When I’m building a story idea, I’ll often use placeholders for names of people and places. AAA, BBB, etc. Because choosing the right name for a character or location can take time, and in the first instance I just want to establish the shape of the idea. If I stop to find the right name, I’ll lose the storytelling energy, and I want that energy to carry me to the end of the story idea in one go if at all possible. So now I’m facing my notes on a full outline and it’s full of AAA and GGG and NNN, and this is the bit that can take the time. The wrong name will break a piece. Spider Jerusalem in TRANSMETROPOLITAN wasn’t Spider Jerusalem until after I sold the series – he had the wrong name for some weeks after that, and the piece didn’t lock together until I pulled that name out of a notebook I kept when I was nineteen.

Seems to take forever. But it’s usually worth it.