I've been pondering names for the last few days, trying to figure out what to call my new characters. At some point, I should probably break down and buy a baby name book, but for now, I'm enjoying the name generator feature on Scrivener. I've also been reading EVERYTHING around me, looking for potential inspiration--street signs, package labels, news articles--you name it, I've been soaking it in.I generally like to go with names that are more traditional rather than trendy. I think a traditional-sounding name fits well with the type of stories I write, and my characters seem to respond to them, which is always a good thing.
I also consider how the name 'sounds' to the reader. I don't want my readers to have any trouble pronouncing my character's names. I know it always throws me out of the story if I have to stop and sound the name out in my head every time I read it. I think character names should help the story flow, rather than act as a distraction.
What about you? If you're a writer, how do you name your characters? As a reader, are there certain names you enjoy and those you hate? How do character names affect your enjoyment of a book?
I´m with you, I don´t like it, when I have to stop and think about the pronounciation every time. I don´t mind if a name is unfamiliar to me, as long as I can figure out how to say it once and it´s okay then :)
ReplyDeleteI've been known to make up names if I can't settle on a pronunciation I don't like :)
DeleteOh my god, I spend HOURS on my character's names! Way too long, probably. I research meaning, origin; I think about sound and flow; I wonder why the parents might have chosen the name...in other words, I go overboard :)
ReplyDeleteThat _is_ a lot of work! I don't delve into why their parents named them that, but I do consider how the name 'fits' the character and whether they answer to it :)
DeleteI can spend a lot of time on names, too. And in most WIPs I produce, I change names about halfway through. I also research meaning and sound and flow.
ReplyDeleteI mostly write fantasy, so I try to keep the odd names and tongue twisters to a minimum, but always make sure I include a name pronunciation guide just in case.
Oh man, I can't imagine changing names in the middle! That would freak me out! :)
DeleteAgree about difficult names in fiction. It pulls me out of the story, too.
ReplyDeleteI love playing with name generators.
http://www.behindthename.com/random/
http://random-name-generator.info/
http://www.rinkworks.com/namegen/
I also use the 'names by decade' lists on the social security site. (http://ssa.gov/oact/babynames/decades/index.html) Great help when one writes historicals.
I keep a list of favorite names (both modern and 19th century) and skim that when I need something new. Some writers can write their draft and add names later. I'm not that way. I have to decide on the names first (the main ones, anyway), because they affect cadence and sentence structure.
Great post! :)
Great tips--thanks for including all those sites! :)
DeleteI'm no help at all! My characters seem to appear with names attached. ;-)
ReplyDeleteBTW, I *love* strange names! But then that makes sense when you see mine. My hubby, OTOH, hates strange, hard to pronounce names. When I was still writing SF, my character names were at bit different, but even he had to admit it was interesting that all but one of them are in the baby name book I have on my reference shelf.
How funny! I guess a name that hasn't been popular for a while would be considered strange in a way :)
DeleteEverything hinges on the name of the characters with me. I haven't bought a baby name book in decades . The internet has various sites with baby names, their origins, and meanings. Google "name meaning strong" and you'll be directed to about 4K sites.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, Jo! :)
DeleteI have a hard time with names. Sometimes characters come with a name attached but others I have to search for. If it takes a long time I end up calling the character 'the handyman' or 'the golden haired man' and I get so attached to their description no name seems good enough. Yeah, I'm kind of crazy like that. I do tend to go with more traditional names. Trendy names tend to date books in my opinion. Sometimes I choose a name based on a personality trait I want to have emphasized. I'll look up names by their meaning and find one that fits.
ReplyDeleteI do like playing around with name meanings--it's always nice to know the significance of a name!
DeleteI don't think your the only one with the quirk. If I don't like someone with a particular name in real life, then the hero or heroine is doomed.
ReplyDeleteFunny how I can't just let it go for the purposes of the story! :)
DeleteI have so much trouble naming my characters that I often write chapters and chapters with * as the name before I can decide.
ReplyDeleteI find that I can't start writing until I know their names--I'm pretty much the exact opposite of you! :)
DeleteI love the finding-out-a-character's-name process! The one time I used names from my family, I changed them a bit to reflect the different cultural backgrounds my characters had, and it was also sort of an homage to my grandparents' relationship too :-)
ReplyDelete