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writing tips

Writing Wednesday #1: Intro & Naming Characters

Hello lovely book lovers! Okay, so you’ve probably been wondering why my Blog’s design has changed up so much. Long story short, I’m really really picky. I’ve decided to change up my theme a little bit over the last few weeks and it’s now completely done and renovated! I’m really happy with it now and seeing it all together, designing and coding, has been a task. But so worth the hard work.

Onto the theme: Writing Wednesdays. I’ve always wanted to do a segment on PLM about writing, because aside from reading, it’s my favourite thing to do. Writing brings me peace and creating stories has been in a major fixture in my life since I was a young child. So, Writing Wednesdays was brought into the world a couple weeks ago when I was hunting for a theme to do. I decided that, because they both begin with a W, that they were a perfect fit (cliche, I know).


This week’s topic is:

Naming Characters (and ideas!)

Sometimes, the right name just doesn’t come to you. At all. And then you’re left wondering how this incredible story can go on inside your head without a name for your leading character. Yeah, I know the feeling. It’s tough. And it’s happened a lot to me, you know, there’s the story in your head, but no name. Sometimes, on a rare occasion, a name will come to me, but most often they don’t. So, I turn to the internet and things around me for ideas and inspiration. Even then, there’s not always a great fit. Sometimes you just want a cute, preppy name, or others, a medieval sounding name for a viking. Either way, I’ve got you covered below with tips, ideas and where to find those killer names.



Girl Names that I love for writing:

Astrid 

Ava

Anna

Allison

Aly

Anastasia

Avril

April

Beatrice

Beatrix

Bea

Bonnie

Candice

Callie 

Camille

Dinah

Destiny

Elly

Eva

Etta

Freya

Fiona

Georgie

Gretchen

Greta

Hanna

Hallie

Harriet

Iris

Ingrid

Josie

Jade

Jilly

Kat

Kathrine

Kimmie

Kami

Leona

Lana

Monique

Marin

Maren

Maddie

Madison

Natalia

Nina

Ophelia

Opal

Penelope 

Penny

Piper

Phoebe

Queen

Rebecca 

Rivka

Rachael

Rhea

Sophie

Sofia

Sadie

Serena

Sienna

Tina

Tiana

Tabitha

Tate

Ursula

Vivian

Willow

Willa

Xena

Yaella

Zelda



Boy Names that I love for writing:

Aaron

Austin

Benjamin

Bill

Bernie

Calvin

Cameron

Cole

Colton

Danny

Devin

Dan

Drew

Evan

Elliot

Ewan

Freddie

Frankie

George

Grant

Hank

Holton

Ian

Iain

Isaiah

Isaac

Joe

Jolyon

Jerry

Justin

Kane

Kev

Liam

Lewis

Levi

Monty

Melvin

Mikey

Mason

Noah

Nick

Nev

Oliver

Oli

Peter

Phil

Quentin

Roberto

Ricky

Randall

Simon

Sid

Seth

Timmy

Tate

Tom

Trent

Ugo

Victor

Vincent

Will

Weston

Witt

Xavier

Yael

Zane

Picking Origin, Season & Themed Names:

When it comes to picking a unique name that fits your novel perfectly, sometimes you’ll find that picking a name based on a season (Summer, Autumn) is sentimental for a seasonal based novel. Likewise for books set in Space and picking names (Astrid, Venus) you’ll get a more authentic feel. You get a cleaner, believable novel. For me, if I started reading a book set in the future and in some dystopian land, and the characters name was Ed, it would throw me off a bit. You’d think that in an advanced timeline, the names would be more adventurous. Say, for example, adding extra letters to the names, like Edde, but pronounced the same way you’d say Ed, would be a thousand times better.

Picking a name for your characters really can determine the readability. 



Where can I find more names?

There are countless websites on the internet (even some books in your local Library!) with tons of names. You’ll most likely find these in the baby names section, because so far, there isn’t a section for creating names for characters (sadly). Sometimes searching the internet is so much easier! When I’m stuck for names, I normally head on over to Nameberry. They have sections based on letters, seasons, origins and so much more. They’re one of the most fluid websites for picking unisex names, finding what names mean (did you know my name, Rebecca, means knotted cord / captivating?) and name ranking worldwide! And best of all, it’s free to browse. 


What are the most popular names right now?

In the world, currently ranking on Nameberry states that these are the top girl names:


Olivia

Cora

Amelia

Charlotte

Isla

Isabella

Maia

Aurora

Amara

Ava


And these are the top boy names currently worldwide:


Atticus

Asher

Jack

Theodore

Jasper

Milo

Oliver

Silas

Henry

Wyatt

So there we have it. A whole lot of names, information and hopefully a kick-start to making that novel of yours EVEN BETTER! And I can’t wait to read your novel someday, because I can already tell that you are doing amazing. So set your goals, get picking names, and crush your writing! Remember to aim for 1k – 3k a day to maintain a nice, healthy streak and rack up those numbers.

See you next week for: FRIENDSHIP – HOW TO WRITE BFFS IN LITERATURE.

happy writing!

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Tour // Review & Guest Post: “House of Dreams” by Fanny Blake

Title: House Of Dreams

Author: Fanny Blake 

Published: November 5th, 2015

Publisher: Orion

Find the Author: Goodreads

Other Reviews by this Author: The Secrets Women Keep


I received this book for review! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

It’s only a long weekend – what could possibly go wrong?

In the hilltop villa with its spectacular views across rolling countryside to the straits of Gibraltar, Lucy anxiously awaits the arrival of her brother and sister.

They’re spending the weekend together to say farewell to Casa de Sueños, the house in the mountains of southern Spain where they grew up.

Her sister, Jo, landing at the airport with her fractious four year old, dreads the prospect of this time with her family which will fulfil their mother’s last instructions that they celebrate her birthday together. Only this time their mother won’t be there.

Tom, their brother, remembers the chaos of his bohemian upbringing and wants nothing more than for their stay to go off without a hitch. Then a beautiful face from his past appears at the villa . . .

Over one long, hot week weekend, past secrets will spill out, making the siblings question themselves, the choices they’ve made and where their future lies in this gorgeous new novel from Fanny Blake.


When House of Dreams landed on my doorstep, I couldn’t have been more excited for bookish mail. It had been three years since I read anything by Fanny Blake (The Secrets Women Keep, 2013) and I was in need of a beautiful, summer Adult fiction read. 

At first glance, House of Dreams looks like it was; idyllic, mesmerising and gorgeous. But it’s far more than it’s scenic cover and isn’t your typical Summer-y light-themed novel. Underneath the surface, there was a truly compelling story about siblings and life after the death of their Mother, back in Casa de Sueños to where they grew up, to say goodbye to it for good. 
At the start, we see Lucy awaiting the arrival of her brother and sister. It’s an anxious wait as she isn’t prepared for what this week will play out like. She’s the youngest sibling and was probably the closest to her late Mother. Her true motivation for this week is to give her Mother, Hope, the proper send-off she deserves.  Jo, her sister and a single mother, isn’t sure of it either. But they are honouring their mother’s wish that they spend her birthday together there, in southern Spain one last time. For Tom, he’s dreading returning to his unconventional, bohemian childhood and just wants it to go without a single thing going wrong. He attends the house with his wife and kids, ready to scatter his mother’s ashes and arrange dividing up the money from the house’s sale, driven by his wife’s demands.
During the week, certain true colours come out from the families and characters, also unveiling things their Mother had kept a secret. As the story plays out, they also grow closer than they were before and I loved the character development across the characters that played out truly effortlessly. 
Overall, House of Dreams was truly a dream read. From the blissful setting to the emotional, powerful plot, I was truly won over by this exceptional five-star read. Fanny Blake has definitely out-done herself, writing what is surely going to be such a hit with Adult Fiction lovers. The book was slow paced, just as a Summer read should be, and portrayed the realness of sibling bonds and saying goodbye in the backdrop of sunny Spain. 

 Chick-lit fans, Adult ficiton and feel good reads.

Fanny Blake was a publisher for many years, editing fiction and general non-fiction before becoming a freelance journalist and writer. She has written several bestsellers and acted as ghost writer for a number of celebrities.
She is also Books Editor of womanandhome magazine. Her novels include The Secrets Women Keep (Orion), With a Friend Like You (Orion) and House of Dreams (Orion).

Top Writing Tips

by Fanny Blake


I think it’s important to say that these are things that work for me, but that there’s no right or wrong way of writing a novel. A writer has to find out what works best for them and not take any notice of what others do  …


1. Read, read, read. Don’t just read in the area in which you’re writing. Expand your horizons by seeing how other writers handle different topics and characters. There’s a lot to be learnt from them.


2. Write every day. Whether you write 100 or 1000 words, it doesn’t matter. Writing’s like a muscle. The more you work at it, the more it will develop and the stronger it will get. 


3. Write what you want to write. Be true to yourself. Don’t follow fashion – chances are it will have moved on by the time you’ve finished or the market will be so crowded there may not be room for you


4. Don’t give up – frustration, self doubt and rejection are all part of the process


5. Show your work to people whose opinions you trust and who will be honest. I try not to show anyone anything until I’ve finished a draft but sometimes I can’t help myself if there’s something I really can’t iron out.


6. Listen to criticism


7. Beware adjectives and adverbs. Use them only when essential ie when they add something to the scene. Very often you can show a mood through an action or something said. Eg. Not: ‘Don’t do that,’ he said angrily. But: ‘Don’t do that,’ he said, banging his fist on the table.


8. Before I show a first (or any other) draft of my novel to my agent or publisher, I polish it within an inch of its life. 


9. Once I’ve got a draft, I find it helps to change the typeface before I reread it. For some reason it gives me an extra degree of objectivity and I start noticing different things in it. 


10. Dialogue – Bad dialogue can really let the novel down. Read it out loud. You may feel an idiot but shut the door and get on with it. It can make all the difference.


11. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you there’s a right or a wrong way to write a novel.


12. Just do it!

Fanny Blake’s House of Dreams is published by Orion in paperback, £7.99 and is out now!

Have you read House of Dreams?


What did you think of Fanny’s writing tips?


Let me know in the comments or on twitter @LittleMemoirs or using the hashtag #HouseofDreamsPLM


happy reading!

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Blog Tour: “The Summer Guest” by Emma Hannigan {+ Emma’s Writing Tips!}

Title: The Summer Guest

Author: Emma Hannigan
Genre: Adult Fiction – Contemporary Women’s Fiction
Release Date: March 27th, 2014
Published by: Headline

I received this from Headline in exchange for an honest review. As always, my reviews are fair and non-bias. 

Perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy, a lovely, warm, Irish family saga of three generations of women coming together one magical summer in the small seaside town of Caracove Bay.




Lexi and her husband Sam have put their heart and soul into renovating No. 3 Cashel Square. Lexi’s mother thinks it’s high time they had a baby, but Lexi’s thriving art gallery keeps her more than busy. Plus her headstrong niece Amelie seems to have practically moved in. And then, just as summer arrives, a mysterious stranger knocks on the door. 
Kathleen Williams has come from America, longing to see the house in Cashel Square where she was born, over sixty years ago. Kathleen’s visit is tinged with sadness but she finds comfort and laughter with Lexie and Amelie. 
Soon the three women are sharing their hearts, tears and secrets, little knowing their unexpected friendship will touch them all in more ways than they can imagine…

The Summer Guest was a delightful and fresh idea influenced by friendship – that of three people in Caracove Bay, in Ireland. Their friendship is a very unusual one that sparks one day in the lovely little town. With Lexi, her marriage has turned from blissful to a nightmare almost overnight. 

For Kathleen, it’s grief and returning to Caracove Bay to the house she used to live in, even if it’s a plan she made with her late husband. But for Amélie, it’s being a teenager that’s got her life in a mess. If it’s not a boy, it’s her Parents fighting and questioning her at every chance they get. Lexi, Kathleen and Amélie grow a unique and amazing friendship, despite their ages, lives and problems. Having each other there to lean on when they need each other benefits each of them, even if it’s just talking and laughing with each other at the end of the day. 

I adored Emma’s writing style in The Summer Guest. Women’s Fiction has always been my go-to for Adult reads and books like Emma’s are the sole reason, with captivating towns and relateable characters and a plot to keep you hooked. 

Overall, ‘The Summer Guest’ is perfect for adult fiction lovers this summer. It’s the perfect book to read on the beach or on holiday. A must read.

Chick-Lit fans everywhere! Anyone who loves Women’s Fiction will adore this magical summer story.


Oh
dear Lord I always cringe when faced with the idea that I should instruct
anyone else on how to write a book! You see, I still think I’m a bit of a
fraud. I never had any sort of formal training when it comes to penning my
books. Writing became my profession quite by chance. At first it was purely my
therapy. My way of releasing my hopes dreams fears and anxieties while battling
cancer. Swiftly I realised it was exactly what I’ve always wanted to do. So how
did I begin? I literally sat one day and began to type. So I guess my first tip
has to be just that!
1.     Sit and go for it.
Nobody
else can write your book. Thinking
about writing doesn’t raise the word count. So find a quiet and comfortable
spot and get writing.
2.     Make some planning notes.
I
don’t mean twelve foolscap pages of intricate details. Just an idea of what
you’d like the story to be about. Going back to school English lessons – have a
beginning, middle and end. It doesn’t need to be set in stone as the story will
always evolve as you go along, but it’s vital to have clear ideas and will
ensure the pace is kept going swiftly as you advance through your story.
3.     Characters should be realistic.
Unless
you’re writing about a schizophrenic reclusive psychopath with a twitch who has
no grasp on reality, readers need to be able to identify with the characters.
Often the ones my readers love most are those that remind them of people they
know.
4.     Don’t be afraid to let go of your own emotions.
By
this I mean that it’s fine to laugh like a hyena even if you’re in a room on
your own accompanied only by your words. It’s OK to sob like a toddler being
left at crèche for the first time too. Odds are, if you find the story
hilarious or desperately sad, so too will your readers.
5.     If it’s boring cut it out.
You
are the first gauge on your own work. So if you feel the story or character is
boring and you don’t particularly care what happens to them, you can bet nobody
else will either. Less is more.
6.     Read over what you’ve written.
The
first draft of a book involves getting all the ideas out of your head. But once
you look at it again (perhaps after a few days break so you’re seeing it with a
fresh eye) any adjustments can be made. I don’t know a single author who has
completed a perfect novel on the first draft!
7.     Enjoy it!
That
may sound crazy, but writing is a craft and it won’t work unless you are
relaxed and enjoying the process. Magic won’t be made if the author is having
to squeeze each sentence onto the page as if it were a chore.
8.     Be yourself.
As
the late great Oscar Wilde famously said: “be yourself, everybody else is
already taken.” Finding your own unique voice (and we’re all born with one) is
key to knowing who you are as a writer.
9.     Read, read, read.
In
my mind, it would be impossible to become a good author without reading other
people’s work. In my mind it would be akin to having all the ingredients to
bake a cake without the method. Good writing involves learning and what better
way than absorbing other authors knowledge?
    10. Don’t give up!
Writing
can be difficult as it’s pretty much a solitary occupation. But believing in
what you’re doing is a must. If you don’t have dreams how can they ever come
true?
For
me, writing is a gift. I am so privileged to have my work published and I will
never take that for granted. With each book I learn so much more than before. I
am slowly developing my craft and coming to know who I am as a writer. I
embrace the ideas and guidance of my editors and publishing team. I endeavour
to make each book better than the last.

I
hope many more people go down the writing road. I for one would heartily
recommend it and already I’m looking forward to reading all your books! 



Emma Hannigan is the author of six bestselling novels including Keeping Mum and a bestselling memoir Talk to the Headscarf which charted her journey through cancer. Emma lives in Bray, Ireland, with her husband and two children.

For more about Emma, visit her website www.emmahannigan.com or follow her on Twitter @MsEmmaHannigan.

The Summer Guest is published by Headline in paperback on July 31st, priced £7.99

Don’t forget to stop by the previous posts for Emma’s tour!

Have you read The Summer Guest?


What did you think?


Tell me in the comments, on twitter or by using the hashtag #TheSummerGuest 


happy reading!

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