Let's Talk with Maggie Toussaint
Let’s Talk with Maggie Toussaint
March 22, 2018
Character Name Auctions
By Maggie Toussaint
At a recent fundraising event, authors held a silent auction for a good cause – to help raise money for a nearby library. I was happy to have one of my character’s names up for grabs, and a very nice lady bid on it.
I came home to figure out which characters were available in an option book I’d already turned in. This 2019 book, Dreamed It, has four main suspects, all male (and for a very good reason) so that wouldn’t work. I read along in the story to determine what options I had for this winner.
I found some characters with small parts who were nice, one K-9 officer that had a modest role, and to spice things up, I added the medical examiner who is a bit of an eccentric. I can’t wait to find out which role this lady will select.
What would you go for? A walk-on role with few-to-no lines, an active role in the investigation, or the feisty M.E.?
Posted in Let's Talk, with Maggie Toussaint • Tags: BLB Discussion, character naming, Dreamed It, Maggie Toussaint | 4 Comments
How wonderful that people want to get involved in the book!
Right now, I’d just love it if people would give me names. I have at least a dozen placeholders in my current WIP. If anyone here is interested, there are details at https://terryodell.com/your-name-in-my-book/
Murder on the Menu in Wetumpka, AL, is a fun luncheon event where authors and readers have a lot of face time. I enjoy these type of events so much because I have a chance to hear what readers are looking for in books.
I used the name from one of my prior winners as the manager of Tally’s dress shop in Hair Brained. Previously, I made other winners a stylist and a shampoo girl in Marla’s salon. Sometimes it’s hard to plan ahead for which book you’ll have available.
I’ve found most readers are excited to be in the book. I often have a string of minor characters to choose from. They are already named in the manuscript, so its a matter of changing out the names and sometimes the gender and personality. In the old days, doing something like that would’ve shaken me, but now i feel my editing skills are up to the task. Any readers out there want to comment?