It’s Tuesday and you know what that means! Time to hit the blog trail and see what the Romance Writers’ Weekly authors are up to this week. Hopefully, you tootled over from Kim Handysides who always has something amazingly witty to share.
This week’s questions are courtesy of Jeanne McDonald.
1. How did you go about choosing the names for your characters?
I always try to find period accurate names for my characters, but not over-used or trendy names. I will try several combinations of first and last names and then add at least two middle names. I often use names of people I know for middle names. He he.
Since my heroes frequently have titles, I have to make sure their names work with their titles too. Otherwise I may get something ridiculous like Falcon, the Viscount Featherington or Drake, the Duke of Duckworth.
Okay, in a pinch I’ll use a name generator like this Regency Name Generator. I’ve never actually used both a first name and surname but will often combine a couple prefixes or suffixes to create my own name. It gets my old creative juices flowing.
2. Where did the inspiration for your current book come from?
I’m writing two books right now. The novella, Bride of Falcon, was inspired by
Chancy Faulkenhurst, a secondary character in Triumph and Treasure. Because Falcon is introduced at a ball, Bride of Falcon launches at the same event.
Virtue and Valor, the second book in my Highlander Heather Romancing a Scot Series, was inspired by two characters, Bartholomew Yancy, the Earl of Ramsbury and Isobel Ferguson who make appearances in the Castle Brides Series and Triumph and Treasure.
I knew they had to eventually get together but made them wait until I could figure out what their story was exactly.
3. What methods do you use to ensure you have no plot holes (journal, storyboard, outline, editor, etc.)?
I start with a questionnaire for my hero and heroine which covers over 50 questions. I keep adding other details to each form as I write the book to make sure everything is kept straight. I often have to go back and double check on facts, places, even appearances, say a scar placement. That’s especially true in my series.
I also have a few very good beta readers who do a great job of pointing out gaps to me, and my critique partners do the same. Finally, an editor with a keen eye is essential. They’ll spot issues I totally missed. If one person has a question about something, you can bet a bunch more will too.
Now it’s time to hop over to Dani Jace and check out what she has to say.
