Writer’s Digest

I promise I won’t complain this time.

I need your help. I’ve been reading Writer’s Digest. Through it, I learned that I should probably add a few more characters. So, I’m throwing my main character into a larger, more chaotic household. I need to choose a name for her deadbeat older brother who lives in the basement and gets a lot of grief from his parents about going to college. I have it narrowed down to three (all the names have to do with the night sky). Please help me decide by voting. 

I also learned about the Nonet, which is a newer poetic form in which the first line has nine syllables, the second line has eight syllables, the third line has seven syllables, and so on. I spent my evening holed up in my room, fiddling with words to make my own Nonets. I made quite a few–some of them better than others. I will not put all of them here, though, since I may use them in my creative writing course next year.

HOME

Her home is of sticks, of stone, of bricks,

of bone, of love, of fire, of dark.

It is of pages, of words,

Of cloud, of birds. And each

Night when she closes

Her eyes on the

Cold cement,

She  sees

Home.

 

PASSION

Passion burns inside, melting my lips.

It pumps through my heart and blood

In a beat of scarlet red.

Then it stops dead. The world

Watches in silence

And fades to black.

When he leaves

I feel

Cold.

 

THE BEGINNING

This is the beginning of all things.

The birth of light and life before

Darkness and death. Where He makes

The earth out of nothing

And man out of dirt.

Where He sees all

And says that

It is

Good.

 

Give it a go! They’re pretty fun. I usually refrain from writing poetry, but syllable-oriented poems aren’t half-bad.

Do YOU Have a Doppelganger?

These celebrities do!

What is a doppelganger? According to Dictionary.com, a doppelganger is a “duplicate of a living person”.

So, do you have a doppelganger? I want to see pictures! (and if you have an identical twin… that doesn’t count. Sorry.)

I’d like to have a historical doppelganger. I share a name with Queen Victoria, but I look nothing like her… 

Sigh. Who DO I look like? (Gigi, I expect a response.)

Oh, What’s in a Name?

I’m a person of lists. I keep many lists. I have a whole journal of lists: a list of things I’m thankful for, of teaching methods I like, of favorite books, of favorite music, of favorite movies– and, finally, of favorite names. My list of favorite names has become quite extensive, and I feel called to post all the names I have come to like. Perhaps it is because people insist on naming their children  more cliche, boring names like “Gregory”, “Sarah”, and “Emily” (no offense if that is your name– you must admit that it is very common, though, and common is what I try to avoid). So, I’ve compiled this list and you are going to read it, whether you like it or not. Some of the names are from novels that I’ve read. Some are French. Some are German.

Sorry for the length. Some of the names on a boy or girl-specific list may be unisex, but I just fit them in where I thought they should go based on their sounds. Here goes!

GIRL:

Celestia,    Solstace,    Willow,    Christiana,    Elizabeth (Eliza),    Lana,    Lyla,    Estelle,    Nalia,    Nadia,    Maura,    Anastasia,    Iliana,    Keme,    Kiki,    Nayeli,    Naomi,    Esther,    Isabella (Isa),    Medow,    Sierra,    Autumn,    Katara,    Katriona,    Amber,    Cleopatra,    Sophia,    Olivia,    Monica,    Stella,    Sienna,    Lily,    Mckayla,    Katrice,    Brooke,    Miri,    Sydney,    Sylvia,    Zinna,    Rikki,    Charlotte,    Libby,    Carmen,    Jasmine,    Cordelia,    Zara,    Eden,    Eve,    Risa,    Natali,    Tania,    Thalia,    Ally,    Mia,    Hanna,    Evangelia,    Gabriella (Ella),    Lola,    Athena,    Shona,    Chelsea,    Elsbeth,    Abigail,    Noelle,    Korra,    Vonnie,    Taylor,    Nikki,    Sonia,    Lydia,    Sasha,    Saule,    Alina,    Mariana,    Hazel,    Raina,    Mariah,    Maria,    Celeste,    Cilia,    Selena,    Annabelle,    Alice,    Diana,    Artemis,    Tatiana,    Audrey,    Melony,    Elodie,    Evangeline,    Annica,    Anita,    Tara,    Viola,    Violet,    Elle,    Liliosette,    Aurora,    Arietti,    Chloe,    Holly,    Ava,    Sovay,    Synthia,    Savannah,    Rosette,    Cosette,    Avril,    Theodora,    Leia,    Mirabella,    Eva,    Demi,    Sabrina,    Miley,    Cadia,    Lanae,    Sunday,    Mila,    Seven,    Mira,    Chantel,    Sarabella,    Kali,    Annette,    Ariana,    Liloquie,    Sabina,    Reine,    Kennedy,    Tea,    Jesabelle,    Jessa,    Mint,    Rianna,    Lianna,    Dianna,    Areli,    Tabea,    Aleada,    Sapphire,    Jewel,    Crystal,    Noelli,    Ana,    Zora,    Zuri,    Dannica,    Asia,    China,    Paris,    London,    Laureli,    Minna,    Ambrosia,    Birch,    Egypt,    Heather,    Cassie,    Crysanthemum,    Scarlet,    Snow,    Angel,    Dewdrop,    Astrid,    Asha,    Camille (Cami),    Korina,    Krista,    Majorie,    Marzine,    Nona,    Shana,    Sky,    Tera,    Vana,    Vivian,    Vera,    Ember,    Symphony,    Lilac,    Ebony,    Ivory,    River,    Hadia,    Zia,    Clarence,    Anthem,    Mission,    Majesty,    Amythist,    Glass,    East,    North,    South,    Winter,    Tiger,    Auburn,    Brianna,    Ivy,    Nature,    Rain,    Cascade,    Ainsley,    Souri,    Maple,    Pepper,    Paprika,    Rika,    Mika,    Penny,    Echo,    Misty,    Enna,    Spirellia,    Spirea,    Vanessa,    Trust,     Kindle,    Mindy,    Lindy,    Skylar,    Rosalina,    Natascha,    Zoi,    Kayura,    Ariane,    Maya,    Nina,    Leonie,    Mona,    Mariela,    Adriana,    Lina,    Alanna,    Sonja,    Emi,    Kiara,    Jana,    Serafina,    Milena,    Carina,    Nessa,    Tizia,    Saskia,    Luna,    Colette,    Tulle,    Rita,    Cinnamon,    Tiana,    Cherry,    Bessalina,    Coral,    Vivika,   Vanilla,    Desiree,    Evelyn,   Chaily,    Arwen,    Jensen,    Kyree,    Kently,    Larken,    Wren,    Meritte,    Sora,    Serenity,    Swan,    Mangolia,    Centheia,    Davinia,    Quiana,    Semina,    Fawn,    Ina,    Nitya,    Song,    Berry,    Siri

Yeah. BEAT THAT!

BOY:

Jayden,   Ethan,   Aiden,   Jason,   Nathaniel,    Luke,    Alec,    Steffan,    Leonardo,    Niccollo,    Dylan,    Dmitri,    Damion,    Derek,    Parker,    Anthony,    Oliver,    Cameron,    Carson,    Carver,    Carter,    Henri,    Russell,    Scott,    Clay,    Daniel,    Noah,    Theo,    Chase,    Christian,    Landon,    Josiah,    Edmund,    Ty,    Josef,    Mason,    Xavier,    Benjamin,    Peder,    Caleb,    Spencer,    Toby,    Samuel,    Flynn,   Bradley,    Flint,    Niall,    Jared,    Jeremy,    Milo,    Jeremiah,    Jedediah,    Tyler,    Devin,    Justin,     Elija,    Immanuel,    Hayden,    Gavin,    Liam,    Luc,    Luca,     Lucien,    Maverick,    Quince,    Braeden,    Marchello,    Tavian,    Ezekiel (Zeke),    Israel,   Isaac,    Jonah,    Cooper,    Jeoffry,    Didier,    Drake,    Forest,    Sawyer,    Camden,    Antoine,    Ashton,    Dustin,    Elliott,    Steffano,    Orlando,    Percy,    Ferris,    Titus,    Winston,    Seth,    Paris,    London,     Pine,    Hunter,    Brazil,    Washington,   Franlin,    Delano,     Britain,    Rome,    Samwise,    Jamison,    Jaesong,    Thorn,    Dalton,    Storm,    Avenger,    Berit,    Anders,    Sterling,    Cavelri,    Griffon,    Dawson,    Arbor,    Aberdeen,   Westley,    Hawk,    Moss,    Diggory,    Falcon,    Onyx,    Castello,     Walter,    Carlon,    Vincent,    Skyler,    Til,    Fredrik,    Camilo,    Rike,    Delphino,    Conan,    Colton,    Logan,   Cobalt,    Nico,    Conrad,   Hale,   Miles,    Quinn,    Ryder,    Jay,    Lincoln,    Kenton,    Roman,    Owen,    Ridge,    Soren,    Tayson,    Denver,    Everett,    Trey,    Vance,    Carlos,    Bryson,     Lysander,     Oxford,     Parson,   Calloway,   Cliff, Pike,    Crispin,    Tate,    Stellan,    Bay,    Tyberius,    Brecken, Raven, Jett

And there you have it. You can use these names for anything- character names, baby names, even stuffed animal names! Just be careful that you don’t pick a name that can be easily made fun of. It doesn’t matter so much for stuffed animals (my brother once named his stuffed tiger “Puddles”), but you want to be careful with naming a child.