Whoops…its been a while. Whats in a name?

I haven’t written for a while because real life overtook my writing life.  New bathrooms, a wedding to plan and other unexpected developments have pushed back any semblance of normal life.

One question I have been pondering – because my characters aren’t very far from the top of the list in my brain – is naming conventions.  What should you do, is it bad taste to name characters after people you know, will they be offended if they are/aren’t in the final draft?

I’ve usually kept my villains name to those who have crossed me in the past – like ex boyfriends – its a way to exorcise the demons but if they read the final text would they think it still bothered me and be flattered (my very last intention).

Far harder I think is the name of my heroine, I don’t want to name her after friends or family because from the start she usually has her own identity.  So I usually plump for a name I’ve always liked but even this is getting few and far between.

So what is the best way to do this, go with what you know or find something completely different?

30/03/2010. My Novel.