I've been mentally swapping around some character surnames in my latest story, and nothing's really working. I've got four primary characters. They're all currently living in Washington state, but they have East Coast ties (three were born there; one just moved from there).
Liz has a regular, working-class English background. I've named her "Miller", but something has bothered me about this ever since I started writing it. Today, I realized "Elizabeth Miller" was the name of a teenager that struck the telephone pole closest to my house on Thanksgiving Day in 1999 and died at the scene (my parents and I ran outside after the impact caused our TV to temporarily go weird, and the whole crowd watched until she died and was removed from the car). It might feel weird using that name.
Bernice is from a wealthy East Coast establishment family. I had been using "Beaumont", but that, based on what I've read, is Spanish, Italian, and/or French. Not sure. If it is indeed French, that might work. She's a fashionista and jetsetter, drinks daddy's liquor when he's not around, etc.
Amber is the new arrival and is also from a wealthy family. I imagine her being from a Scottish family, but I gave her a Dutch surname without thinking.
Richie's background could be anything. It doesn't really matter. I gave him a Dutch surname.
Liz has a regular, working-class English background. I've named her "Miller", but something has bothered me about this ever since I started writing it. Today, I realized "Elizabeth Miller" was the name of a teenager that struck the telephone pole closest to my house on Thanksgiving Day in 1999 and died at the scene (my parents and I ran outside after the impact caused our TV to temporarily go weird, and the whole crowd watched until she died and was removed from the car). It might feel weird using that name.
Bernice is from a wealthy East Coast establishment family. I had been using "Beaumont", but that, based on what I've read, is Spanish, Italian, and/or French. Not sure. If it is indeed French, that might work. She's a fashionista and jetsetter, drinks daddy's liquor when he's not around, etc.
Amber is the new arrival and is also from a wealthy family. I imagine her being from a Scottish family, but I gave her a Dutch surname without thinking.
Richie's background could be anything. It doesn't really matter. I gave him a Dutch surname.