Writing Hurdles (What's in a name?)
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cantdog
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I have to have a protagonist with a name, but I use placeholders for the rest of the cast. Sooner or later names suggest themselves for those people, and then I use the global-search-and-replace to change the name over to the one the person will keep. Just write, in other words. You can always change the names later, once you find a good one.
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simply_cyn
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I actually have started keeping a list of names that I like ... both first and last names, male and female. I keep a little notebook in my purse and as I hear a name or meet someone that their name speaks to me, I'll put it in my book. When the right story comes along, then {boom}... I have a match. 
Sometimes I want there to be a purpose behind the name so I use specific names for that or do online searches for names that have a specific meaning.
Sometimes I want there to be a purpose behind the name so I use specific names for that or do online searches for names that have a specific meaning.
Alex756
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I have decided I have no idea why I name anyone anything.
2 years ago I named my main character Mark. I thought it was becasue i knew a mark at the time, so just grabbed his name.
Now as I am writning my Nano (can yah tell form my spelling) I do a google search, 'marcus heretic' turns out I have a cool twist. yes my char is named after a heretic who corrupted otherwise whholesome women mind body and spirit, and the chaaracter happens to have had a fucked up enough mom to have named him that for that reason....
~Alex
2 years ago I named my main character Mark. I thought it was becasue i knew a mark at the time, so just grabbed his name.
Now as I am writning my Nano (can yah tell form my spelling) I do a google search, 'marcus heretic' turns out I have a cool twist. yes my char is named after a heretic who corrupted otherwise whholesome women mind body and spirit, and the chaaracter happens to have had a fucked up enough mom to have named him that for that reason....
~Alex
Stella_Omega
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Alex, that is so cool- I love it when characters drop their back story into your lap like that. "oh, didn't you know"
"hey, I'm just the author, what do I know?"
I find that names aren't all that important, the characters make the names, not the other way around. Simple, normal names take on a lot of meaning because of who wears them. My character Gloria- Her parents didn't know that she would become a mean, funny, greasemonkey bulldyke- or maybe they'd have named her Harley!
"hey, I'm just the author, what do I know?"
I find that names aren't all that important, the characters make the names, not the other way around. Simple, normal names take on a lot of meaning because of who wears them. My character Gloria- Her parents didn't know that she would become a mean, funny, greasemonkey bulldyke- or maybe they'd have named her Harley!
BlackShanglan
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I leave characters' names blank or insert placeholders - sometimes just "ML" or "FL" for male lead or female lead - when I am compiling notes. I can't do much drafting like that, though; I have to settle on a name, or the character doesn't feel complete in my mind. The name is part of the person, and I feel like I haven't got the character really clear in my mind until he or she has a name. Some things that have helped me:
1) Think of sound connotations. If you want your character to sound harsh and stern, you'll want strong, rough sounds in his name; if you want soft and gentle, then choose smoother vowels and consonants. Dickens was a master at giving characters comically appropriate sound-driven names, like the sputtering and puffing Mr. Pumblechook or the hard facts, hard-nosed Mr. Gradgrind. You don't have to be that extreme though; just remember that there's a world of difference in sound between a heroine named Cynthia and one named Dax. Think of the sounds that fit your feeling for the character and work up from there.
2) Incorporate the character's chief traits. Dickens tends to do it forthrightly in English - Mr. Bounderby is a real bounder, Mr. Harthouse is a rich man (presumably with a house in a deer park), etc. Others do it in other languages, which I favor as well. When I wanted a good last name for a traitor, I looked up "traitor" in Anglo-Saxon and found "hlaford" - which turned nicely into Lord Halford. Lord Anfield came the same way - his name means "plain" or "simple." Tragically, I can't even remember any more which came first - Sebastian Vayne's last name, or his vanity.
3) Look through lists of names. Sometimes a random source works; I found one character's last name by picking up an unrelated book and looking through the bibliography until someone's last name struck me as a good one. Other times it's been helpful to me to find lists from the time period - baptism or marriage records are useful things if one is trying to get names settled on a period work, as it helps you to see what names were common or popular at the time.
4) Put in a cameo. It's fun to drop in a character who is a hidden reference to someone else. Sebastian's friend had to be Basil; Basil Hallward is Oscar Wilde's boringly decent and moral painter in "The Picture of Dorian Gray." My frightfully good-hearted Basil is a little wave to Wilde.
And then sometimes they just name themselves. My character Robert Edgemont could not, to me, possibly have any other name. It's about as open to change as the color of water. *shrug* Now and then you get lucky like that, and they know who they are.
Hope it helps -
Shanglan
1) Think of sound connotations. If you want your character to sound harsh and stern, you'll want strong, rough sounds in his name; if you want soft and gentle, then choose smoother vowels and consonants. Dickens was a master at giving characters comically appropriate sound-driven names, like the sputtering and puffing Mr. Pumblechook or the hard facts, hard-nosed Mr. Gradgrind. You don't have to be that extreme though; just remember that there's a world of difference in sound between a heroine named Cynthia and one named Dax. Think of the sounds that fit your feeling for the character and work up from there.
2) Incorporate the character's chief traits. Dickens tends to do it forthrightly in English - Mr. Bounderby is a real bounder, Mr. Harthouse is a rich man (presumably with a house in a deer park), etc. Others do it in other languages, which I favor as well. When I wanted a good last name for a traitor, I looked up "traitor" in Anglo-Saxon and found "hlaford" - which turned nicely into Lord Halford. Lord Anfield came the same way - his name means "plain" or "simple." Tragically, I can't even remember any more which came first - Sebastian Vayne's last name, or his vanity.
3) Look through lists of names. Sometimes a random source works; I found one character's last name by picking up an unrelated book and looking through the bibliography until someone's last name struck me as a good one. Other times it's been helpful to me to find lists from the time period - baptism or marriage records are useful things if one is trying to get names settled on a period work, as it helps you to see what names were common or popular at the time.
4) Put in a cameo. It's fun to drop in a character who is a hidden reference to someone else. Sebastian's friend had to be Basil; Basil Hallward is Oscar Wilde's boringly decent and moral painter in "The Picture of Dorian Gray." My frightfully good-hearted Basil is a little wave to Wilde.
And then sometimes they just name themselves. My character Robert Edgemont could not, to me, possibly have any other name. It's about as open to change as the color of water. *shrug* Now and then you get lucky like that, and they know who they are.
Hope it helps -
Shanglan
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carsonshepherd
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elsol said:
Frighteningly, mine usually tell me. When they don't I struggle with naming them, or bwing irritated with the name, for a few chapters. But I can't write a story until the names are there. Just like living people, they become their names, and can't be changed.
rgraham666
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I generally name my characters the same way I write. By thinking about it a long time.
By the time I actually start writing, I've got the names.
If all else fails, I open the rules for one of my computer games. Since there are usually a hundred people who worked on it in one capacity or another, that gives me plenty of choices. I usually take the first name of one and the last of the other.
By the time I actually start writing, I've got the names.
If all else fails, I open the rules for one of my computer games. Since there are usually a hundred people who worked on it in one capacity or another, that gives me plenty of choices. I usually take the first name of one and the last of the other.
oggbashan
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Baby name books
I have a collection of Baby Name books. There are about 40 different ones.
When stuck for a character's name I flip through one of those books until I find a name that suits the character. However that name doesn't always survive to the final draft. If, for example, a character is called 'Heather' and in the final version she doesn't seem like a Heather, I look through the baby-name books until I find a name that fits. I search and replace.
Og
I have a collection of Baby Name books. There are about 40 different ones.
When stuck for a character's name I flip through one of those books until I find a name that suits the character. However that name doesn't always survive to the final draft. If, for example, a character is called 'Heather' and in the final version she doesn't seem like a Heather, I look through the baby-name books until I find a name that fits. I search and replace.
Og
Selena_Kitt
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I must be weird... my characters name themselves... sometimes I'll have a name at the beginning, before I start writing, but most of the time, I just start writing, and the name simply *appears* on the screen as I'm typing. Usually it's the right name. Once in a while, I will go back and change it because it doesn't seem to fit as the story changed while I was writing, or because I want it to be clever and fitting (Adam and Lilith in Lost Souls, for example...) My holiday story has contrived names like that... but most of my stories, my characters appear, someone says their name, and they're named... !
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mack_the_knife
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Im a lazy prick, In my fantasy setting to create names that are both realistic and easy, I just find normal names and either mispell them a little or add or drop a character.
Kenneth - Kenett
Harlan - Harlen
Christina - Crissa
etc.
In the real world, I just use normal names, paying some attention to the 'feel' of the name. A woman named Alexandria is likely to be a powerful individiual, but if she goes by Alex, then she's likely fun-loving and tomboyish. Just my way...
Kenneth - Kenett
Harlan - Harlen
Christina - Crissa
etc.
In the real world, I just use normal names, paying some attention to the 'feel' of the name. A woman named Alexandria is likely to be a powerful individiual, but if she goes by Alex, then she's likely fun-loving and tomboyish. Just my way...
My characters have a tendency to name themselves. I need them in place before I can begin writing. Sometimes I need a name beyond the ordinary, for example the character in my NaNo story is called Nagin. It is Googled from an obscure mythological source, there is a bunch of Nana's for anyone who knows these mythological people without Googling. 
Stella_Omega
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I just found another good source- spam mail!
I got mail just now that was, supposedly, from Oskar Lemming.
I got mail just now that was, supposedly, from Oskar Lemming.
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My characters write my story so everything is in their name for me. First and surname, then any nickname variations have to all sound good.
dr_mabeuse
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My characters seem to come with first names attached, though sometimes I change them as the story progresses.
The only time I have trouble is with foreign or ancient names, in which case I often go to this site:
http://www.20000-names.com/index.htm
Or here. These are supposed to be names for dogs, of all things, but most of them are people names as well. They're especially good for finding period names, like Medieval German names:
http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names.htm
They even have a list of demon names for next Halloween:
http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/demonnames.htm
I have more trouble with last names. I don't want to use the usual WASP names, as nothing makes your story seem phonier than having a Betty Johnson or Mary Robertson, but finding names that aren't too ethnic can be hard. If it's important, I go to the phone book.
I try not to be too cutesy with my names. I find that irritating when other writers do it, so I avoid it. No Hugh Jass or Amanda Lovenkiss or spelling names backwards (Mr. Regnarts). I don't like the feeling that the author's fooling with me, although Gauche got away with some good name play in "Abigail Slaughter".
The only time I have trouble is with foreign or ancient names, in which case I often go to this site:
http://www.20000-names.com/index.htm
Or here. These are supposed to be names for dogs, of all things, but most of them are people names as well. They're especially good for finding period names, like Medieval German names:
http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names.htm
They even have a list of demon names for next Halloween:
http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/demonnames.htm
I have more trouble with last names. I don't want to use the usual WASP names, as nothing makes your story seem phonier than having a Betty Johnson or Mary Robertson, but finding names that aren't too ethnic can be hard. If it's important, I go to the phone book.
I try not to be too cutesy with my names. I find that irritating when other writers do it, so I avoid it. No Hugh Jass or Amanda Lovenkiss or spelling names backwards (Mr. Regnarts). I don't like the feeling that the author's fooling with me, although Gauche got away with some good name play in "Abigail Slaughter".
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Dar~
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All of my writing my entire life, my character names just flow out of my fingertips and into the story. I don't recall a time I have ever had to rename a character, but I also know that if anyone had asked me to tell them the name of my characters before I had gotten to the point in the story where the name is relevant, I wouldn't be able to tell them.
gauchecritic
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Why thank you zoot.
That was all to do with something I like to do along similar lines to the horsey referring to other author's creations.
I wanted the company to be called Slaughter House VI for obvious reasons and then the name Abigail seemed to fit the description of her that I had in mind which is actually someone I know.
I tend to use the first name that pops into my head but if the character becomes something else then I am always willing to change the name rather than have them as cyphers.
Beckett usually springs to mind when discussions of names comes up, I often think that he must take as long thinking of their names as he does to write the whole play.
I remember playing Mo in Peter Nichols' "Born In The Gardens" (where I actually got the chance to play drums on stage) and remarking to the cast and crew about the fitting names that each character had, even the dead one: Victor. For a bunch of supposed, allbeit amateur actors, they didn't seem to have very much idea about basic 'Lit. 101' appreciation.
That was all to do with something I like to do along similar lines to the horsey referring to other author's creations.
I wanted the company to be called Slaughter House VI for obvious reasons and then the name Abigail seemed to fit the description of her that I had in mind which is actually someone I know.
I tend to use the first name that pops into my head but if the character becomes something else then I am always willing to change the name rather than have them as cyphers.
Beckett usually springs to mind when discussions of names comes up, I often think that he must take as long thinking of their names as he does to write the whole play.
I remember playing Mo in Peter Nichols' "Born In The Gardens" (where I actually got the chance to play drums on stage) and remarking to the cast and crew about the fitting names that each character had, even the dead one: Victor. For a bunch of supposed, allbeit amateur actors, they didn't seem to have very much idea about basic 'Lit. 101' appreciation.
RogueLurker
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neonlyte said:My characters have a tendency to name themselves. I need them in place before I can begin writing. Sometimes I need a name beyond the ordinary, for example the character in my NaNo story is called Nagin. It is Googled from an obscure mythological source, there is a bunch of Nana's for anyone who knows these mythological people without Googling.
A Naga is a shapeshifting snake (Asian or Indian orgin) ... not sure if it was considered a god or a demon. I'm going to guess that Nagin is a race of these shapeshifty snakes?
Didn't google .... I remembered it as something I read in one of Laurel K Hamilton's earlier Anita Blake novels. Of course, that might not be the most reliable source.
RogueLurker said:A Naga is a shapeshifting snake (Asian or Indian orgin) ... not sure if it was considered a god or a demon. I'm going to guess that Nagin is a race of these shapeshifty snakes?
Didn't google .... I remembered it as something I read in one of Laurel K Hamilton's earlier Anita Blake novels. Of course, that might not be the most reliable source.
Yep - that pretty much fits the bill. Nice to see you RogueLurker!
The source I read says it dates from pre-Hindu, the Nagin was the female head of the tribe and worshipped as a Goddess.
