A person's name can express far more than simple delight
with how it rolls off your tongue or honoring a relative. Parents get overly
creative with cutesy spellings that leave girls with little or no hope of ever
finding a barrette or necklace with their name. Even worse, it can open a child
up to bullying or teasing because of an unfortunate word association.
In certain cultures an individual's last name identifies
their family's occupation. I happened upon the name of Zimmerman for my family
in The Moses Conspiracy during a search for German surnames. This one jumped
out when I discovered it meant, "carpenter," which was the primary skill
of the father.
My character name choices are not always that deliberate. As
Kendra from Out of The Mist formed in my mind, her name came along with it.
Feisty and with a determination to succeed, education was at the top of her
list. She valued knowledge above everything else.
Sitting at my desk one day, the name Justine popped into my
head, and I jotted it on a yellow sticky note. It stayed there for over a year
before she introduced herself in my latest manuscript. Perhaps the memory of a
young choir member, who visited in our home while I was growing up, influenced
her development.
One of my favorite names, David, is also used in my books.
It means, "beloved." It holds a special place in my heart because my
late husband was a David. When you see that name crop up in my work, you
know this character is going to be a good guy.
Another way I name characters is by looking at baby name
websites. I also check out lists of names that were popular during certain
years. On a research trip, I drove along country roads and looked at names
plastered on mailboxes. My ear is always attuned to a name that might work in a
manuscript.
The meaning of a name can give an indication of personality
traits or add to the mystique of your storyline. Give the subject serious
thought when starting a manuscript.
Writers: How do you
name your characters?
Readers: Does an
unusual name in a story bother you or intrigue you? Why or why not?
Photo Credit: Deon Staffelbach
Photo Credit: Deon Staffelbach
1 comment:
I tend to go with a theme, Susan. So if my fantasy has as its model a Classical Greek or Roman world, my names will probably reflect that with some sort of minor change that will keep it creative. But honestly, I also go with the "pin on the map" kind of method, and just put down the first crazy name that comes into my head.
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