Characters in search of names and occupations

Paula thinks about her characters in her next novel

I’m still in the process of editing my second Irish novel, but I already have an idea for the third one. In fact one of the secondary characters in the second one gave me the idea for the third! He’s a screenwriter and, in one scene, he’s telling my hero and heroine his idea for a new screenplay. I wrote this scene totally off the top of my head, but once it was written I realised it could become the basis of my next novel. It was a surreal kind of moment!

When I wrote ‘Irish Inheritance’, I had no thoughts of any spin-off story until my publisher suggested I had an opportunity for a story about Charlotte aka Charley, the heroine’s best friend. If I’d thought about this beforehand, I would have given the best friend another name, as Charley wouldn’t have been even my tenth choice for a heroine’s name. However, it was too late to change the name in the first book, so I was stuck with it. However, now I’ve written the story, I can’t conceive of my heroine being called anything but Charley!

Charley, like Jenna (the heroine in Inheritance), was an actress, and that fitted well with the plot of the new story, especially as it allowed me to bring in a retired actress (who, I admit, bears an uncanny resemblance to Maggie Smith LOL)

However, with a third Irish story in mind, I’m being rather more careful with names and occupations. Part way through the second story, I introduce a taxi driver called Ben. He’s the one who (I think!) will become the hero in the third story – but do I want him to be called Ben? Or what other name should I choose for him? And maybe taxi driving in the evenings is a way for him to supplement his earnings, so what should his day job be? After having a volcanologist as the hero in one of my novels, and a veterinary surgeon in the second Irish novel, I’d quite like an occupation that didn’t require  so much research! So I’m thinking about an occupation for Ben (or whatever I decide to call him).

As for the heroine, she needs to have been brought up in America, even though she wasn’t born there (no spoilers, all will be revealed in due course!). Somehow she found her way into the final chapter of the second book, as a cousin of Guy, the hero of the first book. I called her Kara, but do I want to keep that name for her? Decisions, decisions! And should she be another actress? Or do I want to get away from actresses for a while, since my last two heroines have been actresses. In that case, what occupation shall I choose for her?

Bearing in mind that both these characters will be living in the small town of Clifden, on the west coast on Ireland, I’ll be interested in your ideas – both for their names and their occupations.

P.S. This stage is fun, isn’t it? Creating the characters you’re going to live with for the next few months!