Heading For Comfort

We're going to Fredericksburg, Texas today with a couple stops along the way. One place we went to explore is a town called Comfort. Doesn't that name just pull you in immediately? I wonder who had the good sense to grace it with that name? Friends have told us that it's an interesting little town and to be sure to stop there. So, it's more than the name that is calling to us.

All the above points out the importance of names for towns and people as you write. If the town of Comfort had been named Martinville, would it have made me want to go there? Probably not. When you're writing fiction, don't name your characters haphazardly. Give some thought to those names. Does the name you select help form a picture of the person? Is it a strong name or a nothing type? Strong characters deserve strong names. Soft, comforting characters do better with the same kind of names.

Naming your characters is one of those little things that can make a difference. It won't completely  carry a story, but good names will add to a good tale.

Get our a map and look at the names. Which ones draw you in? Check a phone book or a directory of some sort and find the people names that please you.

I'll let you know tomorrow if Comfort was aptly named or not.