Allan asked Michael J. Sullivan:

Hi Michael! I'm a huge fan of Riyria and your story as an independent author. One of the things that always hooks me in fantasy books is the language (the names of persons, places, things, etc). Riyria is loaded with names of people and places that show a culture all of it's own. Would you mind sharing your inspiration behind the naming of some of the locations or historical figures in your novels? Novron? Avempartha?

Michael J. Sullivan I collect names. I get them from everywhere. Road signs, people I meet, people I hear about. A long time ago, back when the nucleus of Elan was forming (around 1995), I went through a very old dictionary. At the back of which was a section on biographical names and proper names. I compiled a list of the ones I thought were cool. That’s where I got Dahlgren, and Essarhaddon was the king of Syria around 670 BC. I changed the spelling slightly to something I liked better. These days I tend to use the name generator in Scrivener. I run it over and over looking for interesting names. I then build a list by keeping the most interesting one with an eye towards the sort of people I am looking for. The nifty names I like that I have no use for yet, go into a long list that I keep.

So if you are wondering if I spend hours coming up with names that have secret meaning, the answer is—sometimes, but not often. Pax, one of the leading character in Hollow World is latin for “peace” (not a hard brain teaser). Hadrian’s last name happened to be Blackwater, an interesting coincidence as a mercenary company goes by the same name, but it was founded in 1997 and Hadrian’s last name was created in 1995. Mercedes was chosen as a subtle clue.

Mostly I audition names the way a director might audition actors. I look for the name that will best suit the part. When I was looking for a smart mousy fellow, I thought of Myron, but he might also have been called Mortimer. When I wanted an elegant thief I picked Royce off the list. Novron had to sound unusual, strong, commanding. I always liked the name Arista. Her family were derivations: Alric, Anne, Amrath. And then there are some names I find that force me to create a character around. Such was the case with Scarlet Dodge. Mostly, I try and find names that readers can pronounce. Common or easy names that give a specific impression. (The exception is for elven words which were purposely hard as a plot clue.)

In conclusion, there’s no system, or methodology, not really. My mind is a chaotic mess and stuff just happens.

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