Graveyards and Inspiration

If you've ever read L. M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables and you've read beyond the first book, you know that she enjoys going for walks through cemeteries. When I first read that I thought she was a little strange (of course this is Anne Shirley we are talking about).

But yesterday I decided to walk through this beautiful old/new cemetery that I live about five minutes away from and it was no where close to being as creepy or strange as I thought. The best part about the whole thing is that I even got to pretend I was being productive. Let me tell you one of the most common sense thoughts to ever cross my brain. Are you ready? Cemeteries are great for names!

Whenever I am writing I have a hard time coming up with names and when my characters refuse to tell me what they would like to be called, I have to make something up that I can later replace if I need to. Usually I go for names like Sarah or Tyler, nothing too out of the ordinary but not particularly old fashioned. Or if I am writing something in the fantasy genre I try and make up names like one of my favorites Avianna, Avi for short. Or Ivanna which is close to Avianna on purpose. Regardless, I never feel like my names are good enough and for last names I am even more pathetic. I use the most common last names like Johnson or Jones. I have to really try to come up with anything else. But now I don't have to try hard at all. I took a steno notebook with me and put first names on one side of the line and last names on the other and now I can mix and match them. Below are a few examples of the gems I found on my walk yesterday feel free to mix and match them for your own stories. Oh and find the nearest cemetery to you and go on a stroll through the graveyard (notebook in hand of course).

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First Names

1. Beth
2. Max
3. Susannah
4. Avis
5. Clark
6. Rachel
7. Veda
8. Alice
9. Lee
10. Winnie
11. Eva
12. Warren
13. Daryl
14. Blaine
15. Todd

Last Names

1. Wayman
2. Brunson
3. Willmore
4. Haws
5. Allred
6. Richardson
7. Otte
8. Teeples
9. Kaufman
10. Baxter
11. Norr
12. Johansen
13. Edvalson
14. Miles
15. Harbican