A few weeks ago, Nadia Jones sent me an email and asked if you could do a guest post on my blog. I said, sure, why not--just pick a relevant topic and we'll see if it works for me. Nadia sent me this well-written and informative piece on what do when you can't come up with a good character name.
So here goes: Thank you Nadia!
5
Practical Ways Young Writers can Find Fictional Character Names
No matter if you're in a college creative writing class or
writing a fictional novel or novella just for fun, one of the first hurdles you
will have to tackle during the creative process is establishing strong names
for your characters. Some writers believe that character names are one of the
most important elements of storytelling.
After all, not only will a name help solidify your character's personality
and thus make the character (and entire storyline) more relatable and
believable, but character names can inspire a generation. While the young adult
book Twilight
isn't the best piece of literature to reference, it "inspired" its audience so much that two of the
principle characters— Bella and Jacob— made a huge splash with popular baby
names in 2011. That said, choosing the right character name(s) is important.
While some experienced writers just have a natural gift and know exactly what
they want to name their characters the minute they put pen to paper, other
young writers ( like myself) struggle coming up with the "perfect"
name. But whenever I hit a roadblock, I use the following sources to help me
get the ball rolling. Hopefully they'll help you too.
1. Baby Name Books/Lists.
Let's
get the most obvious source out of the way first—baby name books and lists.
They can really help a writer out, especially if he or she is trying to come up
with a name that fits a certain time period. For example, the Social Security Administration has
a database of the most popular baby names throughout the last few decades. Some
are even organized by state and territory.
But don't choose a name because it sounds
"pretty." Remember the name needs to "fit." That said, it
would be wise to look up the meaning of the name as well, so that you know
whether it truly matches your character. Look at the spelling too—a unique
spelling of a name can suggest your character's cultural background.
2. Hollywood. Whether you stay in the
theater to check out the ending credits, get inspiration from a TV character
(or even a soap opera) Hollywood can really come through for you. However, it's
extremely important that you stay clear from giving your character iconic
celebrity names—those that the public easily recognizes and can only identify
with one person. So don’t choose Madonna. The only time giving your character a
name like that is if it's part of the storyline—maybe your character's parents
were obsessed with the singer in the 80's.
3. The Obituaries. It might seem a tad bit
morbid, but taking a glance at the obituaries can really help you come up with
some stellar character names. It might even inspire some storylines too—some
lived fascinating lives.
4. A Phonebook. The internet might be
the most popular way to look up phone numbers and addresses, but phonebooks
still exists and can be viable sources. So the next time you get one delivered
to your home or college apartment, save it for a rainy day. You can simply flip
through the pages until a name speaks to you or search via letters.
5. Magazines/Newspapers.
Last
but not least you can find inspiration in newspapers and magazines. Sometimes
an interviewee might have an interesting name, but if you really want more
options it's best to look at the contributor's section. This can potentially be
a gold mine for appropriate names.
My biggest advice: Even if you're not in the midst of
creating new piece of work, always be active and jot down names that you like in
a journal or on a digital document—people you meet in real life, names that you
hear in a movie, etc . Over time, it should serve as a "name bank" so
the next time you need a character name for your novel, you have something to
reference to.
This is a guest post by freelance writer and blogger Nadia
Jones. Nadia enjoys sharing her knowledge on topics of education and higher
learning. She offers online college advice and
guidance to readers throughout the blogosphere. Reach her at nadia.jones5@gmail.com.
