Support for Indie Authors discussion
Fun
>
What's In A Name?
date
newest »
newest »
Christina wrote: "I want to know where Mellie came from. It seems like such a cute and whimsical name for a vampire. :)..."Oh that one...She brought me more grey hair than all the other characters put together. I must have changed her name a dozen times. I just couldn't find anything that fit her. The name Mellie came to me after reading a post on my niece's facebook wall. (Her name is Melanie, but her friends call her Mel.) I liked Mel but I wasn't going to call my vampire Mel or Melanie. It was a bit too close to home. I surfed the internet for popular names in the 1840s and found Melissa. My search was finally over.
You guessed right, G.G. Nobody knows how they got there but everyone has a part from the start :)
Owen wrote: "Christina wrote: "Does anyone know where we might find an underground library? ;)"What about your kindle? Someone here had ~1100 books on theirs. Sounds like a start..."
That's what I have. Hmm to be honest, I think I may even have a bit more than that. /blush
But the underground library is in case we can't recharge our devices. :P If we have to hide, we might as well hide in a library. We have to think about all the possibilities. :P
G.G. wrote: "But the underground library is in case we can't recharge our devices. :P "Bicycle generators? An underground library would probably need lights, anyway.
Owen wrote: "G.G. wrote: "But the underground library is in case we can't recharge our devices. :P "Bicycle generators? An underground library would probably need lights, anyway."
It's all about ambiance. Of course I'll be using my kindle, or rather, the fifty or so that I will stockpile for the apocalypse, but you see, my poor Rory Violet Clark thought she had thought of everything too, however...
Christina wrote: "It's all about ambiance. Of course I'll be using my kindle, or rather, the fifty or so that I will stockpile for the apocalypse, but you see, my poor Rory Violet Clark thought she had thought of everything too, however..."Shivers at the thought. :P
Owen wrote: "G.G. wrote: "But the underground library is in case we can't recharge our devices. :P "Bicycle generators? An underground library would probably need lights, anyway."
Candles?
Mod
I'm telling a mod! I'm telling a mod!
Mod
You're in luck, G.G.! "Rachel, Roswell & The Alien" will be free next week! But, I have to say, I don't think it's as good as "Austism". It's one of the more insane things I've published.
Dwayne wrote: "Christina wrote: "Sorry for the threadjack, Dwayne!"I'm telling a mod! I'm telling a mod!"
No fair! I said I was sorry! ;p
Owen wrote: "G.G. wrote: "But the underground library is in case we can't recharge our devices. :P "Bicycle generators? An underground library would probably need lights, anyway."
Like the Professor made in Gilligan's Island? Whoever wants to charge their kindle has to ride.
Dwayne wrote: "Christina wrote: "Sorry for the threadjack, Dwayne!"I'm telling a mod! I'm telling a mod!"
Hold your horses, it says you are a mod. You have power to punish her yourself. But it is great to see you are too nice to ruin this fun thread.
Mod
That was my first thought when I saw this thread. Oh, Pinky, you will forever be quotable.
For character names I prescribe to the Not Like Wheel of Time philosophy. All the main characters in my book have names that start with different letters, sound different from each other when said aloud, have variable lengths, and variable amounts of syllables.
Diana wrote: "Like the Professor made in Gilligan's Island? Whoever wants to charge their kindle has to ride.I'd gladly ride the bicycle. It would serve two purposes. The most important one: the eReaders and the second one, keep me in shape to run from the baddies. :P
Dwayne wrote: "G.G. wrote: "I hope it'll be as good."You're in luck, G.G.! "Rachel, Roswell & The Alien" will be free next week! But, I have to say, I don't think it's as good as "Austism". It's one of the more..."
Oh cool!! Not that I'm cheap (well, I might be...) but free is always a plus. :P
Now to set me a reminder...
C.B. wrote: "All the main characters in my book have names that start with different letters, sound different from each other when said aloud, have variable lengths, and variable amounts of syllables..."That's great for people like me. I get easily lost with names, especially in the beginning of a book. Then it's hard to get back on track. :/
A.L. wrote: "Most of my character names are a "play on words" from a few members of my family. I have a strong multicultural background so most of the names I use are never even heard of. This may sound strange..."Scary a bit...are the names of your characters pronounceable? Give us some examples. :)
G.G. wrote: "C.B. wrote: "All the main characters in my book have names that start with different letters, sound different from each other when said aloud, have variable lengths, and variable amounts of syllables..."I'm like you, G.G. When I can't remember which name is which, or can't figure out how to pronounce them in my head, then I get lost in the book. I like what C.B. wrote about variable lengths, starting with different letters and having various numbers of syllables. That makes them easier to keep straight.
A.L. wrote: "Lol G.G. They aren't that bad. Just a few play on words. I like to use odd names for characters like Thelta, Denti and Leweylln...names I've personally have not seen used in a book before :)"Oh! Ok, those are cute names :)
Mod
Diana wrote: "I'm like you, G.G. When I can't remember which name is which, or can't figure out how to pronounce them in my head, then I get lost in the book..."There's a trick you can use to alleviate that problem. When you're presented with a name that's confusing or difficult to pronounce, substitute a nickname.
For example, I just looked up the characters in Dostoevsky's Fyodor.
RODION ROMANOVITCH RASKOLNIKOV, a student.
PULCHERIA ALEXANDROVNA, his mother.
If I had a trouble with them, in my mind I'd rename Rodion after the famous sculptor (Auguste Rodin) and call him Rodin. And I'd rename Pulcheria after a favorite word of mine: Pulchritude.
But you could just as easily nickname them Rod and Pookie or whatever. Think of it as a mental middle finger lifted to the madness of the author for daring to use such outrageous names (silly Russians)!
Thanks! great idea. I can't blame Dostoevsky for how long Russian names are, but they sure are hard to remember.
We have an important character named Fyodor Mikhailovich Tal Yu. We call him Fred.
Mod
Oh, yeah. Right. Nah, really, I have no problem with threads going off-topic, especially fun ones I started. Let it go where it may!
Mod
Nope. Roguing is a real live legitimate job. I did it for three summers when I was a kid.
Mod
Owen wrote: "We have an important character named Fyodor Mikhailovich Tal Yu. We call him Fred."Frodo.
Micah wrote: "Owen wrote: "We have an important character named Fyodor Mikhailovich Tal Yu. We call him Fred."Frodo."
If I did that, he'd never let me sleep again. (Our characters are like that.)
I had three differnet types of names in my first novel. Military "callsigns", American, Russian and Chinese surnames.
On the call signs, I chose a lot of first person shooter names from the games we all played, like Kahless, Killer Instinct, Norsemun, etc.
English surnames I chose based on people I know or have known.
Russian and Chiness surnames I got from websites listing sunames for the nationality.
Morris
On the call signs, I chose a lot of first person shooter names from the games we all played, like Kahless, Killer Instinct, Norsemun, etc.
English surnames I chose based on people I know or have known.
Russian and Chiness surnames I got from websites listing sunames for the nationality.
Morris
What about your kindle? Someone here had ~1100 books on theirs. Sounds like a start...