OK, I thought we’d do another fun one today. When writing, choosing names can be one of the hardest parts – coming up with great character names that help identify your character and color him/her/them in the way you want.
This is especially true with sci fi, fantasy, and paranormal, where you often want an exotic sounding name that nevertheless doesn’t cross the line into absurdity.
So I have three questions for you today:
As a writer, how do you choose/find names for your characters when you write?
As a reader, do character names ever get in the way of a story for you?
And finally, what are some of your favorite character names, esp. for sci fi, fantasy, and paranormal?
lolWarcraft… *ahem* As a writer – name selection is a headache. Sometimes the names come to me easily, as if the character already knows his/her name. Other times, I can write a whole story with one name, then go back and change it. Names have to suit the persona. As a reader – I HATE names that are hard to pronounce and/or more than two syllables (aside from really common ones like Gabriella or Samantha). If you name your character something that trips me up, I will rename your character in my head for the duration of the story.
A good name becomes clear to me only after I’ve defined the conflict or struggle that defines the character. If the character consistently uses the same devices to solve future conflicts, I base the name on what he or she uses to persevere.
As a reader-though it may be silly of me-I get bored with plain or average names that have no real meaning in the story…like John, for example. And yes, not being able to pronounce a name sucks. That is why when I create a name without an easy or obvious pronounciation, I include the pronounciation in parentheses (only once) as if the book is a dictionary.
Most of my favorite names are from superheroes because appropriate names for them are often easy to conceive.