McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Character Names
Tersa:
--- Quote from: Abstruse on January 13, 2007, 08:42:53 PM ---Maybe I overthink things, but I feel that the name should reflect the character's personality. For one thing, I wouldn't have named that character Robert Frost anyway if I'd thought about it for another five seconds or so because his main magic is based on fire. Plus, I like having something that ties the character's name to the character's personality to make it easier for readers to remember. If I name a minor character "Aiden", then you'll think of fire (Aiden means "Flame-bringer" or something like that). If he is a very passionate person with his feelings always at the surface, this ties the name to the character and makes it easier to remember. However, if he was a very cool and collected person, then it would be the wrong name for him. I mean I could randomly look up the cast and grew for Day of the Dead and start matching up names, but then it'd lose a lot of meaning.
And I can't change names. I've tried, but it doesn't work. In one project I was working on, there was man and a woman who were originally siblings both from Houston, TX. I then changed the male character to being from Ireland and having moved to the US a few years previous to the story. However, I could not bring myself to think of the character as anything other than the name I had originally chosen for him. So now I'm forced to figure out a believable way to have her still be from Houston and him from Ireland yet still keep them siblings.
The Abstruse One
Darryl Mott Jr.
--- End quote ---
I don't think you over think things, but maybe that's because I'm the same way. *Sweatdrop* I have to stick with the name I gave them, and even if I don't, the character radically changes to suit what I think of when I hear that name.
What I do is go to sites with histories or meanings of names and looking for one that suits my characters. I wander around the various baby name sites for first names and middle names, and then I go to a place called House Of Names (http://www.houseofnames.com)which has family crests and gives rough insight to what a last name's history and meaning is through the symbols on the crests. You have to do quite a bit of work to find what a symbol means sometimes, but I think it's worth it. I hope this helps.
buckarama:
Depends on what kind of story it is, fantasy names are easy, I just take a modern name then bastardize it. :) Works well. Sometime I'll start with the Star Wars naming convention, first name ends in a consonant and the last name with a vowel then I'll mix and match. I've come up with some cool ones without much effort.
Terry Brooks is very adamant about names, to him a name means everything.
BobSkull:
--- Quote from: Abstruse on January 13, 2007, 06:58:36 PM ---Does anyone else have this trouble? Am I overthinking things? How does everyone else name their characters?
--- End quote ---
Don't worry, you're not the only one! Sometimes I end up taking day long breaks to think up a good name, and while it seems like a waste of time if you find a good name I don't think it is. How I name my characters? It depends, if I'm writing fiction I just think of all the names I know and figure out a good combinations. If I'm writing fantasy I do anything from twisting words and flipping them around, to just making anything up that sounds good. That's just me though. ;)
trboturtle:
I have a big book of names I use for naming some characters, if I'm looking for a unusual name. Also, I have another book with some more names. I have enough books onm my shelves to just reach up, pull one out and scan it for a good name. And every so often, I have a name pop into my head....
Craig
Simon Hogwood:
Personally, when I need a name - especially for a minor, background character - I like to pick one with a hidden (or else obvious) in-joke. For example, once when I needed a last name for a single-appearance police officer, I chose . . . Gordon. ;)
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version