Friday, March 18, 2016

The Secret Origin of Kobal!



My first Samhain book, Demon with a Comb-Over, had a curious beginning, befitting its strange otherworldly nature. And contrary to the title, it's not about Donald Trump.

When I first started writing Demon, all I knew is that it’d be about a failing stand-up comedian who makes the huge mistake of heckling a demon. One with a comb-over. I needed a name for the demon, though.  A darkly appropriate, amusing, yet foreboding name.

Delving into intense research (um, Wikipedia), I found a long list of demonic names (who compiles these lists, anyway? Moreover…why?). Instead of beginning with the letter “A”—the way I’ve chosen some names in the past—I jumped to “K,” a nice middle-set letter. 

Kobal.

Name sounded good. I read on. Couldn’t believe it. “The demon prince of mockery; the archangel of laughter.” Perfect. First  time out. Fit the tale beautifully.

Now. I’m not one to believe in paranormal situations, supernatural circumstances. But if I didn’t know better, I’d think that Kobal had been leading me to his name. He wants his story told.

His name is Kobal. Fear him. But never, ever mock him.

Demon with a Comb-Over by Stuart R. West. 

1 comment:

  1. I'm thinking that Wiki will soon have Trump's name added to the list! Notice that I diplomatically didn't say which list! :) Great premise!

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