The name of your hero and heroine can be as important as your plot. I've heard authors say their books didn't really work until they changed the name of one character and then the whole thing came together.
How do you find your character names? I use books and websites but sometimes a name will come to me and I can "see" the character attached and I know I have to write that character. I also like the meaning of the name to work with who the character is. Does that make sense?
What are some of your character names? (Here are mine, hero first, then heroine.)
Book One: Ertemis and Jessalyne
Book Two: Alrik and Calleigh
Book Three: Kelly and Meredith
Book Four: Calderon and Mena
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Names
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Moriah and Parker
ReplyDeleteNQD: Willem and Sabine
ReplyDeleteADASK: Simon and Lydia
TMM: Bane and Emily
Cold: Colm and Mae
DOP: Varek and Natalya
BBW: Maddox and Debra
TGC: Merrick and Ryza
Simon has been with nearly half a dozen different partners, but I think Lydia is the one who will stick. It's never just a name change for her -- it's always an entirely new character.
Bane was a Viking when he first popped into my head. The name is probably inappropriate for the period he's in now, but it's how I think of him. He needed someone with a more ordinary name to balance him out.
Maddox is a werewolf. Maddox -- Madoc -- mad dog was the thought progression there.
Natalya was Russian. That was pretty much all I knew about her at first.
Mae just showed up as Mae. Colm is based on Clive Owen. The name progressed from that.
Mine are all pretty standard.
ReplyDeleteRight now it's Serena and Miller.
teri
I love doing the name game, but I think the characters tell me more then I choose. I love finding the right name for the minutest detail about that person. It cements the character for me.
ReplyDeleteI agree, names are extremely important. You can almost see a character sometimes by his/her name alone.
ReplyDeleteHere's mine:
Miles and Tess
Ethan and Lucinda
Steve and Kitty
Cate and Beau
ReplyDeleteMercedes (goes by Mac) and Cam
Savannah and Aidan
Names are very important to me. Until the character tells me his/her name, I can't write their story.
D.D.D. - Marcus and Helena
ReplyDeleteE.P. - Evan and Giselle
H.D. - Stephan and Raquel
W.F. - Zak and Caridad
R.R. - Mitch and Annika
I wish I could tell you there's a method to it, but there isn't. Names are very important to me, and I can't begin to write a story unless I've got the perfect names for my hero/heroine. I'm very anal about it.
Names come to me like they do you. Sometimes I page thrugh a phone book for last names. Those really trip me up. Sometimes I give my teen dau a character sketch and she throws names at me until one sticks.
ReplyDeleteMy very first novel was written when I was fifteen. Their names were Morton (pronounced more and ton as in weight) and Tamara.
Second one: Rowyn and Nathan
Third: Hazel and Julian
Fourth: Elizabeth (first draft was Amber and it just didn't click.) and Daniel
Fifth: Ruby and Solomon
Sixth: Maggie and Carson
Seventh: Rachel and Cierce
Eighth: Bethany and Randal
Nine: Rose and Garan
Tenth: Sable and Thomas
Holy crap. I didn't realize until I typed all that out how many novels I had. I think I need to go lie down...
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ReplyDeleteLC: Susan and Max
ReplyDeleteWIP: Eleanor and Michael
2nd WIP: Sam (Samantha) and Jason
Filigre: Lainie (Short for Madeline) and hero TBA
Finding Joy: Emma and Mark
Forever: Alice and Bernard
WA: Sheri and Matthew
Hieroglyphs: Joslyn and Peter
SV: Cliodhna and Valentine
Wow! I have a lot of male names that start with "m" and female names that start with "s". All of these are short stories, novellas and one category romance length novel. LOL
Some depend upon the time period in which they are set. For instance, I wouldn't give a character an obviously modern who lived in say 11th c. France. (Madeline) But I also think of what the readers will relate too. If I can find a name that is both archaic, but familiar and has a strong meaning, I will go with that. Some depend on the characters heritage.
Kit
Dear me.
ReplyDeleteMy hero is named John.
My heroine is named Damie.
Perhaps I just failed a test.
Whatever comes to mind at the time or if a new person enters my story I shout out to anyone listening, 'Man's first name!' and whoever answers first is what it is.
ReplyDeleteWorks for me. Plus, it means my kids have chosen the names of people in my novels. Sort of cute.
:o)
Sometimes I use a friends name, or someone who's had an impact on my wife. Depending on their name of course, there's just no way to romantacize some!
ReplyDeleteOMG I'm so jealous your going to paradise!! Have you gone already? We haven't seen you in Divas!
Names are sooo important! It has to be just right, so I end up calling them BOY and GIRL (or changint the name a thousand times) until I have it just right.
ReplyDeleteThe Stone Prince: Jorlan and Katie
The Pleasure Slave: Julia and Tristan
Awaken Me Darkly: Mia and Kyrin
Heart of the Dragon: Darius and Grace
Jewel of Atlantis: Gray and Jewel
Animal Instincts: Naomi and Royce
Enslave Me Sweetly: Eden and Lucius
Oh My Goth: Jade and Clarik
Playing With Fire: Belle and Rome
The Nymph King: Valerian and Shaye
I love all these names!
ReplyDelete