Writer’s Hint No. 2: Naming Characters

I am so glad to be done with the Grammar installment, because I honestly hate reviewing grammar. There are so many useless rules! If you do this, you must do that. If you write that, you must put this in quotes. Blah, blah, blah! Those English University Professors must have nothing better do than to make our lives harder. Okay, I’m getting off topic. However much I hate grammar, it is important.

Anyway, back to today’s topic! Naming was always hard for me. I write mostly in the fantasy genre (more LOTR than Twilight), so introducing a new character was the toughest part. The name didn’t only have to reflect the personality of the character I was writing, but also the distinct culture I was trying to portray. I got easily discouraged with the story because leaving the character unnamed was messy and confusing. So, after a few months of writer’s block, I searched for techniques that my peers and online authors used to name their characters. These were a few techniques I found helpful:

1) The Notebook: I started a notebook of names that I found appealing (or horrifying). I wrote down any names I thought I could include in my stories. This is especially important for fantasy authors

2) Work Backwards – Name and then Personality: I noticed that as I found new names, characters started developing around those names. Take for example, the name Bob. What does Bob make you think of? For me, I thought the name was rather common. That, to me, was reflective of the fact that Bob was an ordinary sort of fellow who went to work in a small office, who sat around idly on the couch, and who was, in most cases, mild tempered. In just those few seconds of me pondering on the name Bob, I had developed a character who was unique to that name. However, we know that this isn’t always plausible. We usually come into a story with a colorful description of a pivotal person. For main characters, I suggest name generators or using your Notebook.

3) Name Generators: Now, I feel that I am ready to broach this subject. Some authors frown upon name Generators and Baby Naming websites because they don’t feel that the name is original. But it’s better than nothing, right? Be careful of Elvish Name Generators because they often use Tolkien’s names as basis. We wouldn’t want plagiarism, would we?

4) Myths: Myths and ancient mythology is a great source for powerful names. Christopher Paolini, the author of the Inheritance Cycle, claimed to use Norse mythology as a basis for his harsh dwarvish names. Be careful though, Paolini also claims that MANY fantasy authors use Norse mythology, which diminishes the name’s originality. Perhaps turn to Greek mythology, or even ancient Mayan culture. Go crazy!

5) Tweaks: Lastly, I always find it helpful to tweak a name that I find. It gives me a personal connection to the name, and makes me more likely to use it. Also, it helps to soften or make certain consonants harsher to reflect the personality of the character. For example, if I found the name Gahis (GA-his). The “G” sound is very harsh. But suppose my character is an old softy. By simply changing the “G” to an “S” or a “B” or a softer consonant, I can tweak the name to fit the personality of the character.

Hope this helped. Tell me if you use, or have ever used any of these techniques. Did they help? If you have another technique, please share it with us!

~Ice_Chanter