Author Archives: Jeannie Lin

More Than Words

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I just finished the first draft of my entry for the Harlequin More Than Words contest and I’m going through Kleenex like there’s no tomorrow.

apb_highschool_smallIt helped that I just visited the final campus of the charter school that I helped start in 2006. We opened class in a dinky renovated warehouse with six classrooms and 140 students.  And now look at the building! This is the fourth year, the first graduating class. I took a brief tour through the classes and waved at my students. I’d like to say they look all grown up now, but nah…they’re still my kids. My chest was more puffed out than the little gryphon mascot that the senior class voted on when they were wee little ninth graders.

I must admit I did get a little teary when I took the picture of the California Distinguished School logo painted on the front. To think back where it all started…

I really do believe that this was one of the best things I’ve ever done. Part of me will always feel that I sold out now that I’m no longer teaching. I couldn’t keep from crying as I wrote the essay for “More Than Words” about one of my good friends, a phenomenal teacher who also founded the school. I have my fingers crossed and I’m hoping she wins even harder than I’m hoping to sell the short I wrote. 🙂

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Naming dilemma

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I was reading a post about a romance set in Egypt and I was trying to get through the names. And I realized, poor thing,  there were really complicated names in ancient Egyptian culture. And to make matters worse, the book was about a historical figure so she couldn’t just use “Ramses”.

I’ve had discussions about names with other authors of unusual historicals. I’d have to say this is one area I’m very cognizant of. Even if the writing is spectacular, if the name makes you trip every time you say it, it’s definitely a deterrent. Of course, I read and loved Dune with its multiple apostrophed titles and names. So maybe that’s why Asian settings have been able to make some headway in the fantasy genre.

In any case, I have five swordsmen to name. Currently they exist in my outline as “Swordsman #” They all have to have accessible names and their names have to be different enough from each other that they don’t get mixed up. This is what you might call an ensemble piece so it’s going to make it harder. Then on top of that, the masculine names have to sound masculine to the Western ear.

I’m very, very much into the shape and sound of words on the page and now you can see why!