20

Where do you come up with the names for your stories?

At first, because I wrote more contemporary works, I simply looked through baby name lists online and picked one. I chose based on the way the name sounded, how it rolled off my tongue when I spoke it, if I could pull a nickname from it, and if its meaning suited the character. I also try to make sure that the names don’t closely resemble any other names in the story. So, if I’ve picked a name for the main heroine that starts with an “A”, then I won’t chose another name like “Aiden” or “Adam” to pair with her. I’ll move onto the next letter or find something that doesn’t resemble it too closely.
Since I’m doing a lot of historical pieces now, I try to find names that match with the century and locale of the story. I won’t name a French nobleman from the 18th century “Caleb” because that’s a much more modern and English name. However, it gets a little tough when everyone was named John or Edward. I sometimes have to get a little creative.