What's in a Name?

Submitted by SvenS on Sun, 02/08/2009 - 05:31

Character names, that is. How do you select names for the characters in your stories? Is it for humorous effect or maybe so that they are memorable or do you select more generic names so as to not distract too much from the plot? Or do you have some other criteria? One habit that I've notice in stories (and one that I am guilty of as well) is that there seems to be a rather small pool of names from which many writers in the genre tend to draw. In my case, I'm not sure if it is simple coincidence or if I unconsciously reuse names from others' stories. To avoid this in future I have decided to make a better effort at character name selection.

I'm curious to hear how the other writers in the community solve this aspect of writing.

Sun, 02/08/2009 - 12:05

dragon_6860

Heh, for me? Names are the hardest bloody part of writing. I reuse names sometimes, though I try not to, cause there's some names I just like the sound of, and i don't know anyone WITH the name, heh, which is kinda important for me.

There's some websites I use, but most of the time, I try to use simple names that are a bit memorable, but not to extreme, or that seem to fit the character.

No, I would not want to live in a world without dragons, as I would not want to live in a world without magic, for that is a world without mystery, and that is a world without faith.

Sun, 02/08/2009 - 18:00

deleted_20091014

I try not to reuse names, I just pick names I like, occasionally I'll give a girl who's set to explode the same name as a girl who spurned me perhaps... like Charlotte in 'The Reception', or sometimes just a girl I've met who I fancied.

Other times I'll go for theme with the names... I'm writing a story (have been for a while) where the girls are called Charity and Clemence... which are the opposite of their personality traits. In Bursting with Gossip I called them Mary, Shelley and Frankie... no prizes for guessing the influence behind that. I just thought it helped with the vaguely horroresque tone of the story.

I've also noticed that some names seem to be very popular, not just in Inflation fiction, but in any erotic fiction... sort of 'porn star' names like Cassie and Callie and Carrie.

Fri, 02/13/2009 - 12:06

AlecDeluxe

I used to always use the names of women I knew. I still do, to a large extent, but I realized I was not being... expansive... enough in my imagination. So I started throwing in names like "Despina" or "Imogen." It also made the characters a little more memorable.

Male characters were an even... bigger... problem. I used to name characters after either myself or one of my numerous aliases. Those dried up pretty fast. And it also occurred to me that using the same name of a guy I KNEW was a huge turn-off; hence, I started picking obscure names like "Lemuel" or "Dexter." I'll never again write inflation stories with a Stan or a Joe or a Dave again. I learned my lesson.

I want to pop so much I could burst!

Sat, 02/14/2009 - 21:06

Inflate123

I try NOT to make it people I know. I try to go for names of people I do not often see in real life so I don't make any connections.

However, when in draft form, I often just use my wife's name, and then do a find/replace with something else random. Pick up a magazine and the first female name I see, I might use. Or I'll browse a baby name website.

Twitter | DeviantArt

Sat, 02/14/2009 - 23:17

darth_clone19

This is a big problem for me. I usually just pick whatever. But maybe using names of people I know is not such a bad idea.

- Read my stories: darth-clone19.deviantart.com

Sun, 04/19/2009 - 03:51

airtankgirl5

I tend to use the same characters over and over, and my main character is me, for simplicity's sake, so it's pretty easy to remember. I also use the people from my life, my family and my college roomate.

On the rare occasions I bring in a new character is it often at the inspiration of someone else, so I like to honour that person with the character's name: Tina, Det. Frey, Desiree all came from someone else.

I've used just a few real people, when I needed a supermodel handy.

Or, I occasionally make a veiled acknowledgment. In my latest story there are a few lifeguards running around on a beach in red bathing suits, their names are Jasmine, Carmen and Gina as a nod to the actresses in Baywatch. The villainess...well I wonder if I'll be able to describe her well enough to be recognized. I find having some real people to draw on, and having real photos of those people as inspiration really helps me stay focused.

Toodles.

Thu, 05/07/2009 - 19:36

Omoikane

Names are a hard thing to come up with. Usually I think of other names, or twist a few letters of an adjective that describes the character around and make the juggled up word into something that sounds like a name.

Its hard though since the name gives the cover of the character, if you think the their personality as a book.

Thu, 05/07/2009 - 20:43

doubleintegral

They have to be "hot girl" names.

Stories I have written

Sat, 05/16/2009 - 05:00

#10

Inflate123

doubleintegral wrote:

They have to be "hot girl" names.

Hmmm...explain? Like, what makes a name a "hot girl" name, and are you drawing on any particular experience from that -- the names of cheerleaders you know from high school or something like that?

Twitter | DeviantArt

Sat, 05/16/2009 - 12:59

#11

deleted_20091014

I have a feeling he means those sorts of stereotypical cheerleaderish names they always have on telly.

Names usually ending in a 'y' 'i' or 'a' and a deliberate misspelling I think such as Krissy, Candi, Jenni, Tiffany, Brittany and so on and so forth.

Sun, 05/17/2009 - 23:54

#12

Kryslin

When stumped for names in a story I'm writing, I tend to go here - The Random Name Generator!

It's proven invaluable for foreign names for characters, and can often be just a lot of fun to cycle through some of the alternate settings on the side... (If only to see how badly the language can be mangled...)

Steve

Mon, 05/18/2009 - 05:58

#13

Mentalyinsane

I just do my best not to use names of people I know. I am VERY paranoid about people finding out who I really am, and I don't want to be thinking of someone I know while I'm writing a story (which may or may not be erotic). But yeah, coming up with names can be the hardest part of writing a story, especially in my case because I'm sometimes coming up with names for supernatural creatures.

The name's Noitalfin, http://noitalfin.deviantart.com/

Mon, 05/18/2009 - 11:30

#14

doubleintegral

Inflate123 wrote:

doubleintegral wrote:

They have to be "hot girl" names.

Hmmm...explain? Like, what makes a name a "hot girl" name, and are you drawing on any particular experience from that -- the names of cheerleaders you know from high school or something like that?

It's kind of hard to explain, just one of those things that you know when you see it. It's not always tied to any personal experience of mine, but when I hear a name I get a picture in my head of how that person looks. Some names, like Melissa, are "hot girl" names (without getting too stripper/trashy, like Tawny or some other shit). Glenda, Martha, Ethel, and Bertha are anti-"hot girl" names and should never, ever, ever be used in stories, unless personal experience proves otherwise. (For instance, if I knew a REALLY hot girl named Glenda, she would be even hotter because she doesn't have a "hot girl" name.)

Thoroughly confused yet?

Stories I have written

Tue, 05/19/2009 - 15:11

#15

Mortos

There's always Bianca Alloon. Get it, anyone?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Thu, 05/21/2009 - 10:57

#16

deleted_20091014

or Briony Limp
or Stephanie Wells

Fri, 05/22/2009 - 00:00

#17

SvenS

Mortos & Carnatic - that's pretty good! That idea never crossed my mind.

What's in a Name?

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