Graves of Peter Rabbit, Mr. McGregor discovered

[don Jaime]

This news item (http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010727/re/arts_britain_potter_dc_1.html) indicates Beatrix Potter probably took the name of several characters, including Peter Rabbit and Mr. McGregor, from a nearby cemetery.

Okay, not real newsy, but it's such a great headline.

[DR. BELCH]

As a writer, I've been known to pick character names from phone books and Internet people directories. Not as dramatic as a boneyard, maybe, but a nice trick if you've got it. I recall one female character I named simply by turning the word "fart" backwards and adding an extra f....

[Calhoun07]

Baby name books you can pick up at the check out at the grocery store for 89¢ also make for great naming sources for stories.