WHAT'S IN A NAME?
I haven't written about the book lately. Progress has been slow and not so steady, but progress there is. One of the advantages of having been an editor for many years is that I have the discipline to write even when I don't feel like it. And believe me, that happens a lot. Hence the stereotypical image of the writer staring at the blank page.
The other advantage I bring to this from my editing days is a certain ruthlessness in evaluating my writing. It is easy to get attached to certain characters, certain passages, certain plot twists. But not every brilliant idea has staying power.
Just last week I changed the name of my main character from Joesph Ciurco to Daniel Roark. Over time I came to feel that Ciurco was just too odd a name for most mainstream readers. Instead of telling me something about the character it just raises questions. How is it pronounced? What nationality is it? Why such an ungainly name.
Finally the nagging little doubts reached a tipping point of sorts, and I jettisoned it in favor of Roark, a name I came across at work. It had a certain heft to it that I liked. Daniel seemed to fit snugly into the opening left by Joseph, so there you have it.
Still, breaking up is always hard to do, whether in real life or in fiction. When the moment of truth comes, you have to be firm enough with yourself to do what needs to be done. As my old mentor don Juan Matus said, "In a world where death is the hunter, there is no time for regrets or doubts. There is only time for decision."
February 24, 2010
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