Hi, My Name is...

My characters usually introduce themselves to me by name. Thankfully! I get a little bummed out when I get an idea and don't have a character name in my head. This happens more for short stories than novels though. Usually, I get a character in my head and then the plot develops from there.


With Touch of Death, Jodi Marshall just came to me. She was unlike any other MC I'd written and I really loved her. The funny thing is, I've only met a few Jodi's in my life, so I have no idea why that name came to mind. And Marshall? No clue. 


For another manuscript, which I'll talk about more soon, my MC is Sam. For a while, I'd wanted a name that was shortened and could be male or female. With this MS, Sam came to me, and I loved her name immediately.


Meeting characters is like meeting new friends to me. They come complete with names. I felt the same way when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. I knew her name was Ayla. There was no doubt.  It was almost like she introduced herself to me just like my characters do.


What about you? Do you name your characters or do they name themselves?