connecting to my character

Last night as I was tossing in bed, mostly in anticipation of the new Harry Potter book (which should have already been in my hands, but UPS has it somewhere in transit--thwarting my attempts to stalk my mail carrier) I realized why none of the 'new' names for my character-formally-known-as-Sara weren't working out.

I kept searching for a strong name for Sara. Sara is a wonderfully indirect strong name, but more importantly: it's very feminine. It implies a quiet strenght from simply just being a woman.

I must ponder this awakening into myself. In it of itself, it's an odd sensation, as most of my other characters I've ever written, they could easily be androgyenous, and at times they clearly are. All of my characters do have a soft side, but it isn't a weakness to be exploited. For Sara, this sensation of being at peace of being truely a woman came to her because she's aged beyond the need to prove herself. She is a mother, a woman, a lover. She's comfortable with that fact and wears it as a cloak of wisdom.

Wow. Profound because I sure as hell wish I could have this sort of realization in my own life before I turn 30.

I'm still looking for names, but I'm going to go back in and change my character's profile in my notes to take advanage of this information I've revealed to myself. Man, what a night!