Stitching the Spine and Naming the Characters
Book progress and a naming deep dive
Today was one of those slow burn writing days that sneaks up on you. No dramatic montage of typing at lightning speed. No thunderclap moment of divine inspiration. Just me, my notes, just enough coffee, and the click, click, click of puzzle pieces falling into place.
After months of letting this story haunt the back of my brain like a swamp fog, I finally sat down and mapped out a lot of its bones. I’ve got the beginnings of an outline. A real one. With arcs and chapters and tension and teeth.
It’s messy, sure, but it breathes.
What I Actually Got Done:
Dug up some conflict and it hurts, in the best way.
Mapped out a few key chapters that carry the emotional weight.
Gave my main character a clearer voice—she’s sharp as broken glass and twice as dangerous.
Found the quiet moments. The eerie in-betweens. Because not every story screams—some of them just hum low and dark until you lean in.
This story is part southern gothic, part queer romance, part supernatural reckoning—and it’s finally starting to feel real.
Bonus Round: Naming Names Like They Mean Something
Here’s where I admit I fell down a glorious rabbit hole today: character names. I don’t just slap a label on a character and call it good. I want names that fit, names that hum with history, names that carry a little dirt under their nails, despite how icky that makes me feel. Side note: the thought of dirt under my fingernails is the reason I cut them so short, not just because I’m queer.
When your story’s set in the rural Deep South, with roots tangled deep in Cajun, Creole, and Black southern culture, the names have to sing in the right key. Otherwise it’s like giving your swamp witch a name like “Tiffany” and expecting anyone to believe she’s got power. Unless, of course, that’s the point and then good luck.
Here’s how I dig for names that actually belong:
I start with BehindTheName.com, which is hands-down my favorite name site. You can search by meaning, origin, language, gender, popularity by decade—it’s a goldmine. And not just for first names. Their surname database is solid too.
I cross-reference old Louisiana parish records, census data, and, yes graveyard obits. Some of the best names are waiting on tombstones.
I think about sound. A name like “Delphine Guidry” sounds like church bells and shotgun clicks. “Arceneaux,” “Broussard,” “Thibodeaux”—they taste like smoke and sugar cane.
I pay attention to naming conventions in Catholic and Creole families—lots of saints, lots of family repeats, lots of nicknames that only make sense if you’ve been around a while.
Name = Story. A name can tell you where someone’s from, who their people are, how old their grandmother was when they were born, and whether or not they keep a gris gris bag in their glove compartment.
Have a Good Night!
My partner in crime and I are having a mini spa night: I’m soaking feet in lavender scented epson salts, dousing with lotion, and wrapping them in soft socks. She’s trying a foot and a face mask. Anywho?!
Some days, progress looks like three polished pages. Today, it looked like a scribbled outline, a few solid names, and a feeling in my chest like this story wants to live. I’ll take it.
If you’re a writer too, I’d love to hear your weirdest character naming rituals. Do you channel ghosts? Ask your ancestors? Scroll through baby name sites from the ‘70s while slightly tipsy? No judgment. We’re all just trying to get it right.
Till next time
Harlo