Finding character names

Sometimes characters' names leap out at you. Often, they're named before you've even begun to write their story. But there are times when a suitable name just won't come, especially for minor characters.

Traditional advice was to open the phone book or newspaper randomly, or combine two halves of different names to make a new one.

Now, these names are emailed to your inbox on a daily basis if, like everyone else in the world, you receive sp*m mail. For example, I today received mail from:-

• Jonathan Richardson
• Hayden Scott
• Xavier Reed
• Dusty Rutherford
• Barbara Simon
• Edwin Leonard

To me, these names conjure up very definite mental images of particular kinds of characters and I'll be noting a few down for future reference. However, one word of advice - before you turn Xavier Reed into a master-criminal or Barbara Simon into an officious librarian, double check that these characters only populate your imagination and that their alter-ego isn't walking the streets in a town near you!