Names (and Fan Mail, continued)

Amid this latest batch of mail are

handmade postcards:

on one side a scene from one of my books

and on the back a note to me.

Love these

 glimpses into the head of a reader

to see what he or she sees.

In this mail pile

are hundreds of signatures:

the expected Sarahs and Mikes and Davids

and Kates and Johns and Jills and Abbys

With spelling variations:

Natalie, Natalee, Nataley

Rachel, Rachael, Raychil,

Kaitlin, Kaitlyn, Caitlin, Katelyn

And these more rare, but beautiful names:

Alaina, Alondra, Amiya, Angelica, Abraham, Ameer, Ariel, Aristan, Arda, Alaura, Alouette, Ariana, Aejah,

Brooklyn, Chaun, Camden, Cole, Caleb,

Delia, Della, Delaney, Devron,

Emmanuel, Eunice, Eva, Estefania,

Gabriella, Gianni, Hadia, Haley, Hunter, Isela, Izzy,

Jade, Jayden, Jazzmyn, Jerred, Jesse, Joman, Jevarius, 

Kara, Kadamma, Kazuma, Kaleb, Karlee, Kei, Keani, Khyrea, Kira, Kori,

Leighton, Lariah, Lily,

Mei, Maximillian, Marika, Mallory, Morgan, Mackenzie, Macalistair,

Nellie, Nile, Nora, Oshen, Olivia, Paris, Peyton, Paige,

Rainey, Roya, Radhika, Rose, Reeve, Rahul, Rocene,

Sydney, Sofia, Sierra, Sami, Shayna, Shareka, Serena, Sidalie,

Trinity, Tristan, Tatem, Tate

Uziel, Vega, Veronica, Whitney, 

Xavier, Yzsabella,

and

 Zizy.

I've long been intrigued by the ways in which

we are shaped by

or perceived by

our names

and

cannot move forward 

with the writing of a story

without names.

I've already chosen two from the above

for a future book.

Those names will not only shape

the character

but also suggest

the plot.

So if you're ever stuck

in beginning a story

try choosing two random names

and let them

(the characters with those names)

go at it.

xx