After some deliberation and struggle, which included writing names in alphabetical order as I thought of them, I have renamed Betsy as Debra. I thought of Deb, and Debbie, and Deborah, but all of those were too casual for the more straightforward, and perhaps formal, kind of person who I have depicted Betsy to be (or rather Debra). In my mind, Debra makes her more mature than Betsy.
I think that means that Betsy was an okay name when she was a young girl in the story, but it didn’t seem to fit the persona of a woman who had grown into a mature lady during the telling of this story.
I know, I know. Many mature women are named Betsy. But for my story, Debra sounded more correct for me. In my previous blog, picking names is hard and I want them to be just right.
While I was at it, I changed another name too. I didn’t like Nancy’s name either. No special reason there, just wanted to save a Nancy character for another story. Instead, I chose Linda. And that name has some meaning for me.
If you read the dedication on my first book, A Mother’s Gift, it included an aunt of my named Linda. Through my stories, I have tried to pay homage to the many women who have been a part of my life. Some get a small part character, some a big part character. For no special reason, except that the name (and not the personality of the woman in my life) has to fit the character I create.
There is no connection between the size of the character (as in participation in the story) and the size of the person they pay homage to in my heart. Any one special to me gets a part in my stories. Anyone not, doesn’t.
So complicated. But so important to pick the right name for the woman of Beckerville.
Which is another name I changed. While I liked Becker, it didn’t seem to ring true as a town name, and so for this new book, A Mother’s Treasure, I changed the town name to Beckerville. Much more suitable. And because of that, I had to republish my first book to change the town’s name there too.
Writing books is complicated. Names count. For a lot.
Hoping that the name changes fit for you as well.
