Picking Names For My Novels' Characters

I've named a few more characters in my various novels, and I decided it was a good time to revisit this seemingly easy but very difficult (for me) writing task. I've listed my latest thoughts to share with you.

1. Colorful or odd nicknames, first names, and surnames give me pause. Just visualize how the other kids would've teased your poor character, sort of like the picked on dude named Sue in the old Johnny Cash song.

2. I know localities are discontinuing to print the white phone pages. Pity. It's a mine of name possibilities. The online phone directories haven't been a suitable replacement for me.

3. I like to use Google and find surveys of which first names were the most popular when my character was born. I may or may not go with the trend.

4. Picking names off gravestones is an intriguing idea. Of course you can't be trespassing on cemetery property. Maybe when attending a graveside service is a good time to do a little, discrete snooping.

5. Be careful when using real people's names. We heard Reynolds Price say he asked his lawyer approach the real Blue Calhoun for permission to use his name for a novel's protagonist/title.

6. Consulting obituaries from where your character hails from is fair game. George Pelecanos said he does that. The trick is to MIX the names to avoid the problem in No. 5.

7. Saying your character's name out loud should help you to avoid picking a tongue-twister or hard to pronounce name.

8. I'm finding that less is more in my characters' name selections. Multi-syllable names just don't ring as true in my crime fiction.

9. Something else I've been doing is to give myself permission to change the character names while I'm writing the first draft.

10. Constant tinkering is also okay even during the subsequent editing rounds, especially for the protagonist(s). Sleep on a name choice before you run the global search, delete, and insert.

11. Sometimes the names will pop into your mind, but I've yet to wake up in the middle of the night with a burning choice. I know a novel title (The Dirt-Brown Derby) occurred to me while chowing down on a blooming onion at Outback.

12. I prefer to name any character that has a speaking role in my novels, even if it's just by their first name.

13. None of the rules above have to apply, at all. Just go with your gut feeling.