Dear Mr. Pinkwater,
My son, who is 16 years old, has decided he wants to change his name to something with some snap to it. Since his first name (for now and since his birth) is Daniel, and since he is inspired by the names of some of your characters, I thought I would consult you. What is the best name for a character which you haven’t used in a book? When naming characters, what are your considerations? Additionally, I’m dating a man whose surname is Yu, and my son, Daniel Patrick, does not want to be known as Daniel P. Yu. Your advice is appreciated.
Well, I have always thought Otto was an excellent name because of the backward-and-forwardness of it. I don't think I've given it to a character yet...just too good for most of them. If one was named Otto and decided to write his life story, it could be called Ottobiography. Tell your son not to ottomatically reject the suggestion. He really otto think it over.
