Being a writer has its perks. I get to create the stories I want to read. And I get to use all the names I’ve ever loved (or hated). Beyond my four children who bear the names most favoured by my husband and I, of course. But this is not the tale of the Hayes kids. This is the tale of how Simon, Nic, Kim and Jemma came to be.
Before writing Seekers of the Lost Boy, a few much-loved names would mill about my head. Being parents of four kiddies, Craig and I have had our fair share of name-choosing. And, as with most parents, we still had a few names on our "personal fav" lists. So it was natural that some of these names would make their way into my first novel. Interestingly, it’s not just the names that I would’ve called my own kids that feature in Seekers of the Lost Boy – some represent people that have had a great influence on my life, or a name that brings treasured memories, and, very often it’s just a name that popped into my head at the time, with no great significance or connection, but seemed perfect at the time. In fact, if truth be told, almost all the characters in Seekers of the Lost Boy are named in a moment of inspiration – and it’s only on reflection that I realised what the influences truly were. Whatever their origins, they are all dear to me – beginning with Simon and Nic….
Simon and Nic represent two men who, as boys, indirectly influenced the path of the rest of my life. You see, they were two young men who loved Jesus and loved their friend, Craig Hayes. They were all young teens in the middle of high school, but these guys kept talking to Craig about Jesus and inviting him to Christian Union, church and youth group. They were my husband’s first true Christian witness. And because of these guys, Craig came to church and made a commitment to Jesus of his very own as a young teen. And two years later, I met Craig for the first time. While we don’t get to see these guys much anymore, especially with a whole ocean separating us from Simon, Craig and I both feel a deep love and respect for the boys who faithfully loved their friend and brought him to the foot of the cross.
Kim is a name I’ve always loved. And Kim is also my dear friend in the US. As a young 18-year old, I was privileged to enjoy a year in the USA as a Rotary Exchange Student. Kim and I became great friends, bonding over our love for Jesus, food, running and life. She introduced me to country music, and while I protested in mock agony while I lived there, I’ve become a firm country fan.
Jemma is a sweet, sweet little girl who has my two boys wrapped around her little finger. Our Jem-Jem has just turned 5 and, if childhood declarations are anything to go by, has plans to marry my almost 6-year old son, Samuel. Unfortunately, both my boys have their eye on Jemmy, so it’s going to be an interesting turn of events if they continue down this road! Why Jemma for the youngest Ward character? It was one of those names that flew from my fingers across the keyboard with no thought to it at all. It was as if Jemma Ward was always Jemma Ward and I had no say over the matter. Bizarre, I know. I’m hoping it’s typical of writers and novelists and not just a weird and embarrassing Tarynism!
Together, the names John and Rachel Ward just work. For the entire story, John and Rachel are mostly referred to as Mr and Mrs Ward. Why? Personally, I prefer the formality and respect. And I also found it difficult to easily remember who the parents were in childhood books if they were referred to by their first name. But, parents are people too – so they need first names.
John is a lovely strong name and also happens to be the name of my husband’s much loved grandfather who tragically passed away about 12 hours before our first child was born. It was the most bittersweet weekend of our lives.
Rachel is a name I still love to this day: our Katie was almost a Rachel, and in fact she was Rachel for a short time while in utero, until we went back to our first love: Katie. For Mrs Ward, I wanted a name that I loved, but that also had a serious aura. Mrs Ward is a wonderful mom who struggles with great sadness and a flashing temper. Light and pretty names like Julie or Jenny didn’t seem to work quite as well as the beautiful but sombre Rachel.
Despite the influence in choice of names for Seekers of the Lost Boy, the characters themselves do not reflect their namesakes in any shape or form – certainly not intentionally, anyway! In fact, if anything, Simon, Nic, Kim and Jemma, and Mr and Mrs Ward and all the other characters are a smorgasbord of my little family, extended family, friends and some are even just simply a caricature of a typical South African. No matter who they mimic or where their names derive from, the Ward family and the rest of the characters from Seekers of the Lost Boy are dear to my heart. I look forward to writing more books in the Seekers series series.