Overused names

If I'm ever going to be a professional writer, I'm going to have to come up with more names to use. Oh, I know and love plenty. For women, anyway. But my love of the name Janet makes me blind to any other name...actually, that ain't so much of a problem anymore. But. But, but, but. I can't seem to come up with good names for men. I generally end up with a Jacob (called Jake) in every story as a secondary character or a villain. And what's that about names for primary characters or "good guys"? Oh, you mean Emmett...or are you talking about Nathan. Oh, you meant Emmett the XIV. I thought you were talking about the first one. Or, if the character's Irish, he's Sean or Ian. Girls are Maureen. Or Sian (with a "roof" over the a).

So, someday you're going to read a book, probably a bad one, and...guess what? There will be ten characters: Jake, Emmett, Nathan, Janet, Maureen, and Sian. And Ian, Sean, Audrey and Helen. And then there won't be any more books because my editor will object strongly to my repitition of names.

Or, maybe I will see the merits of other names. What about Nathaniel? Emery? Shawn? Ivan? Jane? Marie? Shavonne? Ellen? Aubree? Whaddya mean, they sound a lot like the characters in the last story? And that plot...isn't that awfully familiar?

All right, that's it. I hope you actually read to the end of these ramblings. It either means I have loyal friends and family, or that my writings are good, or that you were amused enough to read to the end.

Ceigh