Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

I am in the middle of writing a new book and I can't seem to come up with a good name for the nearby town. The story takes place in Maine but I want the town name to be fictional and everything I come up with does not sound right. Any ideas for town names that someone would like to give me?

Try this list of fakey town names that sound like British settlers might have used them:

Stone Gap

Wallington

Indian

Mary's Eye

Grand Falls

Worcestershire

All of these might work, because I don't know of any actual Maine towns that use these. The ones I know, though, are limited to ones where I've known people (Brunswick, Kittery, Winslow, Watertown, all of which are real towns).

What sort of place is it? Warm and friendly or cold and forbidding? What names have you tried that you didn't like? Are you going for a particular mood for the name - is it connected to the story - or is it just something reasonably random?

I like the Kittery suggestion mentioned above.

Check these out. http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/fa...

Lameham
Methol
Shamesbury
Blight Falls
West Lameham
Mansocket
Whitefolk
Scroughton
Hamham
Braintree.

Here's another: http://k4supply.com/nametown.php

My random thoughts...
Upper Downham. Lower Ham. Sweepstone. Ravensbridge.

I think you should name it Abigailton. Or Abbyton. Either works for me.

I like the suggestion of using British towns as names -especially for a New England state.

Tony: Everything about this town is average because it is a plain backdrop to a colorful, creative girl named Amelia, who is 17. (This is a Y/A book.) She is creative and somewhat flamboyant so other high school kids tend to give her a hard time. I have tried some town names that end with Cove, such as Blueberry Cove and Stone Cove, and some town names that end in Town such as Overtown and Greentown. I tried some names that had port, such as Somberport and Port Castle. It is along the coast and was known for its shipping and shipbuilding. I don't know why I have a mental block on this!

Silly as it sounds, what about Shipton?

Havenbridge. Harborbridge.

What about parts of a ship? Jibport. Port Orlop.

Any rivers run near the town? Any famous fictious people, or major geographical features? :-)

I always like places with names, "Charlie's Port" "Eleanor's Cove" etc. It seems to me like a small town should have a story behind it that people remember. A name makes me feel like there is an "origin" to it so to speak.

I really like Shipton. Than you Brenda! Shipton, Maine it is!

Let us know how it goes, sounds like an interesting book!

Love Shipton! Looking forward to the read!

Thanks everybody! I to refer back to the names listed if I need names for other towns. Amelia is in the band, so she will be going to football games and I am thinking that Sweepstone and Wallington sound like good schools/towns for opponents. Gee, now I am thinking that I need mascots for those high schools. I think that the Shipton Schooners sounds good, or does the Shipton Clippers sound better?

Shipton Clippers!

Sweepstone...squirrels? Can't think of a mascot animal that starts with S...

Ooo! Sweepstone Sharks!