Everything!
When I begin writing a novel I usually give my characters common names like Bill, Bob, and Mary. As I proceed through the first chapters the names come to me. I am about 10,000 words into a new novel and one of the characters I named Brad Parker. I could never get excited about Brad although he had a large part in the novel. My wife and I were in the car one day and she was making up names for pets when she saw the red Max bus in Kansas City and its destination was the Waldo area. She immediately chimed up Max Waldo. Let's change our name to Waldo! Instantly, I knew Brad had his name change and it changed his whole character so there will be some rewrites. Brad was supposed to be a crime reporter but I found him boring. Suddenly, everything about Brad changed now that his name was Max. He became tougher, more abrasive, and someone who took chances. I like Max Waldo.
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