Saturday, February 07, 2015

artificial insemination and character names

"I have to artificially inseminate my serial killer today," I said to Rick over the wonderful cordon bleu lunch that he had made.

"Won't that cramp her style?"

"You have to remember she has her own trust fund."

He nodded. "She kills for the thrill?"

"Something like that. But her gay friend's father has promised him a million dollars, and he'll give her $250,000 if they marry and produce an heir." I had a gay neighbor once whose father promised just that, only he didn't take the offer. So many times in writing a real experience triggers an idea that I play with and change.

I told him the name of the man.

Rick looked at me. "You may want to change that."

I realised that it was the name of a gay man that it is a friend. He might not think it is about him. Often people see themselves in my novels although I wasn't thinking of them at all. Others would like to be in them and ask for a role.

At least it was a name that find and replace won't be a problem. In Family Value when I changed the name Lou to Gino I ended up words like Ginoiana for the southern state and a woman wore a Bginose instead of a blouse.

It is now a little after 4 am and the next chapter was keeping me awake. Thus I am up and about to start to work.


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