Diminutive Names

**My theme for this year's A to Z Challenge is THE NAME GAME. Everything you'd want to know about naming characters.**

The name you're given at birth isn't always the name you use throughout your life. A common practice is using a diminutive name. According to behindthename.com, "a diminutive of a given name is a short and/or affectionate form. Often they are only used by friends and relatives." Basically, if you use a shortened version of a name, then the result is a diminutive name. You probably hear them all the time. You might even have one!

A diminutive is really just a fancy word for a nickname, but one that is derived from the actual name itself. Sometimes a person's first name is just too long to use all the time. They or the people they know may prefer to use a different version of their name. Some common examples are Mike from Michael, Nick from Nicholas, or Jen from Jennifer.

So how does this factor in when you're naming your characters? Mostly it will just reflect real life. A person with a particularly long first name probably won't always be called by that name. It gives you more options for addressing your characters. It can be fun to mix up which names you use and who uses them, as long as you don't make it too confusing!

FUN TIP: Have your character use different versions of his/her name with different people. Maybe William is "Will" with his colleagues and "Billy" with his family.

Where you find the diminutive will be different from name to name. You can often take a nickname from the beginning or the end of the whole given name. Alexander could be Alex or Xander.
Some names can have seemingly endless possibilities for diminutives. Elizabeth could go by Liz, Lizzie, Eliza, or even Beth. Robert could be Rob, Bob, or Bobby. Some shortened names can work for both girls and boys: Sam could be Samuel or Samantha, Pat could be Patrick or Patricia. Some diminutives are made by just adding on a -y or -ie suffix to a name, like Johnny, Charlie, or Debbie.

WHAT I'VE DONE: Diminutive names are some of my favorites! I'm not even kidding when I say that I've put at least one in each of my major novel ideas. Which I will now list for you, of course (in chronological order of when I created them).

·         Camilla - - > Cami

·         Andrew - - > Drew

·         Alexander - - > Alex

·         Benjamin - - > Ben/Benny

·         Thomas - - > Tom

·         Cameron - - > Cam

·         Abigail - - > Abby

·         Gabriel - - > Gabe

For some characters, I’ve just used the diminutive name throughout the story, for others I’ve used both. Every character will be different and you just have to do what feels natural for them and for your story.

Have you ever used a diminutive name for a character (of course you have!)? Do you just use the shortened name or do you switch back and forth? 

Cats, Chameleons, & Other Critters

**My theme for this year's A to Z Challenge is THE NAME GAME. Everything you'd want to know about naming characters.**

Not all characters are human. Sometimes your main character may have a furry little friend who pops up in your story, whether it’s in a big or a small role. Maybe your MC’s pet just cuddles up with her at night, or maybe it helps solve crimes. And unless you want your fictional pet to be a no-name slob, then he needs a name!

The great thing about pet names is that they don’t have to be your normal, average everyday names. You can name your pet something crazy and no one would think twice about it. In fact, naming your cat or dog something like Meghan, Paul, or Greg might get a raised eyebrow (although this is definitely an option, as well). You don’t have to limit yourself to the typical Spot or Fluffy, either. Think outside the box. You can name your pet after a TV or book character, your favorite food, or even an inanimate object. And while you probably wouldn’t name a human character based on their hair color, you can certainly name a cat or dog after their fur color(s).

SOME PET NAMES BASED ON FOOD: Butterscotch, Pickles, Oreo, Marshmallow, Pumpkin, Snickers, Nacho, Waffles, Biscuit, Meatball, Peanut, Cheddar, Ginger, Muffin, Peppermint. 

The name of your fictional pet can reflect the personality of the pet itself or of the character who owns it. If your dog is sweet, you could name it Sweetie. An intelligent pet could be named Einstein. If you have a sneaky cat, name it Sneakers. Or think about how this pet is reflective of its owner. How can you show your character’s personality through their pet’s name? A pet name is another great place to sneak in some symbolism. What is this pet representing? Why is it in the story at all? The name you choose for it could be representative of that.

WHAT I'VE DONE: We named our cat Gizmo because he reminded us of a Gremlin…but a cute one.

Think of a fictional pet’s name the way you would if you were actually naming your own pet. Remember this is a name that your character is going to have to use and possibly call out in public. What kind of attention will the name get from other people? Will it be a conversation starter that completely gets your plot going? Who knows? Remember that a pet can be an important character, too! It should have a name that fits. 

Have you ever put a pet in one of your stories? How have you come up with names for your own pets? Share your pets' names in the comments!

Books, Movies, & Other Places to Steal Names From

**My theme for this year's A to Z Challenge is THE NAME GAME. Everything you'd want to know about naming characters. Not all of my post titles will be this long, I swear.**

When you’re faced with having to name a character, you may wonder where you should start looking in order to figure it out. While there are certainly several options, it could be as simple as reaching for your bookshelf or turning on your TV. Names are everywhere—in the books we read, the shows and movies we watch, even the celebrities and news stories we read about. You probably come across a variety of names every day and don’t even realize it.

So how can this help you choose a name for your character? Just pay attention and use the names you like. The possibilities are endless. You could pick a name from a favorite character in a book, or you could pick the author’s name. You can choose a movie character’s name or the actor who plays him/her. If you hear or read a name and you love it, then you can probably find a way to use it.

First names are pretty fair game. That being said, you probably don’t want to name your main character Katniss or Buffy or Lestat. Anything that’s unique and very recognizable as coming from somewhere else is going to be a giant red flag (and there’s probably a good chance you’ll get sued). But you could name a character Harry without anyone immediately thinking of Harry Potter. Just be wary of what genre you’re writing (your Harry should have nothing to do with magic), as well as the names of other characters. If Harry’s best friend is named Ron, then you’ve got a problem.  

You can even mention a book or movie in your story if it’s popular enough for people to get the reference. Maybe you have a character named Holden whose father’s favorite book is The Catcher in the Rye. Or maybe Eliza’s mom is really into My Fair Lady. Or you could not tell the reader where the name comes from and let them figure it out on their own. It’s a great opportunity to throw in some symbolism.

FUN TIP: After you watch a movie or TV show, watch the credits and read some of the names. Maybe something will strike you.

Have you ever named a character after another character? How about someone famous? 

The Anxiety of Naming a Character

**My theme for this year’s A to Z Challenge is THE NAME GAME. Everything you’d want to know about naming characters. I’m also going to attempt (miserably) to tie in today’s post with my post for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Click the link to find out more!**

So you have a character. You’ve got the beginnings of a story planned out—things that will happen to him, people he’ll come across, decisions he’ll have to make. Maybe you already know what he looks like, who his friends and family are, his hobbies, hopes and dreams. But there is one very basic thing that you need to figure out in order to convey this character to your readers. Your character needs a name.

But what if you don’t have a name for him yet? The first thing I would say is: DON’T PANIC. Oh, you’re not panicking? Well, I had to tie this post in with insecurity somehow, so pretend you’re panicking!

Ok, so first, calm down. There are going to be several things that you’ll need to figure out while writing this particular story. Some can be easy, others can be difficult. Figuring out a name for your character could be either of these. Sometimes a name will just pop into your head like the actual character told you himself. Other times it could take weeks or longer to figure out. You could go through lists and websites and every resource you can find of names, never seeming to find the one that feels just right.

But seriously, don’t panic. Think about all the factors that could help you make a decision. What kind of character is he? When does the story take place? What are his parents like? You have to think of your character as a living, breathing person, and not just a figment of your imagination. What sort of influences from his family and culture would be used when he was given a name?

Perhaps the most important thing is to listen to your character. You’ll know when a name feels right, and when it doesn’t. Maybe the first name you come up with won’t be quite right and it will have to change. Maybe you’ll need to start writing the story before the name comes to you. But eventually you will figure it out and your character will have a name.

Do you ever panic when naming a character? Stay tuned for more in depth posts on the different aspects of naming characters!

Writing About Music

I can't believe this is my last blog post before the A to Z Challenge! Still haven't decided if I'm also doing IWSG on Wednesday. It will probably depend on how much I get done for the challenge. Although not getting enough done is certainly something to be insecure about! Now I'm thinking I could totally turn my first post, basically an intro on naming characters, into an IWSG post as well. Because if you can't figure out your character's name, you'd be insecure, right?

Anyway, before I keep rambling for this entire post, I wanted to talk about something that's a part of my writing but I have the hardest time figuring out. And that thing is music. A lot of my characters are musicians, but I find it's a hard thing to pull off when all you're only working with words.

At this point I don't even remember when I decided that Jordan would be a singer, but now it's such an important part of how I see him as a character, I don't think I could take it out. And if I do end up writing (ok, publishing. I'm definitely going to write them) these two sequels, it becomes even more important. So I do kind of need to plant those first seeds in the first book, even though it obviously isn't the most important thing that happens.

I've really overanalyzed it and figured it out from a symbolic standpoint, and I think it does work. My problem is that I don't think I executed it properly. I can't exactly go to every reader and explain why it's symbolic. If they don't get it, then it at least needs to work enough within the story so that it doesn't throw them off. I don't want them to be asking, "why is this even here?"

It's a difficult thing to do. How do you even describe a singing voice? If my characters write a song, should I actually put the lyrics in the book? Not to mention the fact that I have pretty much zero musical talent. I could probably write a poem and try to make it sound more like a song, but that would take quite some time. But if the reader can't actually hear the song, is there a point to reading the lyrics? What is actually important to include?

I'm still trying to figure it out. I want it to make sense to the reader but not seem pointless and stupid. And I still need to come up with a name for Jordan's band, which is so hard to do! Luckily I don't need it for the first book, so I don't have to figure it out anytime soon. But it's just another thing to add to the list!

Have you ever written about music in one of your stories? How would you decide on a band name?

A Week in Tweets

I had several different ideas for what to blog about today. Too many, actually. I could probably talk for days about this third book idea, or the characters in it who I'm obsessing over. And then I realized I've been tweeting a lot this week. Much more than usual. And I figured I've already mentioned every topic I'd like to bring up over there, so maybe I'll bring the tweets to the blog!

Lazy, you say? Pfft. I had to take screenshots of all of these! Which is kinda why I limited it to ten. But here's pretty much all that's been going on since Monday...

1. A seemingly insignificant character decides to do a seemingly insignificant thing, and then suddenly you have a whole freaking novel.

2. Tweeting under the influence.

3. You guys are silly. First of all, Jordan. Duh. And then as I came to realize (and rant for several tweets more), half of my family, people I know, favorite celebrities and authors have J names. Also, I was still a little tipsy. 

4. Gizmo has a milestone! And I'm slightly concerned!

5. Oh, Adam, I love you. I should probably give you a last name. Or a flaw...

6. THE WORST THING EVER. 

7. My 3000th tweet! Also the (maybe) first line for this third book! 

8. Kind of my favorite line of dialogue from the 5 pages I've already written (because I'm crazy). 

9. My iPhone is stalking me...

10. A very important question from a very important person. 

Well, that's about it. Hopefully it was interesting! Anyone have any good tweets this week? 

Should I Make My Book a Series?

I have completely lost my mind. Not only that, but I've also gotten so ahead of myself that it's a bit ridiculous.

Ok, so usually when you come up with an idea for a book, all of your focus is on that book. You write it once, twice, maybe three times, trying to figure everything out and get it right. It could take a long time, but you know how important this one book is to you. But what happens once the story is done? Is that it? Do you just move on to the next idea, new characters, new everything? Or does the MC from your first book attach himself to your brain like a leech and you just have to keep going and figure out what happens to him next?

I have been on the fence for well, forever, when it comes to the idea of writing a sequel (or sequels) to Uneven Lines. The book can certainly stand on its own. But on the other hand, the thought of just giving up on Jordan drives me a little nuts. I don't really want to. I want to keep going with his story. I've had an idea for a sequel in my head for a while, but I've always worried if it was going to be good enough to stand up to the first book. The biggest problem, though, was that I had no idea where this story would end. Would I just keep writing sequels for the rest of my life? There had to be some way to wrap it up, but I had no idea how.

So then the complete insanity happened. I was hoping that being in New York City would inspire me somehow (since it's where the book takes place), but like the little bastard that he is, Jordan decided to take the inspiration in an entirely different direction. No, I did not figure out how to fix the last third of UL, but I did completely plot out a third and final book for a potential series. My first thought was, "THIS IS ALL WRONG." And the more I thought about it, the more I was thinking, "No wait, IT'S PERFECT." So I spent most of the time feeling very inspired and yet very confused.

The obvious cons of this story: it involves a love triangle (because that's never been done before), lots and lots and lots of characters for me to keep track of, and a cheesy five years later "oh my God, look how successful everyone is" epilogue (I'm gonna go ahead and blame the Glee finale for putting that idea in my head). But I'm still figuring it out, so I can change all the stupid parts. And when I first started figuring this story out, I spent half the day with absolutely no idea who Jordan would end up with in the end, but then it dawned on me and it completely goes against everything I ever thought would happen if I took the story in this direction. But it just felt so right. I felt like I had finally figured it out. And I realized that Jordan does in fact become a rock star, which I couldn't figure out before but he wouldn't have it any other way. And I've also kinda started writing it already. Mostly just dialogue, but I keep actually hearing the words in my head and I just have to get them down.

So I'm kinda sorta completely in love with this third book idea, but I still don't know if I should do it. Should I just leave UL alone? Probably. Do I want to? Hell no. I guess I should just write it because I want to and it's in my head, and then maybe someday I'll figure out if anyone else gets to read it.