Naming Characters

One of the many challenges faced when writing fiction is naming characters. Names should be appropriate for the historical period and country in which the story takes place, not too common, but not so unusual they become the central focus ("A Boy Named Sue," for example).

When writing Brute Heart, I used a map of Oregon--not the simple version below, but one that included topographical as well as political designations. I used the map to choose the first and last names of every character in the book, even those briefly mentioned. Since I didn't want my system to be readily apparent,  I steered clear of names like Willamette, Multnomah, Columbia, Cascade, etc.

It has probably been a long time since you read Brute Heart, but for a little trip down memory lane, below is a list of the main characters and their namesakes.

Jordan  Miller
Jordan Valley is a small town in SE Oregon near the Idaho border. Miller Lake--small lake north of Crater Lake in Klamath County.

Annie 
Annie Creek--a tributary of Wood River that flows out of Crater Lake

Cooper
Cooper Mountain rises 700+ feet over Washington County (near Aloha); Cooper Creek is in Douglas County.

Jude
Jude Lake in Marion County

Dusty
Dusty Saddle Canyon located north of Pendleton

Perry
Perry--a community in Union County near LaGrande

McKenzie Scott
The McKenzie River is a tributary of the Willamette River; Mt. Scott rises on the SE flank of Crater Lake.

Morgan Scott
There are two Morgans in Oregon, one north of Heppner and one west of Roseburg  (both are quite small).

Kimberly
Kimberly is a small town situated north of the John Day Fossil Beds right on the border of Wheeler and Grant counties.

Riley Palmer
Riley is a community in Harney County west of Burns; Palmer Creek is a tributary of the S Yamhill River located in northwest Oregon.

Parker
Parker--a community located in Polk County south of Monmouth

Leona
Leona--a community in Douglas County between Reedsport and I-5

Drew Murphy
Drew--a small community located in Douglas County; Murphy, another small community, is located in Josephine County in the Applegate Valley

Kent Warner
The town of Kent is located in Sherman County between Shaniko and Grass Valley; Warner Valley is in the eastern part of Lake County.