Rhian J. Martin's Blog, page 2
June 6, 2017
Goodreads Giveaway for "A Different Familiar"
Good news! If you’d like to win a free galley proof of my book, A Different Familiar, you’ll have the opportunity to enter a Goodreads giveaway between today, June 6th, and June 20th, 2017.
What’s a “galley proof?” you ask? “Galley proof” is a term used to describe advance reader copies of a book – essentially, a pre-publication book. Most of the time, authors and publishers use galley proofs to review the text for typos, inconsistencies, and other mistakes before the book is made available to the public. By nature, there are only a limited number of galley copies printed. One of the cool things about owning a galley copy is that, because there are only a small number of identical copies in print, your book will certainly be unique!
There will be 3 copies of my book given away, each of which will be signed. If you’re interested in entering the giveaway, there are only a few things you’ll need to do:
1. Join Goodreads if you don’t have an account already. Goodreads is essentially like an online bookshelf with a bit of social media added in for readers and authors. It’s free to join and quite enjoyable to use. You definitely won’t regret it, especially because an account gives you the opportunity to talk to authors and win free books!
2. Enter the giveaway. It’s completely free to enter a giveaway for a book. Winners are selected at random by Goodreads and will be mailed their free copy within 2-3 weeks after the end of the giveaway. You can enter the giveaway for A Different Familiar by clicking on this link. There is also a link to the giveaway on the home page of this website.
That’s it!
Be sure to check out my Goodreads author page and drop me a question or comment if you’d like. You can also follow me on Goodreads for updates and news related to my work.
Thanks for reading!
Rhian
What’s a “galley proof?” you ask? “Galley proof” is a term used to describe advance reader copies of a book – essentially, a pre-publication book. Most of the time, authors and publishers use galley proofs to review the text for typos, inconsistencies, and other mistakes before the book is made available to the public. By nature, there are only a limited number of galley copies printed. One of the cool things about owning a galley copy is that, because there are only a small number of identical copies in print, your book will certainly be unique!
There will be 3 copies of my book given away, each of which will be signed. If you’re interested in entering the giveaway, there are only a few things you’ll need to do:
1. Join Goodreads if you don’t have an account already. Goodreads is essentially like an online bookshelf with a bit of social media added in for readers and authors. It’s free to join and quite enjoyable to use. You definitely won’t regret it, especially because an account gives you the opportunity to talk to authors and win free books!
2. Enter the giveaway. It’s completely free to enter a giveaway for a book. Winners are selected at random by Goodreads and will be mailed their free copy within 2-3 weeks after the end of the giveaway. You can enter the giveaway for A Different Familiar by clicking on this link. There is also a link to the giveaway on the home page of this website.
That’s it!
Be sure to check out my Goodreads author page and drop me a question or comment if you’d like. You can also follow me on Goodreads for updates and news related to my work.
Thanks for reading!
Rhian
June 1, 2017
Six Author Tips for Naming Characters
So you have an impatient character knocking at the inside of your skull, wondering when you’re finally going to christen them. It seems like a simple enough task, right? Wrong. Many writers struggle with character names just as any parent-to-be might lose sleep at night, worrying what the potential name of their child might insinuate about their personality, reputation, and future success. But don’t give up hope just yet. Just because naming isn’t a particularly easy job doesn’t mean it’s one to avoid until you literally can’t ignore it anymore. In this post, I will differentiate between two main ways writers name characters, and then I will outline a few naming strategies to make this daunting task a little bit easier to swallow.
First, it’s important to note that there are two major ways to name a character. I like to think of them as the subconscious and conscious methods.
The Subconscious Method: sometimes characters name themselves.
This happens when you’re taking a lovely evening stroll, or washing the dishes, or doing something else that seemingly has nothing at all to do with your writing and… bam! A name pops into your head. It could be a partial name, a full name, a nick name – you name it (pun intended) – but now it exists and has attached itself to your character. Congratulations! Your subconscious has done most of the work for you.
The Conscious Method: you research and plan and try different names until one fits.
If you haven’t had a revelatory experience as mentioned above, then you’re probably stuck poring over baby naming websites, newspaper obituaries, and every census bureau webpage you can find just trying to discover a single name that will fit your character. You know it can’t be forced, so you hope that, if you look hard enough, you will stumble upon something that sounds natural.
That being said, sometimes it’s difficult to wait for that sort of inspiration to strike even after spending what feels like weeks searching through potential name lists, so here are my personal tips for when you’re attempting to name your characters and nothing seems right.
1. When in doubt, keep it simple. Sure, every writer wishes they could christen their character with a token name that will be remembered for years to come. But unless you’re writing a fantasy/sci-fi/dystopian/futuristic book, your names should, first and foremost, fundamentally make sense. Nothing turns me off as a reader as much as when an author uses a unique but frankly silly-sounding name for a character just to make it memorable. If you’re really dying to make a name unique, try to use pairings: either use an uncommon first name paired with a common last name (for example: Denali Jones) or a common first name paired with an uncommon last name (for example: Tom Swanepoel).
2. Don’t let your character’s name be the most interesting thing about them. A name is simply a starting block, so it’s important to treat it as such. Your character should be interesting in their own right, by the way they move, speak, think, act, etc. It’s that sort of idiosyncratic beauty that makes characters stand out, not the fact that they have a complicated or different name. Unless the name somehow contributes to the way the character acts (for example: a character may be bitter about the strange name they were given at birth – but then again, this is a detail, and very rarely makes for a deep or fascinating inner struggle in itself). The point is, you can be certain that a character named Mary Smith has the potential to be a sparkling testament to the author’s talent for characterization rather than their ability to select a weird name at random, if only the author remembers what’s truly more important.
3. Look for a name that fits the time period of your story. The census bureau, old newspaper archives, and historical websites are wonderful tools for this purpose. You can search names by decade, year, and gender to steer your mind in the right direction. It also helps to verify the number of individuals with a given name as times change. For instance, in the 1920s, perhaps Millie would be a common, everyday name for a young woman, but by 1990, Millie’s popularity would have dropped significantly, only to be replaced by names like Ashley and Lauren. Make sure that your character isn’t a walking time capsule or a strange visitor from a decade in the future.
4. Ensure that the character’s name matches their nationality or cultural identity. Granted, there are cases when characters may have names that doesn’t necessarily fit their background, and that’s okay. Just be sure to provide reasons for those circumstances that your readers may not be able to assume on their own. Otherwise, do some research into the culture and history of your story’s setting. While it would make sense for Juan Mendoza to live in Spain, Portugal, or North/Central/South America, you would rarely find Juan in places like Finland or Japan (unless he is an immigrant). Likewise, Vladimir Abdulov might not necessarily turn up in Nigeria or India, unless he had immigrated or found himself on a vacation or business trip. The one exception to this rule, of course, are places which traditionally have seen a lot of mixed immigration over a long period of time: namely, The United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. With such a wide cultural diaspora, the aforementioned countries boast a plethora of names from all over the world. Other nations and regions, however, have (for the most part) a majority of names signifying their own unique culture and history that may not be quite as diverse. Nonetheless, it's always best to do a bit of research to familiarize yourself with name trends.
5. Ask for a second opinion. Half the fun of being a writer is using other people as springboards for your ideas. Asking a friend, family member, or colleague is a great option to “gather data,” so to speak. Most likely, if you’re writing a book, you’ll want to release it to the public at some stage, so why not bounce those name ideas off of someone who hasn’t yet had direct contact with your work? Allow them to give their full, unadulterated opinions to ensure an unbiased response. Who knows – not only could you learn a thing or two, but perhaps your opinion-giver may be able to suggest a few names for you.
6. Say the name out loud, type it in a blank document, write it on a piece of paper. See how the name sounds and feels. If it doesn’t type well, that may be something to consider, as you might very well spend much more time typing it into your manuscript than you initially realize. Likewise, say it out loud. Use different accents and tones. Think to yourself, “If I had to read this name aloud at a book reading, would I trip over it, or would I be able to articulate it well?” While this may not be everyone’s priority in naming a character, it is still something to consider.
Do you have any tips, methods, or ideas for naming characters? Feel free to share them in the comments section below. Likewise, if you have any further questions about christening characters, please leave a comment below and I'll do my best to respond in a timely manner.
Thanks for reading!
Rhian
First, it’s important to note that there are two major ways to name a character. I like to think of them as the subconscious and conscious methods.
The Subconscious Method: sometimes characters name themselves.
This happens when you’re taking a lovely evening stroll, or washing the dishes, or doing something else that seemingly has nothing at all to do with your writing and… bam! A name pops into your head. It could be a partial name, a full name, a nick name – you name it (pun intended) – but now it exists and has attached itself to your character. Congratulations! Your subconscious has done most of the work for you.
The Conscious Method: you research and plan and try different names until one fits.
If you haven’t had a revelatory experience as mentioned above, then you’re probably stuck poring over baby naming websites, newspaper obituaries, and every census bureau webpage you can find just trying to discover a single name that will fit your character. You know it can’t be forced, so you hope that, if you look hard enough, you will stumble upon something that sounds natural.
That being said, sometimes it’s difficult to wait for that sort of inspiration to strike even after spending what feels like weeks searching through potential name lists, so here are my personal tips for when you’re attempting to name your characters and nothing seems right.
1. When in doubt, keep it simple. Sure, every writer wishes they could christen their character with a token name that will be remembered for years to come. But unless you’re writing a fantasy/sci-fi/dystopian/futuristic book, your names should, first and foremost, fundamentally make sense. Nothing turns me off as a reader as much as when an author uses a unique but frankly silly-sounding name for a character just to make it memorable. If you’re really dying to make a name unique, try to use pairings: either use an uncommon first name paired with a common last name (for example: Denali Jones) or a common first name paired with an uncommon last name (for example: Tom Swanepoel).
2. Don’t let your character’s name be the most interesting thing about them. A name is simply a starting block, so it’s important to treat it as such. Your character should be interesting in their own right, by the way they move, speak, think, act, etc. It’s that sort of idiosyncratic beauty that makes characters stand out, not the fact that they have a complicated or different name. Unless the name somehow contributes to the way the character acts (for example: a character may be bitter about the strange name they were given at birth – but then again, this is a detail, and very rarely makes for a deep or fascinating inner struggle in itself). The point is, you can be certain that a character named Mary Smith has the potential to be a sparkling testament to the author’s talent for characterization rather than their ability to select a weird name at random, if only the author remembers what’s truly more important.
3. Look for a name that fits the time period of your story. The census bureau, old newspaper archives, and historical websites are wonderful tools for this purpose. You can search names by decade, year, and gender to steer your mind in the right direction. It also helps to verify the number of individuals with a given name as times change. For instance, in the 1920s, perhaps Millie would be a common, everyday name for a young woman, but by 1990, Millie’s popularity would have dropped significantly, only to be replaced by names like Ashley and Lauren. Make sure that your character isn’t a walking time capsule or a strange visitor from a decade in the future.
4. Ensure that the character’s name matches their nationality or cultural identity. Granted, there are cases when characters may have names that doesn’t necessarily fit their background, and that’s okay. Just be sure to provide reasons for those circumstances that your readers may not be able to assume on their own. Otherwise, do some research into the culture and history of your story’s setting. While it would make sense for Juan Mendoza to live in Spain, Portugal, or North/Central/South America, you would rarely find Juan in places like Finland or Japan (unless he is an immigrant). Likewise, Vladimir Abdulov might not necessarily turn up in Nigeria or India, unless he had immigrated or found himself on a vacation or business trip. The one exception to this rule, of course, are places which traditionally have seen a lot of mixed immigration over a long period of time: namely, The United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. With such a wide cultural diaspora, the aforementioned countries boast a plethora of names from all over the world. Other nations and regions, however, have (for the most part) a majority of names signifying their own unique culture and history that may not be quite as diverse. Nonetheless, it's always best to do a bit of research to familiarize yourself with name trends.
5. Ask for a second opinion. Half the fun of being a writer is using other people as springboards for your ideas. Asking a friend, family member, or colleague is a great option to “gather data,” so to speak. Most likely, if you’re writing a book, you’ll want to release it to the public at some stage, so why not bounce those name ideas off of someone who hasn’t yet had direct contact with your work? Allow them to give their full, unadulterated opinions to ensure an unbiased response. Who knows – not only could you learn a thing or two, but perhaps your opinion-giver may be able to suggest a few names for you.
6. Say the name out loud, type it in a blank document, write it on a piece of paper. See how the name sounds and feels. If it doesn’t type well, that may be something to consider, as you might very well spend much more time typing it into your manuscript than you initially realize. Likewise, say it out loud. Use different accents and tones. Think to yourself, “If I had to read this name aloud at a book reading, would I trip over it, or would I be able to articulate it well?” While this may not be everyone’s priority in naming a character, it is still something to consider.
Do you have any tips, methods, or ideas for naming characters? Feel free to share them in the comments section below. Likewise, if you have any further questions about christening characters, please leave a comment below and I'll do my best to respond in a timely manner.
Thanks for reading!
Rhian
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to my blog!
My name is Rhian J. Martin and I’m the author of A Different Familiar, which is available for purchase on the home page of this website. You can read more information about me and my work in the “Author” introduction to the right of this post, or on the “About” page, which is located on the main navigation menu.
To begin, I would like to thank you for visiting my website. I endeavor to fill this blog with helpful writing advice, book recommendations, bonus information about my work, and guides to my own personal writing methods. If there is anything specific you’d like me to post about, please get in touch and let me know! You can contact me via the comment thread below this post or via the “Contact” page.
If you would like to be notified of my new blog posts, or any other pertinent information about my work, please also consider signing up for my newsletter. You can find newsletter sign-ups on the “About” page, as well as on the “Contact” page. Newsletters will only be delivered to your inbox occasionally, so no need to worry about them adding up to a pile of irritating email clutter!
Again, thank you for stopping by. Feel free to get in touch, and I hope you’ll return to my website often.
Thanks for reading!
Rhian
My name is Rhian J. Martin and I’m the author of A Different Familiar, which is available for purchase on the home page of this website. You can read more information about me and my work in the “Author” introduction to the right of this post, or on the “About” page, which is located on the main navigation menu.
To begin, I would like to thank you for visiting my website. I endeavor to fill this blog with helpful writing advice, book recommendations, bonus information about my work, and guides to my own personal writing methods. If there is anything specific you’d like me to post about, please get in touch and let me know! You can contact me via the comment thread below this post or via the “Contact” page.
If you would like to be notified of my new blog posts, or any other pertinent information about my work, please also consider signing up for my newsletter. You can find newsletter sign-ups on the “About” page, as well as on the “Contact” page. Newsletters will only be delivered to your inbox occasionally, so no need to worry about them adding up to a pile of irritating email clutter!
Again, thank you for stopping by. Feel free to get in touch, and I hope you’ll return to my website often.
Thanks for reading!
Rhian
