Being a writer or a teacher or in my case, both, have loads of beautiful parts to it, but there is one part that is extremely hard, choosing names. Yep, names. Think about it, if you’re lucky enough to be a parent, at some stage before the baby is born you have to come up with a name for the baby. Now all parents know this is not always an easy thing to do. As a matter of fact, it can be one of the hardest things you and your partner have to agree on.

You come up with a name, and your partner says, “Nope I don’t like that name because…….. cousin Sid’s kid is called that, or that name reminds me of potatoes” (ok maybe not potatoes but you get what I mean) and so on. But imagine if you can, a teacher becoming a parent. So many names remind you of someone you’ve taught. Some of those students may have been delightful children, strong bright children or adorable children and some may have been horrid. Some children you may have seen struggling for numerous reasons, and some may have been picked on because of their name. Just coming up with a name is ten times more difficult when you work with or have been working with children. I actually know many couples who are both teachers. How they ever came up with names for their children is a mystery, but they did.

I was lucky to have had my children before I became a teacher but now that I’m writing I’m finding a similar problem when I need to come up with a name for a character. I think of a name and realise I taught a child or a few children with that name. Firstly I think, can I use the name? What was the child like? This character has to be mean and nasty, will that be a problem? Funnily enough, if I want a name for a character who is incredible, amazing and about to save the world, I have no problem choosing a name, as I feel if any of my past students think the character is based on them they won’t mind at all.

Of course, if I’m lucky enough to have my book published one day, there is always this unusual disclosure which can get you out of most pickles, “All characters in this book are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.”

I’m open to suggestions, if you have an unusual name, one you think I haven’t come across yet, let me know by clicking on the ‘Leave a reply’ tag below.  I may put it in the book.
Enjoy your day,
Polly