Tips for naming book characters

Dont give characters names that begin with the same initial. Character naming tips for writers choosing names for fictional characters seems like one of the fun parts of writing until you actually have to choose them. Naming your characters 4 tips for naming characters for a novel subscribe to the life of a writer channel on youtube. I still remember a book where there was a pronunciation guide at the beginning to help you with the names. For some people, this infants gamble worked out swimmingly. The right name can help the reader easily identify each character. If you need a name for an 18yearold shopgirl in a corset store in 1930s. Creating your own character from scratch involves a lot of creative thinking. A number of years ago when i was working with my former agent, she asked me to change my protagonists name. This advice is applicable for everyone in your story, even for twins.

Are you struggling to find the name that just fits for your characters. In his fascinating book alphabetical michael rosen meditates at length on the origin of his own. Parentstobe pore over baby name books for months looking for that perfect name. Naming characters book writing tips, writing worksheets. Head to your favorite search engine and search for name translators or my name in and type in any language, such as chinese or hebrew. For general tips in naming characters, check out my original post. Your character names need to fit into the fascinating, magical and mystifying world that you have created. How to name your characters tips every fiction writer. At this point, youre ready to start naming and creating the characters that will bring your story to fruition. You can write a disclaimer to cover this and there are some great examples on the book designer. What do i do, then, to continue writing and then to market the book when completely finished. Youll find plenty of free name translators to play with. To build your own cast list, start with a group of names, like from your email address book, a church directory, or the board of directors at your current school or alma mater.

There are many literary and movie characters that become everlasting brands in our cultureatticus finch, ratso rizzo, holden caulfield and scarlett ohara, for example. Determine your characters ethnicity and appearance. If character names arent coming easily, try one of these tips to. Its exhausting, and it takes away from the pleasure of reading your book. Its not usually an issue i have, though i have made the mistake of naming 2 characters with the same first name, kind of lilly and lilly mae. I am writing a book detailing a very personal family tragedy.

Expecting parents can consult books if they need a moniker for their bundle of joy. Whether its for a main character or a background character, the names you choose should be significant. She has over 20 years experience naming babies, companies, and fictional characters. If youre up for a challenge, you could also create your own fictional language to use as a base for character names. I always have a tough time reading a storybook that has characters with the same first name initial. You should avoid names that are already famous, such as harry potter, hieronymus bosch, and katniss everdeen. If youve ever found yourself spending hours researching or antagonizing over what to name your characters, this list of tips will hopefully help you avoid common. So consider where your characters parents came from, and what their culture is.

Leading illustrators share their expert character design tips. If you need further help with character names, write jennifer, to book a character name consultation. Whether you love naming characters or not particularly, its a vital aspect of writing fiction. Character names are to characters as titles are to books, so if youre blindly. Do authors tend to pick a random name for a fictional character. Other authors have a pronunciation guide at the back of their book. Hopefully you have read many works within your genre all good writers do.

Whether youre in the former group or the latter, here are some tips that will help you find the perfect character name. Do check the meaning of the name youre considering. Do they pack a characters full name of thematic symbolism. Finding fictional character names that suit characters personalities or carry apt connotations is rewarding, though. The 7 rules of picking names for fictional characters 1. Got your perfect fictional character, whether for a novel, screen or roleplay, but cant find the perfect name.

Although many of the classic characters familiar to us all through cartoons, movies and advertising look straightforward, a lot of skill and effort will. To find unique names for your characters, check movie credits or a mythology book for something unique. Distinct, authentic voices, character development, clear goals and motivations, strengths and flaws. Here are the best tips for naming book characters with intention. Shannon a thompson march 20, 2014 way rather than physical name. In writing the book, i am using real names, but i do not want to use the real names whenif the book is published. Today im going to be sharing with you guys 3 tips to help you correctly name your characters. To use this, however, you have to have a name in mind. The writers digest character naming sourcebook save 10% off this book. Names can tie characters to the setting, to their roots, or just hold a greater symbolic meaning.

Give it a whirl by putting your own name into the translator. It worked for one antagonists name, but the other name was still elusive. If youve ever found yourself spending hours researching or antagonizing over what to name your characters, this list of tips will hopefully help you avoid common name. Would you like tips for choosing character names for your story. If you cant find anything you like, try misspelling other names or words to create new ones.

Are you stuck on deciding what to name your characters for your next book. Here are 15 of our top character creation tips gathered from some of the best writing blogs and websites. Learn to write a book in 5 steps learn how to write a book, how to start writing a book for beginners, how to finish writing a story, and more. Names in fiction a study of character names and naming. This article will present five tips for picking names and writing believable characters. No matter which method you choose for naming your characters, youll need a few tips to make it more effective. How to choose names in fiction selfpublishing advice. Character naming pdf character names can be surprisingly useful for characterisation, worldbuilding, and even plotting if youre enrolled in how to be the heroine of your own story, be sure to read the textbook chapter titled, how to discover your characters true name. Writing characters who spring to life off the page is partly about giving characters clear. This tip doesnt apply to all genres but realize that your book will probably be read aloud at some point in time.

Whether you love naming characters or not particularly, its a. I did it on purpose because one was white and one was black and it was. You can follow any responses to this entry through the rss 2. My typical way to pick a name is to peruse a baby naming book. Jennifer moss is an author of a series of mystery novels and the founder of and. Even if you dont choose a common name, choose a name that easy to decipher. If you name your character right, you will choose a name that is unique to your character and memorable to your story. Yet despite this, little is made of the art of naming characters. This gives the book a sort of visual aesthetic crucial, since novels dont have the help of visuals. I dont know about you guys, but for me, naming a character is like naming a child. How to come up with an iconic character name in 12 steps. Naming your characters unlike parents, who name their children before ever meeting them, writers can name a character after theyve explored their psyches.

But, remember, it is the parents who name their children. Heres a nofail guide to sourcing unforgettable and perfect names. One of the great parts of writing a story is getting to choose a characters name after you know who that person will grow up to be. Use these methods for naming characters in your book. Naming characters is a coveted skill, one that some have in abundance and others spend hours sweating over. But also sometimes frustrating and confusing and timeconsuming. Naming characters just right is a challenge, but give it some time and thought, and youll start to find the fun in it. Jeanne veillette bowerman shares tips on naming your characters. Its easy to get hung up on choosing the perfect name for your characters when writing a novel.

It is best to choose something original, though nearly impossible to find names that havent been used before. Character naming tips for writers everything after z by. If you have two characters richard and robert, its going to be difficult for your readers to tell them apart when reading at normal speed. And naming a character is not a decision to be taken lightly. But, if you introduce a new character, lauren, now the reader must read the entire word and then take time to remember the differences between the two characters.

Choosing the right names for your fictional people can make a significant difference. On the run from the authorities, they set off in a much smaller vessel to find the captain and clear their name. On the other hand, going too creative with your name choices can distract or even confuse your reader. Here is some advice on choosing appropriate character names.

Three tips for naming characters the write practice. In the future, i will write more tips on naming characters, since ive done it before. Tagged aptronym, character development, character name, characteristics, ethnic names, fiction writing, name meaning, naming characters, naming tips. A couple of baby name books wont go amiss, but there also plenty of online sites. If writing a series or saga and the characters in following books show up in book one, you dont have to worry about coming up with the main characters names. How to give your character the perfect name writers digest. Ever have trouble figuring out names for your characters. Tips for naming characters part of the fun, and sometimes the struggle, of starting a new book is naming your characters. The easy way to name fantasyscifi characters samantha. To match the monochromatic title, fifty shades of grey has characters named grey and steele. We have several methods for coming up with character names that fit your book, story, and world. You can also rearrange the letters of phrases or names you like to. Romance novel characters have historically been given more flowery, romantic names.

What i ended up doing was naming my book one like this. You can even fashion character names from a theme, if it fits. The baby book i have picked up at a usedbook store has a lot of unusual names. Sometimes, it can be difficult choosing the right name for your characters. The right name can help you explore a character s personality. It appears simple on the surface, but theres a lot more that goes or should go into the process than just picking a. Every choice you make from this point on should be decided strategically and methodically. Tips on naming your character author ally aldridge. In addition to 4 tips for naming characters, i have a list of character naming resources, a youbewt hack for namepicking, and a few bloopers from my checkered character naming adventures. Naming your characters 4 tips for naming characters for. Read naming your bookchapters from the story writing tips by macandreads sara with 7,814 reads.

Ebenezer scrooge, harry potter, tiny tim, humbert humbert, wonder woman, bilbo baggins, katniss everdeen. Naming your characters is equally as fun as it is frustrating especially for those of us writing fantasyscifi characters. Your novel might become an audiobook or an ebook with. If you need to come up with a quick name, try this one. Become a wd vip member and get a 1year pass to, a 1year subscription to writers digest magazine and 10% off all orders. Naming your characters what changes from the first draft to publication. Remember, you can sign up here for a pdf of my free tips for naming characters guide, which includes the questions and name sites included in this article in a handy download random name generator this generator contains english first and last names based on the database of the us census. Make sure no character names begin with the same first, second, or third initials. None of us got to choose the names we were given at birth. In this video, author stefanie newell shares four tips for naming characters in a novel. Naming characters can be fun or it can take up valuable writing time. Choosing a character name for your novel is as pressurefilled as picking a. Literature and film are populated with evocative character names.