Creating an Imaginary Town

        One of the questions I'm often asked is, "How do you come up with the names of places in your writing?" So I thought I'd tackle that question today.

        Let's examine some of the place names in the book I'm working on: A Silent Place to Die.

        My first name is that of the small town where my  mystery takes place. This town's name is extremely important because it occurs throughout the book and reflects some of the characters' attitudes. I chose Endurance, Illinois. Because I've lived in the Midwest most of my life, I wanted to write about a place with which I'm familiar. I realize people on the coasts feel like nothing exists in the middle of the country, but I find a great deal of pleasure living in this part of America.

        I chose the name "Endurance" because I wanted to acknowledge both the past and present of my little town. Hardy Presbyterian stock settled this small town by traveling through all kinds of hazards and difficult terrain. Despite the tiny and precarious beginnings of the town, more and more settlers arrived and endured harsh winters and the usual difficulties in starting new lives.

        "Endurance" also describes the strong heroine of my novel. Grace Kimball has survived some terrible life experiences that have left her with scars but also with strength. A fire in college killed her roommates and left a scar on her hand but she survived. Her husband died in his thirties of an unexpected heart attack, leaving her to raise three children alone. But she survived and endured. Now, in my novel, she will face another daunting experience: a killer is on the loose in her town, and even her own life may be threatened before all is said and done.

The town has institutions that--typical of the Midwest--arise from its name. We see the Endurance Historical Society, Endurance High School, the Endurance Public Library, Endurance College, the First National Bank of Endurance, and the town's newspaper, the Endurance Register.

        Now it's important to have some street names in my town. I chose many of them because of their sounds. Grace and Roger's home is on Sweetbriar Court. Sounds like a pleasant place to bring your bride. Another street name I liked that I heard on the local news is Tanglefoot Road. That is on my "must" list, along with Main Street. Most small towns have a "Main Street."

        I also imagined various names for businesses in Endurance. Many of the scenes take place at a busy local sports bar where the townspeople tend to gather. I called it "Tully's" after the owner, Bill Tully. His character and back story explain his decision to name the place after himself. Other names I chose because of their sounds. This would include Patsy's Pub and Dirty Dave's (bars in town). Downtown you will visit the Cafe on the Square, Little People Day Care Center, Gimble's Paint and Wallpaper Store, and Harlow's book store. The last two are named for their owners.

        I did have a bit of fun with the last stop for most townspeople: The Homestretch Funeral Home.

        The cemetery outside of town where many of the early founders are buried is called the Shady Meadows Cemetery. It needs to have a welcoming and restful sound.

        At one point in A Silent Place to Die I needed to come up with some place names for Indianapolis, Indiana. Grace Kimball grew up there and went to college in her home town. I needed a name for the college and the street where Grace lived. So I researched the history of Indianapolis and discovered that Benjamin Harrison, grandson of William Henry Harrison, came from Indiana and was elected president in 1889. Grace's alma mater became Benjamin Harrison College (BHC). During Indiana's territorial days, General Anthony Wayne was an Indian fighter. I named Grace's street Wayne Avenue. I also found the name of a small town in Indiana and one in Illinois to become the home towns of Grace's roommates. I envisioned these two women coming from small towns.

Endurance is a small town (population 15,000), and I created other towns in the surrounding area because Endurance had to have a context. The largest town nearby is Woodbury and many of Endurance's inhabitants go there for additional shopping and services they can't find in Endurance. Other small towns in the area include Charlotte and Lexington, towns with fire departments who have reciprocal agreements with Endurance.

All of these places exist only in my imagination and are important factors in the lives of my characters and plot. 

What's in a Name? A Rose..." or Ten Rules to Remember About Creating Character Names

          Anyone in the teaching profession knows the old joke about the pregnant teacher who can't think of a name for the upcoming tiny arrival because each name she considers has a negative association with a former student. "I can't name him 'Ben' because of that teenager I had in class named Ben who was always whispering obscene things under his breath to the girls who sat around him." Names are important and sometimes they have personal connotations.

          As a former teacher making up names for characters in my book, I don't have to worry about past associations. I can go for broke on names. I can also use names I like from my own life, go through a phone directory, or jot down a name I hear in conversations.

          With these thoughts in mind, I'd like to mention ten guidelines to make character names work better for both writers and readers.

          First, as an author who reads, I have to make sure I don't subconsciously use names I have read before in books. One of my favorite sleuths is Spenser in the Robert Parker novels. This character makes sure the reader understands that he has two s's in his name because of the poet, Edmund Spenser. And this detective is quite the poetic philosopher. Perfect name. Taken. I can't use it.

          Second, as an author who has lived many, many, many years, [well maybe only two "many"'s is enough], I need to make sure I don't use a name and location of a real person I've known in my past. I found myself subconsciously doing this with a minor character who had the first name of a long-ago college roommate, and who lived in the roommate's current city. A week later I realized what I had done and changed it.

Grace Kelly

          Third, the main character has to have a name I love because I will be using it a great deal, hopefully in more than one book. My main character, Grace Kimball, has a first name that I love. The religious concept of "grace" has always been an awesome idea to me. Ditto the concept of "grace under pressure" in Hemingway novels. "Grace" is also the name of a beloved granddaughter, and it's a beautiful concept when used as "graceful." Then, of course, Grace Kelly, beautiful American film star, was the epitome of grace. "Kimball" was simply a last name that I conjured up because it went nicely with Grace.

          Fourth, I never introduce too many names or characters at once. Even though I've read books that include a table or genealogy of several generations, I get confused if I read too many character names too quickly. I try to find unique ways to introduce characters.

          Fifth, I try to make names memorable so the reader won't have to page back to figure out who this character is thirty pages later. For example, my detective is TJ Sweeney, a decidedly detective-sounding name. Not until much later in the book does the reader learn that the "TJ" stands for Teresa Johanna. [I always wanted to name my daughter Johanna, but I was vetoed on that one. Good thing, I suppose, since my grown-up daughter tells me she doesn't like that name.] So now I have free reign to use it in my book.

          Sixth, I make sure my main characters have names with different syllable combinations and different first letters. This makes it easier for the reader to remember which character is which. I don't have a Sharon, Susan, Sandy, and Shauna in the same story.

          Seventh, I believe a great way to introduce humor is to use a name to indicate what a character is like or to indicate an opposite. In A Silent Place to Die, my work in progress, the mayor's name is Mayor Blandford. And, yes, he is bland. I also include a character with a slobbering, ugly pet dog like the Bordeaux bulldog in Turner and Hooch. My character/owner named him "Adonis," a name from several mythologies that represents a handsome male. This dribble-mouthed dog is anything but.

          Eighth, since my story takes place in Endurance, Illinois, it's important to have multiple ethnic backgrounds and cultures because even in small town America a person will see various names. Grace discovers that Endurance's past included a huge Swedish population because she researched a story involving Gustav Swensen. In checking out his grave at the cemetery, she discovers Ahlstroms, Olofssons, and other Swedish names. In current Endurance, she drives impatiently along at 10 mph behind Nub Swensen, probably a descendant of Gustav. Nub doesn't get the concept that 35 mph doesn't equal 10 mph, one of this author's pet peeves about small towns.

          Ninth, I describe secondary characters who aren't all that important with just a first or last name or the job they do such as "the janitor" or "the train porter." The reader will not see them more than once or twice so they don't have to waste brain cells remembering them.

          Tenth, I use different names for characters only if I make sure the reader understands what I'm doing. Otherwise, confusion reigns. Grace would call her friend "TJ," but others would call her "Detective" or "Detective Sweeney." Her boss, Stephen Lomax, might yell "Sweeney." And just to vary descriptions, "TJ" can sometimes be referred to as "the detective." 

          An additional note: I keep a list of all names of people and places I use in my rough draft. Each time I finish a chapter I add to the list so I'll be consistent throughout.

          These are the guidelines I try to observe for character names. In a future post I will consider author sources for place names for their novels.

Writing a Novel: Creating a Setting

          When the main character of my work in progress, Grace Kimball, researches the town history for the local newspaper, she discovers an intriguing and colorful past.

          Creating an imaginary town with a history and geography is part of writing a mystery. The small town of Endurance, Illinois, is now populated by 15,000 people. However, it began in 1836, many years prior to the Civil War. In A Silent Place to Die, (my work in progress), Endurance is celebrating its 175th anniversary, described by a word the mayor can't pronounce: septaquintaquinquecentennial.

          Endurance began as a tract of land created by Congress after the War of 1812. The first settlers came from Ohio and erected crude cabins, a church, a military stockade, and later, a dry goods store. The soil was perfect for planting crops and the prairie was still a vast sea of open land with prairie grass shimmering clear to the horizon. 

          The mid-1800s railroad construction brought more and more settlers and the town was granted a state charter and became the county seat. While Endurance was largely sustained by the agricultural industry, small businesses--and eventually small factories--dotted the land. The first school came along at the insistence of the women residents, and, according to the Endurance-Register, "the godly Misses Emma and Elizabeth Farley, daughters of the local Presbyterian minister" were the first teachers.

          By the 1850s, Endurance was a station on the Underground Railroad, and Emmeline Folger, a wealthy resident, had a special compartment made in her ornate carriage to move escaped slaves from her home to the next station.Later her son, Nathaniel, owned the first Model-T in town, and, attempting to slow down, he unfortunately sped up and ran through the window of Silas Rountree's hardware store, prompting Silas to remark, "never happened with horses."

          Another interesting episode in the town's history was the spread of the suffragette movement and temperance in the 1920s during Prohibition. One of the floats in the 2011 centennial parade commemorates that time with the ladies holding hatchets over beer kegs and carrying Bibles. The title of the float is, "Lips That Touch Liquor Shall Never Touch Ours," prompting Grace's friend, Jill, to remark, "that lets out 99.9% of the male population in town."

          A small, four-year liberal arts college, Endurance College, started small and later became a leading industry in town. By 2011, it boasted 1300 students.

          Endurance also has a police department with six full time and four part-time officers under the watchful eye of Chief Stephen Lomax. The chief detective is TJ Sweeney, first woman deputy on the force. Very seldom has the town had murders and mostly the police investigate theft, car accidents, meth cookers and sellers, and underage drinking. 

          They have no idea that this is about to change in a big way. 

          Other interesting and colorful names for places in 2011 Endurance include Gimble's Paint and Wallpaper Store, the Endurance Public Library, the Homestretch Funeral Home, the Endurance Historical Society, Tully's Sportsbar, and, of course, the Shady Meadows Cemetery.

          Nice town, ya know what I mean, as long as you don't mind an occasional murder.

What Do I Know About Dead Bodies, Guns or Fires?

        What do I know about dead bodies, guns, or fires? I've been a high school English teacher most of my life. Since I'm working on a novel that has all three, I decided I needed to do some sleuthing and find out as much as I could. I interviewed several local people to get information that would make my novel more realistic, especially since it is set in the fictional small town of Endurance, Illinois.
        The first interview for my book in progress, A Silent Place to Die, was with Bill Underwood, county coroner for Warren County, Illinois. During my interview I was struck by three things: how knowledgeable he was, how compassionate he was toward the victims and their families, and how up to date he was on the changes in his field. He is definitely a professional in every way.
        I was looking for answers to questions about the deaths of my characters. When researching a book, authors learn far more than they can ever use, but sometimes those journeys off the beaten path result in ideas the author hadn't considered before. So all research is ultimately important.
        I was particularly interested in shootings, stabbings, and fire deaths. And no, my interest has no connection whatsoever with the students I taught over the past forty-four years. Not even subconsciously.
        I asked Bill for his qualifications for the coroner's job since I know he isn't a doctor. He studied mortuary science so he is eminently qualified to deal with death and dead bodies. It became apparent, as I questioned him, that he has seen some amazing circumstances during his time on the job.

        In our county, Underwood is the gateway for laying people to rest. Usually he has 140 cases a year and 250 deaths. He signs both death and cremation certificates and both are filed electronically. No one can be buried or cremated without a signed certificate, so if there is a question, the certificate is held up until the death is investigated. The coroner can also order an autopsy even if the family does not agree. Whenever there is any suspicion about a death, the coroner has checks that can keep a body from being disposed of until the suspicion is put to rest.
        The coroner orders tests when there is an autopsy. Usually he does toxicology tests and tissue blocks, and he always keeps sample tissues. The best test, especially for DUI, is from the vitreous fluid in the eye. [I don't even want to think about that one.] The medical authorities also save samples of tissue from brain, liver, lungs and other organs.
        Bill is called out to home deaths, ER deaths, hospital deaths less than 24 hours old, suicides, homicides, and sometimes hospice deaths.
        When he is called to a death scene, Bill takes photos or has the Illinois State Police take photos, say, in a gunshot death. He talks to authorities and witnesses at the scene and, in the case of a fire, waits for the fire marshal. The coroner has two jobs at the scene: (1) get the body removed once photos and an exam are done; and (2) notify the family. The latter is very important and, unfortunately, because private citizens can now buy scanners and hear the names, notification sometimes becomes a nightmare.
        Several examinations determine cause and manner of death. At the scene the coroner checks for the time of death which might be determined by rigor mortis and/or lividity. Rigor mortis is the stiffening and contraction of the muscles due to chemical reactions that take place within the muscle cells after death. Lividity is the discoloration of portions of the body due to gravity which causes stagnant blood to settle into lower areas of the body [D.P. Lyle, Forensics: A Guide for Writers.]Sometimes the coroner takes the body temperature. In adults the core temperature goes down one degree per hour and in children two degrees per hour after death.

        If the death is suspicious, Underwood accompanies the body to an autopsy or one of his deputies does. He has four deputies scattered through local funeral homes. It is important to keep the "chain of evidence" intact. Bill signs a card saying he has checked the body at the scene and accompanied it, or caused it to be accompanied by qualified personnel.

        I asked Underwood about inquests because I remember reading about them in newspapers. In fact, in Galesburg I read a newspaper account of an inquest concerning a fire that happened years ago, resulting in a fatality. Inquests were public meetings that always used to be held because of the law. But recently the law was changed to say an inquest "may" be held. So rarely are they held now except in the case of a suspicious death. The coroner can call the inquest with a jury pool of six people. He brings in witnesses and uses depositions to indicate the cause of death and how it will be labeled. There are five causes of death: homicide, suicide, natural, undetermined, and accidental.

        Funny, but in my book no one dies naturally. I believe it has several homicides. Who says a retired English teacher's life is dull?


        

A Silent Place to Die (Introducing TJ Sweeney)

     In a previous post I introduced Grace Kimball, the main character in my book in progress, A Silent Place to Die.  Grace is helped in her amateur sleuthing by a female detective on the Endurance police force named TJ Sweeney, a native of Endurance who grew up with her mama and brother, Tyrone.  Their dad left long ago for another woman, but TJ's mom never divorced him.  "Marriage is forever," she used to say.
     Here is how Grace and TJ's paths crossed in the small town of Endurance.

     When Teresa Johanna (TJ) signed up for high school, she was placed in Ms. Grace Kimball's advanced English class, much against her will.  The first couple of weeks she looked around her at all the white faces and decided she would opt out.  This class wasn't for her.
     To her astonishment, Ms. Kimball showed up at her house one day after school and talked to her and her mother.  They sat down with fresh lemonade and cookies.  When her mama explained that Teresa was unhappy in the class, Grace assured her that TJ should be there.  "And what do you want with a skinny-ass black girl in this white bread class?" TJ asked with appropriate sarcasm.
     That was when Grace made them both a promise.  "Your daughter has great potential.  She's smart and reads and writes beautifully.  If she works hard, takes college prep classes, and does well on her college entrance tests, she can write her own ticket to college."
     "And who's gonna pay for this ticket?" Mama asked.
     "She'll get scholarships."
     "We don't accept no charity," Mama mumbled.
     "This wouldn't be charity.  It would be recognition that she has great promise and our world can use her talents.  It would be a chance for her to find out what she can do."
     "We've done been promised before."
     "This time will be different.  Intelligence, hard work, perseverance;  they will pay off.  Let her try it just one year and see what happens."
     So Mama said "yes" and the sulky TJ was captured in Grace Kimball's net.

     After that the world opened.  TJ read Richard Wright's Native Son and Black Boy and intriguing books about other worlds like those of Jane Eyre and Elizabeth Bennet.  She read books by and about strong women.  After high school she won a scholarship to the state university where she began by majoring in English, but then she fell in love with law enforcement and decided she had found her niche.  After college she took the police exam for Endurance and came home to keep an eye on her mama.

     By the time A Silent Place to Die opens, TJ has advanced up the ranks to police detective.  She and Grace have a tight friendship as adults, and she has moved into Grace's circle of friends.  

     In the opening chapter of the novel, TJ helps their friends celebrate Grace's retirement.  Little do they know that in the coming weeks Grace will start down a path that will put her in a great deal of danger.  A murder will cause the town to be stirred up and fearful and Grace will end up in the middle of it all.  The retired teacher doesn't realize that folks she sees every day in Endurance have dark secrets to hide, secrets for which they will kill.  TJ knows the darker side of the small town, but will she be able to keep Grace safe?
     

A Silent Place to Die [Introducing Grace Kimball]

I considered writing a post about old friends because the book I am currently writing, A Silent Place to Die, involves a number of characters who are old friends of Grace Kimball, the main character.  But I believe it would be wise to talk about Grace first.  Other posts will follow about her friends.

Let's look at one of Grace's conflicts and the former students she sees as she lives in the tiny town of Endurance. Then let's listen in on one of the conversations she has with her friends.  Ah, an introduction to Grace!

Grace is a widow and her husband Roger died years ago, leaving her with three children to raise on her own.  After Roger's untimely heart attack, his sister, Lettisha, moved in for a number of years to help Grace with the children.  Grace also was aided by three friends whom she met during those early years, and even now they are highly involved in her life and will be knee-deep in the murders that take place during the course of the book.

Conflict.  Grace is a recently retired English teacher in Endurance, Illinois, who taught for twenty-five years after Roger's death, and she is having a few problems with her retirement.  What to do?  Here are some of her thoughts:

Two weeks earlier she had cleared out her file cabinets, erased the whiteboards for the last time, piled up the textbooks in neat rows, emptied her desk drawers, and carted home only a few precious mementoes from a lifetime of teaching high school English.  That hadn't been so hard really. The bad part was turning in her room keys, keys that had jingled in her pockets for twenty-five years.  That was when she realized she was done.  Now she would gather her thoughts and settle into her big house, empty since her children had left.*

While Grace contemplates the next part of her life, she keeps running into former students in the little town of 15,000.  As she recognizes them, we read some of her thoughts:

Another one she remembered.  Lacey Lancing.  Probably about twenty-three.  Has two kids and is married to a guy who works for IDOT.  Terrible speller.  Did her research paper on whether the Loch Ness Monster--spelled 'Lock Nest Monstir'--could be related to Big Foot.*  

Or:

Jimmy Dolan.  He must be in his forties by now.  I remember he gave a speech on the history of condoms, hoping to shock me.  I think he has six kids.  What does that say for the old axiom that knowledge is power? *

Finally, let's sit in on a conversation with her three friends--Deb, Jill and TJ--who are having lunch at the Cafe on the Square downtown in early June:

     "I don't know where all that will end," murmured Deb, and then it was quiet.  Within seconds the calm was shattered by Grace's cell phone playing the theme from Jaws.
     "Ah, that's Lettie," announced Grace, touching the "answer" button.
     Deb glanced at Jill and whispered, "Her sister-in-law gets the theme from Jaws?"
     "Ours is not to question why--"
     "What? Who called?"  Then there was silence again.  "Sure. Be right home." Grace broke the connection.
     "An emergency?"  TJ questioned.
     "Oh, that was Lettie.  She's puttering around my kitchen making a pie.  She declared it was an emergency because a man called me and wants me to call him back."
     Deb, TJ, and Jill eyed each other.
     "And this is a problem because--"
     "When was the last time I had a male caller?"
     TJ responded, "How long have I been alive?  Did she get the name by any chance?"
     "Of course not. This is Lettie we're talking about."
     "Could be interesting.  I'll have to check back with you later this afternoon," Deb surmised.  "And then I'll call Jill."
     "And then you'll call me," TJ nodded to Jill, as she scraped her chair on the cement and dropped a few bills on the table.*


Shortly after this conversation, Grace will become involved in multiple murders in her quiet, little town.  People she knows have secrets they must hide. Because Grace has the curiosity of a cat, her own life will be threatened and she will discover that all is not what it seems in the picture-perfect town of Endurance.


*copyright, Brakelight, LLC, 2012