A Question of Devotion

I am having name issues. This time, it is person names.

When I choose a name for a character in anything I write, I either feel utterly devoted to it or completely indifferent. I write the details to get the personality out, but often, it starts as a name and I visualize what that name means to me first.

I named the best friend of the main character in my WIP, Kira, short for Kiranda. I never met a Kiranda, but a few Kiras. Recently, I've been seeing Kira in books. Seeing that this was one of the names I am indifferent to, I am thinking about changing it. But to change it, I would feel more comfortable if I changed her.

She is my MC's best friend.  But with this new name I have come up with, I see her change in appearance, race and if I keep writing her up as I have been in my notes, her personality.. which would change my MC, who I am at that devoted stage with, seeing as she is my MC.  I changed the last name of one character a few months ago and that only made him French in name as well as nationality, so why is this so much more? Maybe because Kira's such a strong personality already, I am scared to mess with her. Or perhaps I am more devoted to her than I thought.

I am not on a deadline here. I can completely change things up and maybe I'll feel better about the character once known as Kira. It will only take, what, a few weeks?

One thing I remind myself of a lot is that it's my book and I can do whatever I want to. Heck, if I can name a town Detroipia, I suppose I can do anything. Eventually, I will have to be happy with the piece, but when will that ever be?

Ah, I guess that is a post for another time.

Creature discomforts

Yesterday's research, however brief it was, involved trying to find the oddest type of feline for my MC. I originally had it as old, fat and lazy fur ball named Cronus (fat because he ate a lot like Cronus who ate all his children in Greek Mythology).

I found the Scottish Fold cat that have bent over ears and a round face.  They also have this most amusing sitting position on its back called the buddah sit. I know I would not be able to look at this creature without snorting a laugh, thus I figured this was perfect.

I mean, look at them.

Then my IR, aka, my husband, suggested I make Cronus a rabbit instead. That is different, I have to admit. I see dogs and cats in books, but not often a pet rabbit. (This had an ulterior motive as he very much wants us to get a rabbit.) And those lop-eared ones are awfully cute. The French Lops are huge.

But the name Cronus does not fit a rabbit for me. I would need to come up with another name, which will be about as difficult as coming up with the name of the city they all live in (it has been plaguing me for a while now).

I read a book recently of a girl who had a huge cat and it was pretty amusing. He served as a silent low support character. So, I was on the right track, but now that I see it's been done (with a far more creative name than Cronus), I don't want to copy. Granted, we are copying all the time from what we read, watch, experience, etc, but this seemed too close.

And now, with a minor character I've written throughout my book in question, I am going to go back to editing.



ps. These pictures were found from random sites. I should credit them and will next time around when I re-discover where they came from. My apologies to the sources of these pics.