character names

[Un-registered]

A set of rules I was told long ago by a successful writer (Colin Dexter - "Morse") runs as follows:

A charcater with no name, only a job, and no description, is a cardboard cutout who is of no importance. E.g. "The postman came up the street."

A character with only one name, and few physical characteristics, is a minor character. E.g. "Her car was serviced by Mike, the one with the big lunchbox."

A character with a full name and fairly detailed description matters. E.g. "Ebeneezer Scrooge was a tall, thin man with stooped shoulders and white straggly hair."

These are only rules of thumb and many good writers break them, but only for good reasons. Just make sure you have a good reason (I assume you are a good writer) before you try breaking them yourself.

A good place for first names of every nationality is babynames.
On that point, names should fit nationalities. If you need a Russian ice-skater in your story, don't call him Patrick O'Reilly!

 

[SlaveMasterUK]

Since I usually write sci-fi or fantasy I have a certain lee-way with character names, but I like to keep them realistic.

My on-going sci-fi tale is set in the 31st century, and the main character is called "Keerenen Wells" - his first name was the first part of the story that I thought about when I was 13, and his last name is a town in south-west england, not too far from me.

My almost-finished slave story is set on the same planet that our hero Keery grew up on, even tho he's in the slave story only as a cardboard cut-out:

where Steele and his friends always sat smoking raolin and joking amongst themselves

The slave is called "Rhiana", and we never know her last name because I feel it highlights her girlish innocence. Her mistress is referred to only as "Mistress" because the story is told from Rhiana's point of view (although in 3rd person) and she does not find out Mistress's real name until... Well, you'll have to wait and see!

I love making names, in fact me and my Dad often sit around for hours dreaming up names for characters in a given scene or story. Recently while working outside together we spent a whole day creating a scene from a 1920s style comic book following the escapades of a group of wealthy motorists. We ended up with Algie McTavish in his Blenkinsop Marauder (a powerful cruiser powered by a 4-litre straight-8 engine) and a whole host of his chums who I can barely remember...

ax

 

[MathGirl]

The Jewish Barbarian

Terry Pratchett has a character named "Genghis Cohen." I thought that was inspired.

 

[Chicklet]

i reuse them <wink>

9 out of 10 men named justin...go figure.

 

[MathGirl]

On that point, names should fit nationalities. If you need a Russian ice-skater in your story, don't call him Patrick O'Reilly!

Personally, I think it's better if you DO name the Russian ice skater Patrick O'Reilly.

 

[TheEarl]

I just use whatever first comes to mind. If nothing occurs, then usually they end up with amalgamated names from sports players.

Sarah does seem to have cropped up a large number of times though. I don't even know any Sarahs.

The Earl

 

[dizzylia]

Character Names

Personally, I just go with whatever seems to work, whatever helps the story move along smoothly. Usually the only times I'll research for names is when they're set in a place I am unfamiliar with, such as foreign countries.

There have been a few times when I've just opened a phonebook to a random page and picked out a name I like.

I guess I just feel that the sound/feel of the name in a story is a little more important than the meaning of the name itself. I doubt most of my readers have looked up my characters' names to see what they mean. I know I haven't. (unless of course I really, really liked the name and wanted to file it away for possibly future children) *grin*

 

[Guest]

Hmmm...neat thread. I didn't know people went into so much thought about picking names. Then again, I'm not above snatching names from real life, other books, or the evening news. When in doubt however, I just use a boring name and try to make the character interesting. It's usually more fun that way. Can you imagine the backstory behind an international playboy/hired assassin named Cletus Finklestein?

I smell a pulitzer already:

Cletus Finklestien in Death, Kill me Slowly

In theatres Summer 2004

 

[kiwiwolf]

I have a photo hanging on my wall of the Company I served with in Singapore and Malaysia. To name a principal character in a story I use the first name of one of my buddies (picked at random ) and the last name of the guy standing on his right. My female principals names come from women I have dated.

Characters other than the principals come from my kids... they choose them for me.

 

[MathGirl]

Avathingie

Dear Kiwi,

That's a cool avatar. It looks like the Tasmanian Devil with gas.

Diane the Impressed

 

[kiwiwolf]

Re: Avathingie

Dear Kiwi,

That's a cool avatar. It looks like the Tasmanian Devil with gas.

Diane the Impressed

*blushing my tattooed ass off*

Dear Diane the Impressed,

It is exactly what it looks like. It resides permenantly on my right butt cheek as my 5 year old told her class on her first day at school.

 

[MathGirl]

Re: Re: Avathingie

[B
It is exactly what it looks like. It resides permenantly on my right butt cheek as my 5 year old told her class on her first day at school. [/B]

Oh, my God! That is a portion of your anatomy, isn't it? Well, I'm not much for tatoos, but I must admit that one is very, very cool.

 

[TheEarl]

Kiwiwolf: First of all - very very clear photo for your av. Presumably quite a small tattoo, so very impressed.

Characters other than the principals come from my kids... they choose them for me

Your kids know about your stories?

The Earl

 

[sweetnpetite]

another thing is that I don't use names or middle names of my kids (even though of course they are great names!) and I also, won't read a story with a character who has the same name as one of my children (including there middle names) So if your story is great but your characters name is Danielle, I'll never know how great it is! Does anybody else feel this way?

 

[MercyMia]

nice thread

the few times i even name my characters, i will tend to stick with simple names. since my stories are usually in close setting (emotionally intimate), then the nicknames tend to be more important and revealing.

names can be *really* important. they can rouse the reader's empathy or antipathy for the character.

what about nicknames? or is that more of an asian thing? in my family, nicknames mean that you are loved or that you possibly annoy people.

 

[TheEarl]

In England, nicknames are usually just used where people can't be bothered with a long first name.

The Earl

 

[virgin_rose]

imdb

i ussually go to IMDB and start surfing for names... in the end i end up with more knowledge about some actor/actresses than what my next character's name would be...

 

[jfinn]

another thing is that I don't use names or middle names of my kids (even though of course they are great names!) and I also, won't read a story with a character who has the same name as one of my children (including there middle names) So if your story is great but your characters name is Danielle, I'll never know how great it is! Does anybody else feel this way?

LMAO, I thought this was just my own quirk. I would never use the names of the children in my life, just as I wouldn't use my adult family members names. I do use friends names a lot though, even the surnames, though never for characters that are central to the story or even remotely resemble the real person. The only exception to this is a group of writers on the net that I virtually hang with a lot. We all use each others names, real and the net version. It's become a game with us and when ever one of us posts it's fun to see who's been cast and in what role.

Jayne

 

[MercyMia]

LMAO, I thought this was just my own quirk. I would never use the names of the children in my life, just as I wouldn't use my adult family members names. I do use friends names a lot though, even the surnames, though never for characters that are central to the story or even remotely resemble the real person. The only exception to this is a group of writers on the net that I virtually hang with a lot. We all use each others names, real and the net version. It's become a game with us and when ever one of us posts it's fun to see who's been cast and in what role.

Jayne

Come to think of it, I haven't used any of my family member's names either. However, I will read stories (whether erotic or mainstream fiction) that use their names because my personal associations with a name do not extend to when the name is used by another author.

 

[Madame Manga]

I often seem to pick names out of the air. I look around the room and find a word or even a single letter, such as on a book spine or a software box, and start to play with it. I remember naming a minor character "Fry" because I had a bag from Fry's sitting next to the computer. ;-) Sometimes I glance into the newspaper and see if anything jumps out.

I do use relatives' and friends' names, or variations on them, when they have characteristics I want to invoke. Obviously the reader doesn't know my relatives. But I can keep the person's salient qualities in mind that way, and stay more focused.

Even when I pick something apparently at random, I often find that the name has some significance to the character, or the character grows to fit the name; yeah, it sounds pretty Zen! Occasionally I will deliberately name someone in a significant way: Cameo Baker is a sweet, old-fashioned girl with very well-defined values, Maggie Bayless has round heels and a catty manner. Those kinds of names I may get from a naming book--I have one that groups names by connotations like intelligence or sexiness or conservatism.

My favorite author for names is Charles Dickens, but he's not easily imitated!

MM

 

[MercyMia]

Cool!

Hi Madame Manga,

I like the sound of the name "Fry." All kinds of possible characters come to mind. Your method to naming characters may not be as random as it sounds--a lot of it seems to depend on a sound intuition for what feels right for a character. By looking around the room instead of closing your eyes, you make the process of naming the character more adventurous. I hope I can remember to try this for my next story!

MM (also)

 

[MathGirl]

Cletus F.

. Can you imagine the backstory behind an international playboy/hired assassin named Cletus Finklestein?

Dear WK,

Are you making fun of my uncle Cletus' name? He wouldn't appreciate that. He's an international playboy/hired assasin, you know.

Sincerely,
Diane Finklestein

 

[SlaveMasterUK]

another thing is that I don't use names or middle names of my kids (even though of course they are great names!) and I also, won't read a story with a character who has the same name as one of my children (including there middle names) So if your story is great but your characters name is Danielle, I'll never know how great it is! Does anybody else feel this way?

I have no problem reading stories with a character named after family or friends (particularly if they're called Danielle) but I don't use family member's names when writing. In fact, I tend to make names up...

I very rarely use 'real' people as characters but when I do I change their names. I often feel uncomfortable about writing about real people.

My current project is based around someone who I had (still have? don't know, she left town!) an infatuation with but I've changed her name from Danielle in real life to Rhiana. However, shortly after I started the story I went away on business and had to occupy myself for long hours alone in a hotel room. I dived into the story and it became my life for a few days.

When I came back, I found myself thinking "I wonder if I'll run into Rhiana tonight." That was scary.

So in you can read and enjoy my next story, because although the main character's 'real' name is Danielle, in the story she is called Rhiana.

ax

 

[TheEarl]

I'm sorry, as soon as I heard of your character Fry, I just couldn't stop thinking of Futurama.

Interesting how some names carry baggage, like some actors/actresses who are known for one part.

The Earl

 

[MathGirl]

Baggage

Interesting how some names carry baggage, like some actors/actresses who are known for one part.

The Earl

It would be hard to imagine a serious drama starring someone named Linda Lovelace.