Just Make Up a Name!

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

Sometimes you may have a particular story, or a particular character, even, and no name on this entire planet seems to work for them. Maybe they don’t even live on this planet and that’s the problem. Maybe they’ve just got really wacky parents. For whatever reason, sometimes it’s necessary for you to make up a name for your character.

Of course, there are only a few times that you’ll be able to get away with making up your characters’ names without the reader thinking you’re crazy. Genre will usually be the deciding factor. If you’re writing something that is Fantasy or Science-Fiction, for example, you could definitely get away with making up your character names. If you’ve created a world that is completely separate from the real one, then it would make sense for this world to have its own set of names.

So how do you come up with these made up names? It could depend on the story you’re writing. Maybe the universe you’ve created has a specific way of naming its people. Maybe they have a different alphabet. Or you can just put different syllables together until you come up with something that feels right. A name could reflect where your character comes from, or even have some symbolic meaning for what kind of character he is (good or evil, for example). You could incorporate different languages or even make up your own. You could just have fun coming up with your original names, or find a way to put some meaning in to it.

Your characters can have long, elaborate names, but if the reader has no idea how to pronounce them, it might trip them up. Try to make your names understandable and not something that makes the readers pause every time they come across them. You’ll want to avoid anything that makes it harder for the reader to just get through a paragraph.

If you’re writing realistic fiction, it probably isn’t a good idea to create a fake name for a character. If you do choose to do so, it needs to be explained. Maybe this character’s parents wanted to create a unique name for their child. It’s probably something that your character will have to explain to everyone he meets. Whatever the reason for having one, if you just leave a freaky name out there with no explanation, it may throw off the reader.

FUN TIP: If you have a non-fantasy character with a crazy, made-up name, maybe he gets really sick of explaining it to everyone he meets and adopts a more normal sounding nickname.

How do you come up with your Fantasy & Sci-Fi names? Do you find it easier to make up a name or find an existing one? 

Introducing Your Character

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

So let's say you have a character, and that character has a name. At some point within your story, you're going to have to introduce this name to the reader. Your characters' names are a very important part of distinguishing who is doing what within the story. Before we really get to know these characters, we simply need to know who they are. Each character should be clearly identified before you get too in depth with the story. And each time a new character comes along, we should be given their name as soon as possible.

Ok, I realize this sounds like a no-brainer, and most of the time this will be pretty easy to do. But there are some things that could complicate it, and there are also ways to have fun with it.

How you go about writing your story will have an impact on where and how you'll need to introduce your main character's name. If you're writing in third person, it will most likely be very straightforward: "Bobby walked into the classroom." There--you've stated the name and introduced your character. If you're writing in first person, however, it may not be so simple. Just having a sentence within the narrative that says, "My name is Bobby," will most likely feel awkward to the reader.

Using dialogue is an easy and natural way to introduce any character's name. Maybe another character will call out your first person narrator by name. Maybe he'll need to introduce himself to someone. This will also work when you meet other characters along the way. If your narrator already knows a character, he could use their name when saying hello. If he doesn't know this person, then they can introduce themselves to each other.

FUN TIP/ WHAT I'VE DONE (yes, both!): Keep your main character's name a secret until an important moment occurs, such as when when your love interests meet (I love doing this!). That way the reader gets to learn both characters' names at the same time. Here's how my two characters meet in Uneven Lines, and it's the first time I used each of their names:

            “Hi. Jordan?” He smiled, looking down at the floor and then back at me. I was done for. I was probably drooling. “I’m Tom. Your geometry tutor?”

            Oh, right. Say something. “Hi,” I finally managed to choke, but I sounded like a frog croaking.

This is actually not the first time that I've saved the first person narrator's name for the moment when he/she meets the love interest. I just think it's a fun, cute way to introduce your characters. :)

Do you find introducing your characters' names easy or a bit more difficult? How do you usually introduce a first person narrator? 

Hey, You! Calling Out Your Characters

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

Today’s post isn’t about coming up with a name for a character, but about how we actually use names within the writing. Whether you write in first or third person, characters’ names will pop up all the time. It’s important that the reader knows which character is speaking or doing the action. But what about within dialogue? How often should you use your characters’ names? And how easy is it to overuse them?

When you use a character’s name in the dialogue, it’s called direct address. This means that the speaker is directly addressing the other character by name. This is mostly used when you’re trying to get someone’s attention or starting a conversation. It’s something that’s very easy to overdo. We may want to use our characters’ names over and over again in the dialogue, whether it’s to keep things clear for the reader or just to provide emphasis.

So how do we know when to actually use a character’s name? Think about all of the times you actually say someone’s name throughout the day. Is it a casual part of conversation, or is it just when you’re trying to get their attention? I know I hardly ever call my fiancé out by name—

usually when he’s doing something like walking the wrong way or about to step off a sidewalk into oncoming traffic (yeah, that actually happened once). I’m sure parents use their children’s names a lot more often than anyone else, whether it’s to yell at them or just call them downstairs for dinner. But really, when do you use a person’s name? And more importantly, when should you use it in your writing?

FUN TIP: Pick a person you talk to regularly and make a mental note of how many times you actually say their name in one day. It’s probably lower than you think.

A character’s name really shouldn’t come up all that much within the dialogue. Take this little snippet of an argument, for example: 

“John, you really screwed up.”

“I know, Mary, but what do you want me to say?”

“You could just apologize, John.”

“All right. Fine. I’m sorry, Mary.”

“Now, really, John, was that so hard?”

Sounds silly, doesn’t it? You most likely would never use direct address so much, but do any of these sentences really need it? If you cut out all of the names from that conversation, wouldn’t it still get the same point across? If you already know who is speaking, using it within the dialogue probably isn't necessary. If you do need to point it out to the reader, it would probably be better to use it in a tag:

"You really screwed up," Mary said.
"I know," John replied, hanging his head.

From there on you wouldn't need to use the names again, unless someone else entered the conversation or if you insert some exposition between the lines of dialogue. This way, it's clear who is speaking, but the names aren't overused. The less you use your character's names, the more natural the dialogue will feel.

Do you try to avoid direct address in your own writing? When do you think names should be used in dialogue? 

Trusting Your (And Your Character’s) GUT!

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

There are several factors that could go in to naming a character. You may need to do a ton of research to find that one perfect name. But there is another technique, and it is probably the most basic when it comes to choosing a character’s name. That technique is to simply choose a name out of thin air.

Whenever this happens, I like to think of it as the character naming him/herself. You as the writer didn’t actually create the character; you’re merely telling his story and since he is a real person, he already has a name. Seems a little silly, but it really does feel that way. At a certain point during the early stages of plotting the story, the name will simply pop into your head as if the character whispered it in your ear. And for some strange, magical reason, whenever this happens the name is always right and always perfect.

Now this is probably easier said than done and it most likely won’t work for every character you ever create. But some characters are special. Sometimes the name is like an instinct. You just know when it feels right. Trying to change it feels like it would break your heart.

How exactly do you make the magical spontaneous name happen? Well, it’s really all about luck. It could happen, but it’s not guaranteed, no matter how passionate you are about this particular story or character. If you really want to make it happen, though, I have a few tips. Try to tune out everything around you—no noise, no computer, no phone. Close your eyes and think about your character. Don’t actually think about names. You don’t want a full list to flood your brain—you just want that perfect one. Think about what your character looks like, his mannerisms, the different things that will happen to him in your book. Think about someone calling his name. Then, hopefully it will come to you.

WHAT I’VE DONE: If you usually frequent my blog, I know what you may be wondering. Did Jordan name himself? OF COURSE HE DID. I have no say in anything else he does; why would I get to choose his name? I have no idea where his name came from. It just popped into my head and was instantly perfect.

Do your characters ever choose their own names? What do you do to get your character to speak to you? 

Freaky Name Coincidences, Part Four

Or better title, Attack of the Sequential Vowels!

If you missed out on the first three installments of my Freaky Name Coincidences posts (which you probably did if you’ve never been here before…), check them out here! These posts started when I realized that strange things tend to happen to me when I’m trying to name my characters. If I had 26 instead of 4 I would probably do an entire A to Z Challenge on them. Maybe someday. Since my theme is all about names, I thought it was a great time to share the fourth freaky name coincidence!

This one is tricky to describe because I’m not even sure how I figured out this was a thing in the first place. When you think about your characters’ names, you don’t usually think about the individual letters and how they relate to each other. Or how those letters relate to the letters in a different character’s name. But sometimes those names may have something in common, and you don’t even realize it.

I was plotting a book with every intention of writing it for the last NaNoWriMo. I got the first sentence down on November 1^st and never wrote another word, but that’s not the important part right now. What I did figure out were the two main characters’ names: Gabe and Jamie. I wish I could remember the exact moment, or what exactly triggered this thought in my mind (because that would probably make this story more interesting), but at some point I started thinking about Gabe’s full first name (see my D post!), which is Gabriel. And then I realized something. The vowels in my two main characters’ (and love interests) names lined up perfectly:

G A B R I E L

J A M I E

It was an interesting coincidence. It only worked if I used Gabe’s full name, of course, but it was still there. What exactly did this mean? I had no idea, actually. I just thought it was cool. So I decided to examine my other book ideas. I looked at the characters in Uneven Lines, Jordan and Tom. Doesn’t seem so at first. But wait! Like Gabe, Tom’s name is a diminutive one (I really like using that term now that I know it…). What happens if I spell out the whole thing?

J O R D A N

T H O M A S

The vowels strike again! I was even more freaked out, especially because in no way did I do this on purpose. But I had to check one more time, to the characters who’ve been in my head since I was 14, Drew and Amber. I’ll spare you the diminutive speech again…

A N D R E W

A M B E R

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! It happened again! Or more accurately, it’s been happening for years! Not only are all the vowels in these characters’ names the same, but they’re in the same order. And for all three sets, it requires the full first names, not the shortened ones that I actually use. Weird and cool? Yes. But I have no idea what it means. Maybe these love interests are supposed to be soulmates? Definitely with one, nope nope nope nope nope with another, and the verdict is still out on the third, but probably. So that can’t be it. Maybe it’s just one of those things that sneaks its way into a story and maybe the reader will notice, but it’s perfectly fine if they don’t. It just makes things a little more interesting.

What do you think the vowels mean? Have you ever noticed strange patterns in your characters’ names?  

Eras, Ethnicity, & Etymology

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

Today's post is all about being accurate. When choosing names for your characters, it may not always be as easy as pulling a random name out of thin air. Sometimes you may have to do a little research to make sure your character's name fits in with the story you're writing, or even who he/she is as a person. Where or when a story takes place can have a huge impact on what your characters' names should be. And if these names aren't chosen correctly, then they may just seem silly.

First, lets talk about when and where your story takes place. If it's in modern day anywhere USA, for example, it may not really matter what you name your characters. Parents are often likely to choose names for their children just because they like them, and it may have nothing to do with culture or time period. But if you're writing historical fiction, maybe something that takes place hundreds of years ago, your options for names may not be as vast. You always want to make sure the name you're using would actually be used during that time period. Look up what names were popular during that time. And if your book takes place in a different country, see what names are popular there. It's always important that the name feels natural for whatever story you're writing. 

A character's ethnicity could also be a factor when deciding on a name. You wouldn't want to give a Chinese character a Japanese name, for instance. Depending on your story, this could only be important when figuring out the last name, but first names come from different places around the world as well. Think about who the character's parents are and whether or not culture would play a role when they are naming their child. A first name could be Spanish or Italian or Greek. You probably want the name to fit with who the character is. If you're thinking about a particular name, research where it came from and decide if it fits with how you see your character. 

What factors have you used when deciding on a character's name? Ever written a story that made you really think about what to name your characters? 

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?