They might be the least thought-about aspect of a story, but they are quite important. I'm talking about names. Characters, to be fully developed and memorable, must have distinct names.

Think about some of the great characters in fictional writing and surely you'll recall those names: Atticus Finch, Boo Radley, Jem and Scout Finch, Dill; these are not simple, common names. They're easily recognizable, though--to those who've read To Kill A Mockingbird. But even the simple, common names can carry weight in the literary world. Just speak on the ghost of Tom Joad, and surely intelligent readers will recognize the hero of Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. Doctor Frankenstein, Count Dracula, Tarzan; these names call to mind familiar characters, well over a century after their stories were first told. Ahab, Ishmael, Gatsby--amazing what a name might conjure.

When writing my stories, I try to craft names that stand out, names that sound interesting, avoiding the plain, steering clear of what's been used by other authors. Case in point: Michael Weston is the name of the lead character on the USA cable network series Burn Notice. Mike Weston is also the name of a lead character on FOX Network's The Following. Hmm. Not much creative thought going on there. When writing my novel Jazz Baby, I chose an old-fashioned name for my lead POV character--the story takes place in 1925, after all. But let's face facts: Some old-school names just aren't pretty-sounding to the ears. When I hear a name like Maude or Bertha or Myrtle, I picture an overweight old woman with cataracts and bad hips.

I decided on Emily Ann "Baby" Teegarten because that name fit my mental image for this creation: young teen, small in stature, emerald-green eyes, hair the color of thick brown honey. Will her name become as familiar as, say, Lolita or Holden Caulfield or Lady Chatterley? Only time and sales will determine that sort of fate. The point of this posting is to shine a little light on that somewhat overlooked aspect of storytelling. Names ought to fit personalities.

I just finished reading the novel Bridge Ices Before Road by Sienna Rose. A wonderful story. One of the main characters, a tough eleven-year-old-girl named Madeline Malone, sports the moniker Mad-Dog Malone. For an adult character, a name like Mad-Dog is kind of ho-hum. But this belongs to a young girl who's not easily intimidated. That's fantastic! And it fits the girl the same way the name "Alfalfa" perfectly fit the Little Rascal.

Names are impotant in the literary world. They offer a reference point, sometimes even transcending the story itself. Just mention the name Holden Caulfield. What comes to mind? A classic novel, sure, but also a horrible December night in 1980, when the world lost a legend. So take your time when choosing names. Nobody will recall a character named Bob Smith or Steve Jones--at least not as quickly as they'll conjure recollections of, say, the quiet Boo Radley. What's in a name? Everything.