Hi All -
When you're writing your novel, it's the little, mundane things that can improve your reader's experience. Little things that your reader won't notice — like the names of the characters. But they will notice if they can't remember who's who.
For as long as I can remember, being introduced to new people was fraught with worry. It seemed that within five seconds of meeting someone the name(s) had escaped my sieve of a brain. But if a person's name was Zack or Herky or Thea, the name stuck.
I'm reading a lovely novel that's set in London in the 1800s. There is one big problem as a reader. All the many characters have common, every day, forgettable names. William, John, George, etc. No offense if your name is William, John, or George. I keep scrolling back to the beginning to remind myself who's who. I could write a cheat sheet or more probably, I'll delete it from my tablet. Curious, I Googled "Popular English men's names in 1850 England." This website popped up.
Sure enough, William, John, and George were at the top of the list. But take a moment to Scroll down the English and Welsh Birth Index for 1850. I see some great names — Frederick, Alfred, Herbert, Isaac. All excellent names a reader could easily remember. This lists female names also.
Even if your novel takes place in 2021, it's good to take an extra minute to look for names that will stand out. Obviously, your reader won't thank you for memorable names, but then again, they won't feel frustrated trying to remember who is who.
With the popularity of genealogy, there are numerous online sites listing census, birth, and death records by year. Old newspapers, yearbooks, and city directories also are great sources.
This is the government website for the 1940 US Census. https://1940census.archives.gov/
So take that extra research step. It will make the reader's experience 100% better.
Photos by Andrea Piacquadio (woman with binoculars) and Anete Lusiano (man reading) from Pexels.com
