Reading and Writing: What's in a name? You decide!
After eight books and thirteen years of writing, the only writer’s block I’ve ever encountered had to do with naming my characters. In any given book, there has been an average of 45 characters. Many of them play fairly insignificant roles, and sometimes I’m able to get away with using a title or a position, thereby eschewing the “christening” process. But all the other characters require proper names, and in some cases, “what” they are called is a vital part of describing “who” they are.
So, here I am, wading into book number nine, inventing personalities that must be named. Luckily for me, this is the third book in the Madeline Dawkins series, so I’ve got a handful of characters that carry over into this story. But what about all the rest?
This may not sound like a daunting prospect, but try to imagine having to name several hundred children. Anyone who has thumbed through a book of names trying to accurately pin the moniker on the baby can tell you the importance of conjuring up just the right sound to identify the person that child will become. In writing, it’s really not much different, except that the personalities are already formed, and making the nuances of the character match the name is even more of conundrum. If readers can’t associate the name with the central figures’ traits, the writer might have a tough time selling the readers on the story.
This brings us back to book nine. (And no, I don’t have a name for the book yet either! That often comes near the end of writing process, and often after a good deal of head thumping.) Instead of losing several hours perusing the plethora of naming sites on the Internet, I thought it might be more fun and more expedient to ask you, the reader, what your favorite names are.
So, here’s the challenge: I’ve got good people, bad people, bad people disguised as good people, and incidental characters, all in need of names. Tell me what you think are perfect names for these roles—any name, even your own, that you’d like to see in my latest book. Or the book after that… Please, don’t hold back! If you’ve got a list as long as your arm, bring it on! I promise to create my own database with the names you give me and dip into it regularly. Who knows—if I get enough suggestions, I may never have to stare into space trying to come up with my own again!
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Until next time,
Cynthia
So, here I am, wading into book number nine, inventing personalities that must be named. Luckily for me, this is the third book in the Madeline Dawkins series, so I’ve got a handful of characters that carry over into this story. But what about all the rest?
This may not sound like a daunting prospect, but try to imagine having to name several hundred children. Anyone who has thumbed through a book of names trying to accurately pin the moniker on the baby can tell you the importance of conjuring up just the right sound to identify the person that child will become. In writing, it’s really not much different, except that the personalities are already formed, and making the nuances of the character match the name is even more of conundrum. If readers can’t associate the name with the central figures’ traits, the writer might have a tough time selling the readers on the story.
This brings us back to book nine. (And no, I don’t have a name for the book yet either! That often comes near the end of writing process, and often after a good deal of head thumping.) Instead of losing several hours perusing the plethora of naming sites on the Internet, I thought it might be more fun and more expedient to ask you, the reader, what your favorite names are.
So, here’s the challenge: I’ve got good people, bad people, bad people disguised as good people, and incidental characters, all in need of names. Tell me what you think are perfect names for these roles—any name, even your own, that you’d like to see in my latest book. Or the book after that… Please, don’t hold back! If you’ve got a list as long as your arm, bring it on! I promise to create my own database with the names you give me and dip into it regularly. Who knows—if I get enough suggestions, I may never have to stare into space trying to come up with my own again!
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Until next time,
Cynthia
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Thank you, Caressa! I love them! They're going on the list right now. I'll take as many as you can give me!
Shep is a great name! It calls to mind the character "Sam" from Charlaine Harri's Sookie Stackouse series - same is the the nice in the eternal friend zone, who is actually secretly a bad-add and shapeshifter, haha.I've always liked the name "Felicia" for a woman in a novel - it's nice, but could she secretly be an evil witch?
It always seemed like trying to create a character with both a first name and a last name that "match" would be the hardest part. Take Felicia for instance...Felicia Brown (lawyer?) Felicia Day (actress of questionable talent).
One thing I've always found funny is "regular" name spelled funny. Like instead of Ariel, getting "Aryell", or instead of "Emily", something like "Emyleey." Like the person had hippy dippy parents who wanted them to be unique by misspelling their names.
Also fun are characters named unintentionally after celebrities that their parents hadn't heard of. "Hi, my name is Sean Penn, I know, I know...yes I get that a lot, but I was raised by missionaries in Oaxaca who never once watched an American movie, or any movie for that matter."
Other fun names:
Millicent (the old school)
Dyanna (old school spelled differently)
Robbie (a Robert still coddled by his mother?)
What a fun topic!
p.s. I do apologize for the copious typos above! That's what typing quickly on a small keyboard will do (my inner editor cringes).
Dear Demelza,No need to apologize for typos - they are the bane of my existence! How can the editor in us possibly keep up with our creative process?
Love all your name suggestions! And you are so right about the importance of paring the first and names and how challenging that can be sometimes. As I start creating the characters in the new Madeline novel, I keep gravitating to surnames I've already used in other books. Which is why I've put out the "S.O.S."
Thank you so much for the contributions! They're going into the name folder right now. If you come up with any more, send them along!
I can give some odd characters from my workplace...Jacinta is the no nonsense, smack talking, six foot tall Samoan lady. Susan, & Debi were neurotic women who convincingly played the victim until you caught them in a lie or mid-betrayal. Then there was Lauren, Gladys, Ashely, & Lori who were the mean girls. Adonis was a ladies' man, even though he was barely over five feet tall & about as big around. Bruce, Brian, Jeff, Kyle.
Oh my gosh, now I'm having flashbacks of everyone I've ever known that was quirky or noteworthy lol I hope this helps a little, & I'll come up with more if you want 'em :)