Introducing Barbie and Ken

“Our appearance may not resemble the dolls, but our relationship is as plastic as they are.” – Barbie Anderson from The Ride

If you were expecting a post about the dolls with the perfect bodies, matching accessories, a pink Corvette and perfectly designed three-story house, I’m sorry to disappoint you. The Barbie and Ken I’m referring to are the Anderson’s—two characters from The Ride.

They are, I think it’s fair to say, the complete opposite of the dolls. Ken works for a company that designs amusement park rides. Here’s a brief description of him from Chapter One.

Neither young, virile, nor gorgeous, Ken had occupied the same spot every night for the last twenty-three years. His hairy midsection protruded from under the sheet. He wore his thinning gray hair long on top in a futile effort to disguise a shiny bald spot that began to plague him a couple of years ago. Now the strands lay inert on the pillow like lifeless snakes.

Barbie stays at home and makes lists. Here’s a description of her from the same chapter.

Petite or delicate did not exactly describe Barbie’s 5 feet 9 inch, big-its boned frame that carried more than its share of extra weight. Holey white cotton underwear mysteriously clung to her hips by one tiny elastic thread that managed to stay intact through endless wash cycles. Her twenty year old “st ll craz aft all these ye rs” tee shirt provided a sad commentary about her wardrobe and her state of mind. Though some letters had worn off, the sentiment was accurate.

In a previous post I mentioned that though I was fond of my main character, Barbie, I wouldn’t want to be her. Well, she took offense to that. To make it up to her, I promised to introduce her and explain that she was operating under unusual and adverse conditions.

“How would you feel if you woke up one morning and learned your mother was not the person you’d thought of as your mother for over 40 years?” she asked me.

Yes, even my published characters still talk to me. What can I say?

“It wasn’t exactly an easy revelation to adjust to, you know,” she continued. “I already had insecurities and self-esteem issues to deal with…and an estranged daughter. There’s also the fact that Aunt Pat’s dead and Ken’s behaving like a raving lunatic and he’s building that monstrosity in our backyard. Then there’s Michael.” A fleeting smile passed her lips as she said his name. “And there’s the money issue.” She paused, looked at me in an accusatory way and said, “I’d like to see you handle the mess any better.”

I admitted I’d probably make a mess of the situation, too.

Barbie has had the opportunity to vent. I have publically announced that I did give her a lot to deal with in a short period of time which may have affected her decision making process. Now, I hope she will allow me to get on with my life.

On a different topic, I'm excited to say that I was the featured author on VBT - Writer's on the Move yesterday.

Thanks for stopping by.


Tags: The Ride, Barbie, Ken, Barbie and Ken,

What’s in a Name?

“Fate tried to conceal him by naming him Smith.” -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.


I am often asked if the naming of the main characters in The Ride was coincidence or intentional. The answer is—intentional. I had fun with the names Barbie and Ken. The dolls, with their shapely bodies, flawless skin, matching accessories, nice houses, and fancy cars represent perfect people and an ideal life. My characters, Barbie and Ken, couldn’t have been more opposite. On occasion my character, Barbie, even refers to the dolls herself. In one scene, when speaking about her husband, she says, “Our appearance may not resemble the dolls but out relationship is as plastic as they are.”

I’m also having fun with names as I write my second novel. Thinking up names caused me to wonder about some of the more famous literary characters. For instance if Rhett Butler of Gone with the Wind fame had been named Joe Smith instead, would the character have had the same impact? If Hannibal Lecter had been called, John Davis, would we have felt the fear run down our spine at the mere mention of his name? Or if the Great Gatsby had been the Great Jones…Well, you get the idea.

If you need advice on naming your characters, I’d recommend the article by Linda Schab of Wow! Women on Writing, How 2 Choose Character names for Your Novel. If you are writing a novel in set in a certain era, you may also want to check out this Social Security site. Here you can find a list of the most popular names for any year after 1879. It’s fun to visit even if you are not looking for a character name.

As a writer, how do you come up with character names? As a reader, how important are the names of the characters to you?

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: The Ride, Rhett Butler, Gone With the Wind, Hannibal Lecter, The Great Gatsby,