Names.
I figure what with the books I have written needing at least 12 names apiece, the short stories, 6 names, the false starts a few, the unsold proposals, a few more, I have named well over 600 people in the last several years.
Don't get me started on pets. They have names, too. If you have a book set on a ranch with many animals, you then have additional names. One for the hero's favorite horse, one for the palomino mare, another for her foal, the pet cow, the two finches, the dog(s), the cat(s). Nope, we'll stick with people.
And while you may not have been writing long enough to have needed that many names yourself, I'll bet your numbers are creeping up there.
And not just any names. Names have to fit the character they represent. When you have a baby in real life, you name a blank slate. Your name choice may represent a beloved member of your family or your hopes for your child's future. But the child herself is as yet an unknown. Somehow that name choice almost seems to guide the child, doesn't it?
However, when you name a character, you are naming a done deal. This person has worn his or her name for lo those many years before you "discovered" them and cast them in your book. Their name choice now reflects their personality, their goals, their careers, their masculinity or feminity, their independence or lack of it, their financial status, their ethnicity, their age, even their life expectancy within your pages.
Whew, big responsibility. How do we do it?
This is how it works in my mind. I would be very interested in hearing how it works in yours.
Names to me have groupings and within the groupings, are almost interchangeable. Brandy, Tiffany, Amber, Candy--these are all the same names to me. Carol, Alice, Mary, Donna--all the same. Stone, Jack, Joe, Chase--same. Gerald, Jason, Kevin --same. Michael, Steven, John, David--you get my drift. These are arbitrary distinctions that make sense to me if I don't think about it too long. I've never known anyone else to understand my method (or lack of it) but before you make fun of me, don't you do something similar? No? Then how do you do it?
For the hero, the fewer syllables the better. Makes him stronger. Never (for me) a name ending in the "ie" sound like Jimmy or Tommy or Billie. Too diminutive. Of course, rules are meant to be broken and for every "Never" there is a corresponding "Except--"
For the heroine? Is she sweet and kind? I'd end her name with a soft vowel. Sassy? Something short, maybe a nickname. Is she a force to be reckoned with? A hard consonant ending.
On the other hand, think of the characters you've written or read about with names that defy expectation and thus define the character even more clearly. Buffy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer comes readily to mind. Her name comes as a lovely surprise and perfectly defines a carefree California teenager/vampire killer. And don't we know by that name choice there will be humor involved? And attitude?
Where to find all these hundreds of names? "Name The Baby" books are helpful. The internet. Book indexes and the phone book are always handy and have the added benefit of last names. Then there are the spines of books, the guy you met at a party, television characters that inspire you, a first name here, a last name there--
So I have a character and he or she needs a name. I know the general sound I want. If I decide on Sam, I might focus on a last name starting with a C. I don't know why. I will search the "Cs" in the phone book and eventually come up with something. Sam Connors, maybe. Makes an okay cop, a plumber, the neighbor. Wouldn't be a good drug lord or candy shop owner. Why? I don't know. Do you?
Or I'll take a well known Sam like Sam Sheppard, for instance, and if I like the sound of the two "s" together, look for something similar. Sam Sheen. Sam Simmons. Whatever. But where did the Sam show up? I'm not sure. But it could have been Ralph or Frank. Hm--
Ever notice how some names pop into your head ready made and raring to go, bless their little hearts! Others get changed so many times you have to actually do a word search when you are finished to weed out the orphans. Or have you ever finished a book only to discover every character in there had a name that starts with, say, a "R"? Richard. Renee. Riley. Rhonda. Ray. Ronnie. What happened that every name you plucked from the ether started with the same letter? Is that cosmic humor?
So, how do you do it? Where do your names come from? Do you struggle or snatch them out of thin air? Do you change them often? Do you have favorite places to find them? Do you write down interesting names for future use? Does a name ever inspire a whole book? Do you like to throw in an unusual name or a name that doesn't fit character type? Can you write about a character without first settling on a name (I can't though I have been known to change my mind.)
Tell all! I'm starting another book right now which means that by the end of the month, I will have come up with twelve more names. If I go with horses, make that twenty or thirty. I could use some hints!
14 comments:
I love baby name books. I love them. I pour over them. But, when it comes time to name a character, I often draw a complete blank.
For my first MS, all the names just came to me, a little gift from the book gods. (Constance, Desi, Martin)
The sequel/connected book to that one (as yet unfinished) was easy b/c similar supporting cast and I already new the heroine was Janie. Made sense to name the hero Richard. I like puns and plays on words.
For my YA, the heroine's name also just came to me. (Louisa/Lou) I had to struggle with the supporting cast and the hero changed names 3 or more times. I finally got his name (Archer) from watching Enterprise and jumping up and saying "Aha!" and running to the computer, leaving my poor DH spinning.
Current WIP--characters spent a year spinning in my head as Jen and Dan. Supporting cast's names came from baby name/personal experience, but when I sat down to write the book, I kept feeling like the names were just too bland. Then I changed Jen to Gen (Genevieve) and things fell into place for her. I was all set to change Daniel as well--headed to the baby name site--and low and behold, the name of the day was Daniel. Sign from book gods. Kept the name.
I tend to struggle most with last names--I stick to standards--Arnold, Warner, Preston, Edwin, Turner, Fair. I need to branch out beyond such WASPy names.
One thing I try to think about is "why did this character's parents name him/her this"--that answers the question for me. In my WIP, a Clarice and an Oliver were not going to name one daughter Portia and one daughter Jennifer. Hence the Genevieve. Also, you can look to see what baby names were popular the year the particular character was born--this helps me out both with the YA and with older supporting cast.
Your naming theory is just plain weird. Had to say that. I don't get how those names are similar at all. :)
I have no idea how to answer this - names just come to me, too. All my heroes have short, one syllable names (except one). My characters usually form in my head long before I write them, and I mull over names until one fits and sticks. As for secondary characters, a lot of times I just write and whatever gets on the page is the name I go with. Not sure why.
So now here's my question...have you ever used a full name of someone you met before and how did you feel about it? I have a secondary/sorta-villain in my book named Maria Gotsi. She's Greek and pivotal to the plot. I've only met one Greek person (from Greece), but this was her name. When I started writing, that name popped out and totally fit the character (and has very little in common with the real-life version aside from haircolor and ethnic background). I can't imagine changing the character's name if this book sells, but in the back of my head I wonder if maybe I should, even though I'm not really in contact with this person. However, we have mutual friends, and though she might never read the book, someone might tell her about it. Part of me thinks using a name like that is a big compliment (although that wasn't the intention, I just liked the way it sounded), but since it's a sorta-villian, I'm not so sure.
Whew...that was long and convoluted. And totally didn't answer your question at all.
Great post, Alice!
Yes, Alice. Names. Been on my mind a lot lately. In my WIP I have a Dianne, a Kevin an Adelle -- Grandma Austin to the heroine -- and a baby Allison. Allison was an "A" name, and too confusing, I thought, with an Adelle in there too. So I changed the baby's name to Megan.
Great.
Now all three main characters names end with an "en" sound. Is it too much? You tell me.
I also struggle with the fashion of the time, and if a name "dates" a character. Like Dianne. She's only 24, but Dianne is a name from my generation, and the generation before that. Is Dianne too old-fashined of a name for her? When I read a bit of my WIP to my teenage daughter, it was my daughter who thought the heroine seemed like a Dianne.
I use the phone book too. Especially for last names. And businesses, and kids I went to school with.
As far as one name being like another, Alice, I've heard you speak of this before, and have given it some thought. I agree with you.
At least to a point.
Names that end with an "ie" sound, I tend to lump together in the Candy, Taffy, Susy, Debbie category. Heroines with these names are not to be taken as seriously, and are not as strong as if you dropped the "ie" sound and named them Suze, say, or Deb.
An exception to this rule (in my mind anyway) is if you name a female character a predominantly male name, but spell it in a female way: Danni, Tommi or Codie for example. This give the charcter leeway for more kick and attitude (which my characters tend to have and need) from the male side of her personality. I went by Dani as a teenager. I had an attitude. See, how well it works? Ha.
When names sound similar, I get them confused. It can be because of similar endings: I know twins named Tiffany and Stephanie. Or because of the same beginning: another set of real twins I know are named John and Jerry. Or, the vowel sound can be soft or hard: Brady and Drake are my husband's cousin's kids. I constantly get their names mixed up.
Word names are popular now:
Skye, Lake, Ocean, Diamond, Corvette, etc...
Although it's hard for me to take people with word names seriously. Rick wanted to name our baby Lake, especially if it was a girl. I said no way on that one). I'm too busy picturing their parents as flower children, conceiving a baby at a love fest. But that's probably just me.
Great post Alice!
Eli--I don't use exact names of people I have known. I might use a nickname but I would never use any identifying characteristics, including a name, for someone who wasn't a "good" character. Too many opportunities for hurt feelings.
I did use a friend's physical looks and her nickname in a recent book and apparently one of her friends read the book and called her to say that I had used her in my book and she emailed me all excited, so thank heaven's it was a positive character. If I were you? I'd change at least half the character's name. I know it seems cast in stone in your head, but it isn't, not really, and there are lots of interesting Greek names out there or I can loan you my DVD of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."
And Bethany, I so totally know how you felt when you heard Archer on the Star Trek episode and it clicked. My latest hero was named Will. Hm--
Alice
Danita and Alice - you two would have trouble with my kids. Bryce and Reece. Yeah, I know, awful huh? We were screwed any way you put it though. The two names we had picked out for the baby were Reece and Liam. Bryce and Reece are way too close, but so are Alia (our oldest) and Liam. In the end we went with - badabing...Reece Liam. I told my DH we'd get the boys' names mixed up. He said no way. I never mix them up, but DH can't keep them straight. Go figure.
On using names of real people--my father was a methodist minister when I was growing up, and he had a very colorful cast of elderly parishioners. When I need someone 60+, I often return to these names, but I mix and match first and last names--also I try not to give a bad/annoying person a name of anyone I currently know. Or I change the physical so much that it's clear not the same person. In my YA I have a Carol who's a local baker. In my Dad's church there was also a Carol who baked--but that Carol was over 60, steel gray hair, imposing voice and presence. Proper to a T. My Carol is an aging flower child with blonde hair and a house full of Kitsch.
Okay, all. Lay it on me. I need some Greek names.
I like the last name - Gotsi - so I guess I need some Greek first names.
She's tall, dark hair, professional, goes after exactly what she wants, and a bit bitchy. does that help?
Alice, names just come to me out of the blue. I rarely use unusual names, but if the situation suits, then I do. Like in my WIP, my main character's name is Chalice. I've never heard that name used for anyone ever, but it's so perfect for her in every way. She's descended from an order of female knights from the Crusades.
Eli, you want Greek names? How about Aleka Pavlatos. Eleni Mikos. Sonia Gianakis. Zoe Vasilakis. Niki Stephanos. I have a book filled with foreign names, given and surnames. I use it a lot when I have a character from foreign countries. For the examples above, I just picked a random match that sounded good to me. 8^)
Karen
Eli--Karen has you covered on Greek names.
Danita, you obviously are on the same wave length with names that I am on. Scary thought and if you are worried about the Diane thing, why not mention somewhere that she was named after someone or something like that?
Covering bases!
Alice
Danita--my cousin Diana is 23 or 24--so not that old of a name at all. You could have her named after Diane Keaton (if her Birth year would be around "Annie Hall" 1970's).
Annie Hall was the name of the movie, right? Not just the character's name.
obviously, I haven't seen it. Am I lame, or what?
Thanks for your help with the Dianne thing, Alice and Bethany.
Hi! Just now getting a chance to chime in about names. It isn't too often I head to the baby names book, but now and then I have to. Like the WIP of the Halsey brothers. It took a couple of days to come up with the heroine's name. She's Irish. I ended up with Maeve Loman.
My husband rolls his eyes when I squeal and clip a name out of obits. If I like the sound I keep it. And if a name comes to me or I see one that catches my eye, I'll jot it down and put it in my name file.
I usually have a short name for the hero, except the spirit books where I use the NP name for them.
But I seem to always use a long name for my heroines and then shorten it in a nickname. I like nicknames. I call my niece Maggie, Mags. I named my children all with long formal names, then call them by nicknames. I'm getting away from the topic.
For Gambling on an Angel, I read a name in an Old West magazine ( I tend to find a lot of names in my collection of magazines) and knew that was my hero. I don't like common names for my heroes or heroines. Not sure why. As for secondary characters, I only dig for certain names for the mentors and villains, otherwise they are named whatever floats off my fingers when they enter the story. i find naming the animals in a story easier than the people. Men tend to name horses for their color.
I found a site on google that helped me with the Irish name.
Thanks for chiming in, Paty. I imagine coming up with names for historicals like you and Piper do is even more challenging. Using magazines is a great idea as are the obits. LOL thinking of your husband's face when you squeal in glee that old Madge Whoever has died!
This was fun for me. Thanks everyone.
Alice
Great post, Alice! I love naming characters. Baby name books are great. I also love country-sites like Scottish names or Greek names. Your tips are helpful, I'm going to relook at the names in my WIP to see if they're effective enough. Right now I have Alex (hero) and Isabella (heroine). Her best friend calls her Iz. I will admit that secondary character names come to me willy nilly. Like while watching tv or in a store - I just snag a name.
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