How do you name your characters when you start on a new story idea? I had alot of time to think about this while I was fighting a bad cold this past weekend and had a new story idea knocking around in my head. There is power in a name. People have preconceived ideas associated with certain names. Colin, Nickolas, Gabriel, Wolfric, Dominic, Ian, Rhys all make me think of a powerful, mysterious intriguing, sexy hero.
Names that don’t evoke such a manly image to me are names like Henry, Allen, Earl, Stacey, Bob, Kenny, Omar, Charles, Raymond (sorry guys).
Then there are the names that can go either way – Tom, John, James, Jeff, Will, Mark, Joe, Matt.
Women’s names are the same. For a kickass heroine I don’t want names like Mary, Anna, Jane, Laura, Ruth, Cammie. I want names like Raven, Hope, Jerica, Rhianna, Talena, Tara, Faith. Normal girls put in extraordinary positions I like names like – Olivia, Sarah, Shannon, Jenna, Rona, Traca, Emily, Rachel, Jennifer, etc.
How do I name my characters? Get ready…..I picture the character – their strengths, weaknesses, physical characteristics, the whole package and a name pops into my head. No kidding. That name is no way written in stone and I have been known to change a name if a little way into the story it just isn’t working for me. I know some writers who don’t name their characters until they are pretty well into their manuscript. I just can’t do that. Our name defines us as much as any other part of our personality so I just go with what feels right.
I do not – absolutely not – name my characters after friends or family members. Why don’t I? Well, if I name a secondary character after my mom and the character turns out to be a crack head whore. Well mom has told all of her friends – no everyone she knows that her darling daughter has written a book and she is in it. She reads the final draft and instead of being thrilled that her name is mentioned in the book, she is hurt or mad that I have embarrassed her like that. She doesn’t want to be the pro ho. She wasnt to be the cool sidekick but it’s too late, the book has already been turned in or whatever happens when an author gets published. Maybe crackhead whore it too harsh. (I am reassuring mom at this point that no one believes she is a crackhead whore). Say the character is a greedy, manuplative troublemaker instead. Same thing happens because even though it is fiction she is afraid that people will believe there is a little bit of truth in it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have picked that character to name after her. After all she is my mother and I should know how she really is.
At this point can anyone spell DISASTER? I don’t think I can stress that strongly enough. It may work for other writers but not for me. So I name my characters the same way I write, by what feels right. All I can say to all you brave souls that walk through the minefield of naming characters after people you know, good luck with that.
