Character Names

This is such a great post – I have had to bookmark it for future reference. If you struggle to find great names for your characters than this post is just for you!

10 Tips for Finding Memorable Character Names for your Fiction

By Anne R. Allen

“Agnes Gooch,” “Mr. McCawber,” “Albus Dumbledore”: memorable names of memorable characters.

How can writers come up with character names that readers will never forget?

In his painfully funny 2006 book, Famous Writing School, a Novel, Stephen Carter’s writing teacher-protagonist advises his students to seek character names in the obituaries. But although Carter’s bumbling protagonist offers mostly dubious advice, that tip is a keeper.

Obits are full of great names. I keep a list of odd names in a little notebook. I haven’t yet written about Normal Peasley or Lamia Trowbridge, but they’re ready when I need them.

Another great name source is spam. If I happen to catch a good name before I hit “empty spam,” I write it in the notebook.  I  can always perk up a story by subjecting my heroine to a blind date with Zoticus Weatherwax or Hassan Snively.

Read the full post at Anne R. Allen’s Blog.. with Ruth Harris!

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Ugh, I don’t know about you but I spend waaaaay too much time messing with my characters names, more than I spent worrying about my children’s names!  Thank goodness for MS search and replace!  Writer’s Edit has a great post on finding character names that fit your genre and story. Check it out!

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5 Steps To Naming Your Characters Effectively

Names are powerful. And naming a character is not a decision to be taken lightly. It can even be more important than a character’s carefully-crafted appearance.

Good names help both writers and readers move through a story smoothly.” — Dan Schmidt

But it’s no easy task to find the right name for your character. Whether a background character,  protagonist, or even villain, these five steps will help you nail your characters’ names.

1. Check your genre

Each genre has its own naming conventions, or traditions. You may have noticed them while reading, or you may need to start being aware when you next pick up a book.

While there are no rules in writing, following your genre’s naming conventions will help you when you can’t find names that are ‘right’ for your story.

In a category romance, you’re not likely to find a name like fantasy author Tolkien’s creation, ‘Galadriel’.” — Bridget McNulty

Be sure to take note of sub-genres, and remember your target audience’s age. While naming conventions can usually work across all sub-genres and ages, you may find some interesting ideas.

For example, Marissa Meyer, author of fantasy/dystopian YA series The Lunar Chronicles, named some characters from nouns, such as ‘Scarlet’, ‘Thorne’ and ‘Crescent’. Such names add an interesting balance to the unfamiliar world that the characters live in.

Read the full post on Writer’s Edit

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