Newsletter 08/02/04

Names: They're Not Just For Characters Anymore.

Many people have discussed character names in the past. In fantasy stories, however, characters are not the only things that need to be named. While in stories set in the real world, place names are usually (but not always) readily available, this is not so for invented worlds. Artifacts may also need to be named, which can actually be more difficult for Science Fiction than for Fantasy. Finally new life forms may need to be classified before they can begin eating your main characters. So, let's examine these nomenclature issues.

I have found that place names often cause an invented world to fall apart. Many authors have difficulty coming up with a consistent naming scheme. Some of the best I have seen include Tolkien (surprise, eh?), Jordan, Brooks and Eddings. Interestingly, Lovecraft also had a keen grasp of place naming, particularly in his Dreamlands stories. In general, one easy way to get a set of names that go together is let the experts do it for you. Figure out what sort of culture lives in these places, then head to an Atlas to find out what sorts of names are used for that type of culture in the real world. Once you've checked that, pick a few places that are less well known, and make some slight adaptations. You'll end up with a set of names that fit together without an extensive amount of effort. This can work for both Fantasy and Sci-Fi.

A second element that may require different techniques for the two sub-genres is for naming artifacts. By artifacts I mean anything that is not real world technology. If you're lead warrior carries a magic sword, that's an artifact. If your space heroine has a zap gun, that's an artifact. If the Goblins have developed a new weapon in your world, that's an artifact. And all of them will need names.

For Fantasy, always start with the basics. What is the function of the artifact? Is it a weapon, a protective device, a means of transport, or what? Then develop a name that fits the purpose. Weapons tend to have harsh sounding names that sound like they are chopping the letters out of the language. Protective items tend to have names that flow more smoothly off the tongue. Items crafted by the forces of good are usually named consistent with their origins, as are artifacts of evil. Think about the way you would name characters, and you can probably come up with a suitable name, since Fantasy artifacts tend to be one step removed from being characters at most.

For Science Fiction, you have to think of the science behind the artifact. Calling a zap gun a Transwarp synthebeam just won't work, because that doesn't sound like something that will blow stuff up. Again, keep the function in mind and find a name that fits the function, but also the science. It can often help to take real words from Science (particularly theoretical physics) and modify them. A good dictionary of physics terms will be your best friend in this situation.

As for creatures, you can follow many of the methods used for naming artifacts. Depending on the purpose of the creature, however, it may be best not to name it at all. If it is going to be a one shot scary creature that tries to eat a band of intrepid heroes, it can actually be scarier not to name it at all. One thing to be particularly careful of with monsters and aliens; never let a name substitute for a description. Generally, you should describe the being first, then name it. Do not get lazy here.

So, in any speculative fiction story, you will need to name a lot of things you wouldn't in a real world story. While this can seem intimidating at first, once you get the hang of a few simple tricks, you will find it is both easy and fun.