Coming up with character names is a fun part of writing for me. One of the best was when I was doing the "Biscuits & Bullets" plays for the Camelot Theatre Company of Griffin.

I wanted a character who would be the pompous county commission chairman as well as a foil for our Elvis-like sheriff. I came up with Colonel Harbinger Parker. Although the Col. Parker part was pretty obvious-and maybe a little libelous-the name "Harbinger" was a fun creation.

Usually, the names are less obvious. Most are just mixes of names appropriate to the time period. I went back to my grandparents' families to come up with the names for the characters in EVIL IS ALWAYS HUMAN.

By the way, the narrator did not have a name at all through the writing of the book. I now have decided to name him "Waymon" after my father's father. The character is nothing like him, but the name would be appropriate to the times and uncommon enough for current times to be unique.

I am working on a story right now that is set in the mid 70s. The characters there will need names common to my generation and my frame of reference. Since I am looking at this story as perhaps creating a character who will be used again, I'm taking my time naming that fellow.

I think back to names that stuck with me mentally, whether the person did or not. One is a fellow from my childhood church. The family's name was "Quick." There were a lot of them, cousins and siblings and "I-ain't-sure-how-we're-kin" folks.

The Wilsons were cousins to the Quicks, but I don't remember their names. The one name I remember is "John Wayne Quick."

You never called him "John" or even "John Quick." It was always all three names: "John Wayne Quick."

That, folks, is a great name. I cannot help but think his parents have stolen and made unusable for me one of the best names ever for a character.

I just love the idea of having a different character say, "Get me John Wayne Quick," only to have the response "John Wayne?" over and over through the story.

That's the kind of stuff you want to make up, but sometimes reality beats you to a good idea.