NaNo 2013 Inspiration, Day 24

[hd-writers-mod.livejournal.com]

What's in a name?

Whether you’re writing original fiction or fanfiction. How do you pick interesting names for your characters?

Here are some useful exercises to get you on a track to imaginative and colorful naming (from writing-world.com):

• Always make a note of any interesting names you encounter in your reading or elsewhere. Keep a notebook just for this purpose.


• Search your telephone directory for unfamiliar or unusual names and put them in your notebook.


• Remember that ethnic or linguistic origins are important determinants of people's names. If your character is Lithuanian, or hails from Lesotho, then his name will more or less have to reflect this, and you better get it right. Consequently, you will have to learn the naming conventions that govern individuals of that linguistic or ethnic group.


• Consult reference works or websites on genealogy, paying special attention to both the origins of names and the various spellings or forms in which they occur.

On the other hand you should try to avoid the following:

• Giving your characters names that already belong to, sound like, or evoke other well-known characters, real or fictional. You cannot, for instance, call your hero Hamlet, no matter how tough-minded and decisive he is. And naming your heroine's love interest in a Harlequin romance Richard Speck would be a major mistake.


• Using a particular name because it has a special meaning or resonance for you, or because you think the character is 'typical' of persons bearing that name.


• And finally, do not for any reason use the names of individuals known to you, unless, of course, you would like to be involved in a lawsuit.

The genre you are working in (romance, action-adventure, etc.), and the level of humor or seriousness you want the work to have will also determine your choices. Those who write humor have the easiest time and the most fun making up names.

Most writers have at some time indulged in the joy of making up amusing names. It is a residue of the fun they had as children learning their language, discovering its oddities and exploring its potential. Try to invest the naming of your characters with that same sense of fun. You never know -- perhaps the names you give your characters will one day render your name unforgettable. (Source)

We are very close to the end! Do you pick your names in the beginning or do you write and rewrite your original characters? How do you decide?

While you're here, check in below and let us know how you did yesterday with your writing, and how you're doing overall!

Whether you're ahead or behind, remember, ALL WORDS ARE AWESOME WORDS and just by writing you are making progress. Need some encouragement or cheerleading or just a place to vent your frustrations? Let us know!

Comments

[germankitty]

I've also found it helpful (especially in a fantasy or science fiction-y setting) to check different spellings of fairly common names in foreign languages that are still easy to recognize and pronounce.

I don't mean versions like "Antwon" just because someone couldn't spell "Antoine" correctly and decided to be extra creative pretentious anyway because apparently plain "Ant(h)ony" wasn't cool enough, but ... how about "Poul/Paul", "Karel/Karl", "Anja/Anya" or "Liisa/Lisa"?

The languages are Danish, Czech, German and Finnish, respectively, and legal first names which give that slightly different/alien touch without being too weird, IMO.