Due Diligence: What’s in a Name?

Back when I was a student in the Seton Hill Writing Popular Fiction MFA program, one of my critique partners was bemoaning the state of his name. You see, his name is Todd.

Whenever he saw his name in fiction, the guy was always some preppy, sweater-tied-around-the-shoulder jackass. Or a trust-fund jackass. Or… well, you get the picture. Todd has a bad rap. Todd was the disliked character in 80s comedy movies. Todd was a stuck-up snob. Todd was never sexy.

It’s true. Todd’s not the name you t...