Surname Maps

[ysabetwordsmith]

janetmiles and my partner Doug tipped me to this cool resource showing surname maps.  So, if you're a writer and you want to name an ordinary character from one of these places, you can pick a surname from the relevant place and it will fit.  This is a very discreet and effective trick with local color.

Comments

Re: Thoughts

[msstacy13.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

I really like it when someone says an idea of mine is brilliant.
:)

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

From what I've seen, your levels of discernment and extrapolation far exceed the usual. That contributes to excellent writing, because it means you get the subtle details right. If your plot is going to do flips, you want it to start out standing on a very solid foundation.

*chuckle* One of the more interesting tidbits I worked up for Torn World was a Northern "bird clock." It lists a number of surviving bird species and the time when they would be calling. That was after I had to rip out a whole string of time cues from "Fala the Leader" because I'd forgotten to account for the extreme latitude and its effect on day/night proportions, so I had all the wrong birds in gear. *facepalm* *researchresearchresearch*

Re: Thoughts

[msstacy13.livejournal.com]

Oops...
:)