This week: The Challenge of Picking a Name Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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Fantasy Newsletter by Dawn
There is weight in a name. At times, there is a lot of thought put into the name with reasons behind the choice, the spelling and how it works within a world. Other times, a random one gets used out as a placeholder until it sticks or gets a change. It's a choice that gets made often in a story for various reasons yet the struggle remains despite the experience a writer gains each time they pick one. |
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Who are you? What is your name? These are common questions we face and also consider when getting ready to write a story about a character. As a reader, it may or may not be a thing you notice. There are some characters who take on their name to the point it is hard to imagine it used for anyone else. Hard to use names like Harry, Gandolf or Rand without certain characters risking to come to mind. Some names really suit the character and others, not so much. Picking the right name came be a challenge on different levels. We can consider a few aspects today for this newsletter.
First Names
Thisis the one I pick out first for characters. Some come with a name from the beginning and others take much more consideration and time before a decision gets made. There are names that come with ease. Sometimes the mage that shows up in the mind with a story includes what to call them on the page. Other times, it is difficult to pick something. I have noticed particular difficulty after 10+ years of writing, coming up with new and fitting names causes a struggle. This is even more so for the secondary and random characters that show up short term in any given story. In fact, one year for the novel writing month, I threw in the name Nmael for a character because I couldn’t think of anything and needed to write fast. So, I just took the word name, moved the m and added an l. May change it in rewrites or I might keep it the same. The tricky part in our genre is that we can have some fun, creative approaches with a name but have to be cautious not to go too far, because the reader may have issues if they can’t understand or remember a name.
Last Names
Then there are the surnames, secondary or last names that get added. I am the worst when doing first drafts because 90% of the characters don’t have a last name. Even for the contemporary stories, I forget to come up with a last name. As a reader, it is not something I remember often. I have read over 100 romance type stories over the last few months and most of the surnames, I don’t remember. Well, I do know a few but that is because the hockey players go by their last names instead of the first. With fantasy characters, it is often just a single name and not much else. Well, there is Tanis Half-elven but that wasn’t his name but more part of his identification due to mixed parents. I don’t often think of the last name with fae, elves, demons or other beings in the speculative fiction community. It is probably something I should consider.
Name Generators
One great source for name options is the plethora of generators available online. Sure, you can go old school and pick up a baby naming book but even that can be found free through a google (or other search engine) search online. There are a number of ones online that are specific for fantasy and science fiction.
The bonus with name generators is that they have many options to consider. Ethnicity, fantastical, type of creature, letter it starts with, masculinity... so many options to pick when trying to find the right name. Can help to create limits if you know some factors that you want to consider. Helps to narrow down the options from every name possible to something easier to manage.
There are also just sites with many lists of names. If you want the name to have a particular meaning, there are places to find online that can really help. Warrior names are good options, for example. Can be fun if you want there to be a particular meaning behind the name beyond It was the grandpa's middle name on my mother's side type of commentary. Though maybe there should be some of that too. Do orcs have family names? hmmmm
Other Thing Names
People or characters are not the only things that have names in stories. A title can be necessary for places and objects, which also is a type of name. That is another thing I slack on in first drafts, to be honest. Even in the contemporary stories, the places where the characters live don’t get named. I haven’t gotten the chance to make up the locations for where the characters live other than some general section of the big country since weather varies depending on the area. The name of a locations but can be important in naming things like villages, cities, states, countries, kingdoms or worlds. A name can bring plenty of meaning and give a different connection to what is happening. The location isn’t the only one either. There are objects, such as a particular sword or cursed gem. Objects can get names too.
Go pick some names and write their story.  |
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How do you pick a name for a character or location?
Last month (or about 4 weeks ago), I wrote about writing a series that focused on different maim characters. Wile it is a common occurrence in romance and erotica, the type of series is also relevant within speculative fiction. Here are some thoughts readers had on the topic:
Comment by s  :
95% of my sword-and-sorcery fantasy is set in a world like our own, but different. Called the Secludos Ethos, after the greatrest of gods, there are 4 main characters I use, but also a heap of tales about other characters, some related, some not. The world just lends itself to tales about multiple people. And having the one world means world-builoding is easier.
How many stories have I written set here? 140-plus. And 3 have been published as well.
Comment by Elfin Dragon-finally published  :
I haven't yet decided to follow different characters. But I will say that there are three different serialized novels (oops 5) which I've really enjoyed and found to be really good at what they do....
- Mercedes Lackey's "Valedemar" series (total of 41 books thus far, many stand-alone trilogies)
- Piers Anthony's "Xanth" series (still counting, from first King and beyond)
- Erin Hunter's "Warriors", "Survivors", "Seekers", "Bravelands", (Cats, Dogs, Bears, Wild Africa)
- Various Authors for "Star Trek" Novels (beginning with Kirk to Picard and beyond)
I have many others which I do enjoy but these particular five have been the most prolific and the ones I've enjoyed the most.
- Various Authors for "Babylon 5" Novels (spanning the Babylon 5 universe)
Comment by The Lone Crab  :
C.W. Hawes is a member of a writing cabal of several authors who write mysteries, each author with different characters, set in the fictional town of Magnolia Bluff. I kind of wish something like that had come along back when I was writing; I think I might have enjoyed it. As an aside, I have a story (elsewhere) that lends itself to this sort of treatment. I offered to set it up with other authors both here and in other places, and never got a reply. It might not be that popular as a project... Or maybe it's my deodorant!
Comment by tracker  :
Thank you for the links to items that are important to me. I can never seem to find them when I want them. I forget to fan them. Now I have them here for easier reference. This is just one of the many things I like about newsletters. I purchased the sponsor's book "Murder on Cabot's Landing and it is a real page-turner. I highly recommend it.
Comment by the last cicada  :
I agree. Developing secondary or supporting characters can enhance the story. Not all readers identify with the hero, so having a secondary character can bring new life to the story.
What comes to mind is Elf Quest. That's a comic book by Wendy Pini. One of the stories she shared when she was deciding whether to kill off a secondary character due to poor fan reception. She found help from her husband who may have been the model for that character. The elf was an astronomer and with her husband's input and feedback, that character blossomed into a favorite.
Tam was the main character. Fahr was his best friend. And it became one of those relationships where the secondary character, while never ever stealing the thunder from the main character, added a lot of love and depth to the the fantasy world they lived in.
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Fantasy: November 29, 2023 Issue [#12295]
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