The Name Game

Back in my college days, I was a big soap opera fan. Lots of us girls would rush back to the dorm at lunchtime with our to-go boxes to watch our soap of choice. As soon as our episode was done, we would filter out and another group of wild-eyed girls would plop down in our places for the next show.

One thing that always irritated me about soaps was how they would occasionally change actors. The episode would begin with the shocking announcement…

The part of  such-and-such will now be played by so-and-so.

And then everything would continue as if NOTHING had changed. The story would just go on.

It was always very unsettling to me. It’s as if some alien space ship could just come down, suck me up and drop someone else into my place and no one would even notice.

I’m feeling that familiar sensation today. I’ve been advised to change my lead character’s name in my work-in-progress, Shaken. Her name changed a few times in the early days of writing, but she has been “Wanda (the wanderer)” for over a year now. But recently a critiquer made some very compelling points about the name and I realize in my heart that she is right.

So I’ve spent the last few days mulling over names. Since the character’s father is a German immigrant, I’d like something that suggests her heritage and the historical period in which she lives (1906). And yet, it needs to be meaningful to young readers, today. I’m presently leaning toward either Abigail (Abby) or Adelaide (Addy). Or maybe I just got stuck in the A’s section of the baby names book. I even petitioned my friends on Facebook for help and got a plethora of responses from Alma to Winnifred. They are all great names. But my heart still feels unsettled. As Wanda, she was clear in my imagination. When I imagine her with a different name, her face gets all foggy again.

Oh, well. It has to be done. Time to hit the baby name websites again. I think I hear that alien space ship humming overhead. Beam me (her) up, Scotty!