I mentioned that last night I was on a roll with my YA novel (which I’ve been working on for 5 years). One thing about the story that has eluded me these 5 long years is the name of my magical world. For five, friggin years I’ve been writing and stewing, desperately trying to figure out the name for my fantastic setting. This morning, in the car on the way to school, I took my problem to the kids. I gave them a summery of my story:

“So guys, there is a princess from another world. It’s a magical world. There is a war raging between the races. Blah, blah, blah…”

(I didn’t really say the “blah, blah, blah”, I’m just trying to cut to the chase.)

Then I said, “I can’t figure out the name of the magical world, though. CS Lewis has “Narnia”, Tolkien has “Middle Earth”, the kids from “Bridge to Tarabithia” had Tarabithia… I can’t figure out the name for mine. What should it be?”

There was a pause from the backseat for a few moments. Then Jachin spoke up.

“What about ‘Baghdad’?”

I tried not to laugh. “Baghdad is a real place.”

“I know,” he said.

“And it’s not very magical,” I added.

“But there’s a real war going on there, and you said your story has a war in it.”

“True. Good point.”

Then Zoe spoke up. “What about ‘West Coast’? Is there a real West Coast?”

“Yeah,” I said. “It’s California.”

“Oh.”

“What about ‘Art Class’?” Jachin threw in.

“Art class?” I asked.

“Art class is magical…”

Then we passed Cortland Ridge Condominiums.

“What about ‘Cortland’?” Jachin asked.

We passed the drugstore.

“What about ‘Walgreen’s’?”

So….. I’m still sitting here thinking about it. It’s already been 5 years. No rush.

4 Comments »

1. What’s wrong with Cortland? I mean, there’s the apples, for a start. They’re magical.

   Comment by braine — March 19, 2008 @ 6:16 pm

2. Maybe you could name it after your kids…mix up the letters of their names or something. Zoechin. Jazoe.

   Julia suggests “Candyland.”

   Comment by Leslie — March 19, 2008 @ 7:55 pm

3. That’s tough. I have a nameless character in my fledgling book. I just haven’t found the right word yet.

   Walgreens though? Just wrong.

   Comment by Lisa Milton — March 20, 2008 @ 7:28 am

4. Well, if we were still in the 60’s, I’d suggest Touquerville (sly reference to weed - which back then was considered pretty magical) but society has since discovered the tremendous error in that mode of thinking - especially when marketing to YAs - so … maybe something with Latin, Hebrew, Spanish or French root words mixed together to mean “magical”? Here’s some Latin:
   Valorem - value
   Astra - the stars
   Absum - I’m outta here
   Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit - to boldly go where no man has gone before (that’s for the Trekki in you) Good Luck! love, mom

   Comment by Mom — March 28, 2008 @ 4:43 am

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