Jonathan W., of Stanton, Virginia says that he enjoyed Seize the Storm, and he asks: How do you decide the names of your characters? This is a good question. Jonathan. A character's name should be a little unusual, so that the name is not something we see every day. And it can often suggest something about the individual without being obviously representative. In Seize the Storm, for example, Axel is a name that reminds us of strength and physical reliability, and it also is a little usual—without being surprisingly unconventional. Ironically, while rugged enough, Axel is I think the least emotionally reliable character in the Seize the Storm. Another feature of the names of characters: the names should begin with different letters, or otherwise appear different from each other, so the reader will not be confused. * Why are you so interested in events from the past? (K. H. Jaipur, India) Past calamities are exciting--and they are also enlightening. When I discovered a plausible conspiracy to kill King William in The King’s Arrow, I gained insight into the way governments changed in the era before elections and parliaments. We can learn a great deal about courage and friendship by living through events that took place in the past. But in a very real sense, every novel is a contemporary novel, even when it takes place in the past. Ship of Fire is a novel about terrorism, for example, and The King’s Arrow is a novel about conspiracy and loyalty.
Send me questions of your own at Michael@MichaelCadnum.com.
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