7) How do you decide the names of you characters?

Becky: Usually each writer comes up with his or her own character names. I like to use the first names of people from my life, particularly my nieces and nephews, as a little nod to them. Very often, we choose names to make each other laugh (Hibiscus in I'M YOUR MAN is one example of that). Sometimes, we ask for name changes because once a character comes to life, his or her original name doesn't seem to fit. We're usually flexible about that, but none of us would force a change on any of our co-writers.

Jim: I try to come up with names that WON'T be identified as being too close to anyone I actually know. I wish there was more of a science to deciding on a character name, but I just try to choose something that the reader won't have to wonder if they're pronouncing correctly.

Timmy: For me, there is no rhyme or reason. I could hear a name in passing conversation and think, "Gosh, I really need to use that name for a character." I could be reading a book and become attached to a character and want to use the name of that character as a sort of homage to him or her. I rarely use names of people who are actually part of my life.

Timothy: Lately I've been toying with the idea of using the names of the "people" who send me spam email from now on. But then I might associate future main characters with penis enlargement or discount Viagra, and that wouldn't be good. Becky and I were driving to New Orleans once and we noticed that a lot of the towns in East Texas and Louisiana along Route 10 would make good names for characters. My favorite names that we've used in the past are the ones that Becky did to make us laugh, like Tabitha Katz and Lola Listeria.

8) How do you find time to write?

Becky: Writing is my full-time job. I do take freelance editing and proofreading jobs from clients I've been working with a long time. But writing is my priority.

Jim: It's not easy. I was working on my master's degree when we wrote the first book, and the demands of my day job have increased exponentially since then. Mostly it's a matter of obligation, and commitment to each other that forces me to sit down and write. It seems that writers generally have difficulty with this, and I think that writing with a partner or team really helps foster a sense of "need for completion."

Timmy: I run two businesses, so sometimes it can be difficult. I find that I write better in the morning, so when I know I have to write, I force myself to get up really early in the morning and work until the phone calls begin to come in...

Timothy: It's very difficult to find time to write when there are blogs to read, emails to answer, episode of Y&R to watch, dogs to be walked, flowerbeds to be planted, blank canvases to be painted, and sofas nearby for napping, among other things. But if I manage to click the Word icon on my desktop before something shiny catches my eye and distracts me, I find it easy to sit and my desk and write for eight hours.