A Fun Character Naming Resource

I know, I should be writing. Don't worry, I have been. I'm home for the day for an appointment, and have spent a good hour on the story. About to wrap up the end of the first scene in chapter 1...and I realized I don't have a solid character name for my hero. I do have a "working" name that came out during on of the heroine's dialogues with a secondary character, but I'm one of those who absolutely must know the character's name before I can write it.

Mind you, I won't get started with the hero until the last line of chapter one, when the heroine time-travels back to his bed (oooooh...spoiler alert :)) but I need to know it because she's going to be thinking of him in the next two scenes.

So how fun is it when I checked out some babyname places online and found this one? It's from the Social Security Administration (maybe this is where my money is going...LOL) where you can plug in any year after 1879 and get a listing of the 50, 100, or even 500 most popular names that year? Extremely cool, especially if you write historicals. My story is set around the 1860s so it won't be spot-on but a good resource nonetheless. You can get both male and female names.

Go on, check it out. Every writer deserves a little play time :) You can choose by year, by decade, by state and you can search individual names to see how popular they were as well. Oh, yeah...don't forget to get back to the writing!

Popular Baby Names by Birth Year at the Social Security Administration website

March 6: Best of: Writer's Calendar

Nothing better than something to help you get truly organized--check out this writer's calendar. Though the post is dated from 2006, Julie of OrganizedWriter.com has a great 2008 version for your pleasure...

Best of Fountain Pen, Inc.
Monday, December 4, 2006
OrganizedWriter.com's Writer's calendar

And now, a word from our friendly neighborhood politicians...

Anyone who knows me knows I don't get into politics much. I mean, I advocate for issues I feel strongly about, but as far as "rah rah" stuff--borrrring. I'd rather be writing.

But this is a fun & funky little quiz to see how closely what you believe/support aligns with the current presidential candidates (although some have come and gone). You can even do congressional race candidates from your state. All you do is choose how you feel/support certain issues and it spits out your most likely match.

My match was no shock to me...democrats all the way! (sorry, dad..and the rest of my conservative family...LOL). Waste a few minutes having some political fun (if that's not an oxymoron...!)

Votematch.com: Find Your Political Match here

Let's go Democrats....lol

Beth

February 21st: Seventh Sanctum's Shiny Brain Toys...Fun!

One of the best ways to beat a creative block is to make your mind let down all guard by playing a game. It's one of the oldest teacher tricks in the book for getting kids to learn, and I know it works for creative minds, too.

A creative mind can't pass up a chance to generate ideas, especially when they're random. We can't help but try to make some kind of connection, however illogical.

Head over to Seventh Sanctum's Shiny Brain Toys website and have FUN FUN FUN with their set of random generators. On the left side, you'll see the possibilities. Choose one and write a 100 word story on the prompt you get. Keep clicking until you get one you like. Go through the choices til you find one that matches your story.

Whatever floats your boat, go have a little brain fun today. Just don't let it take the place of actual WRITING on your project...lol...(said from experience)

Seventh Sanctum's Shiny Brain Toys

Happy, happy generating,

Beth

What Tarot Card Are You?

Now, this is just downright fun.

Yeah, I know I'm supposed to be working on the book (started the next-to-the-last chapter today, am about halfway through it) but as I watch Titanic for like the (at least) 500th time (ask anyone who knows me...), I thought I'd play online.

Here's what I found: (I always knew I was royalty...somewhere in the world....lol)

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents,
beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home
decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.