Tom Abrahams

From my dear friend and fellow author @tomabrahams ... I hope you find this interesting. His books are GREAT reads! Tom says people ask him, "How do I come up with character names?" His response... Deciding on names for characters is one the most challenging parts of writing a book. I want the name to convey something about the character, make it memorable, without being too on the nose or cheesy. Often I turn to history, both personal nd global, to craft a name. Here's how I arrived at some of my more memorable characters' names. Marcus Battle (The Traveler series). Marcus is a nod to Marcus Luttrell, a retired US Navy Seal, who exploits are documented in Lone Survivor. Battle comes from a basketball player, Alvin Battle, who was a member of NC State's 1983 championship team. I liked the sound of the two names together and both give a hint about the protagonist. Jackson Quick (Allegiance series). His real name is Jackson Ellsworth. Jackson and Ellsworth were the first casualties of the Civil War. One was the first to die from the South and the other from the North. Given that the story revolves a proposed secession, I thought the name fit the theme. Mattie Harold (Sedition/Intention). Her name is a play on Mata Hari, the famed World War I German spy. Mattie works for the NSA, so there's the connection. Clayton Shepard (SpaceMan). This is another name that blends two real life people. Clayton pays homage to astronaut Clayton Anderson, a friend and unpaid consultant for the book. And Shepard is from Alan Shepard, the first American to travel into space. I also use the names of real people as secondary characters in my books. They are longtime friends or faithful readers. Any character names you have questions about? Drop me an email at [email protected] and I'll respond. Copyright © *2023 Piton Press LLC*, All rights reserved.