how do you think of names? - Writers Forum

Raith · 11-21-2005, 06:03 PM

i cant think of names that are stand-out, etc. can someone give me advice?

Kyle Bagley · 11-21-2005, 06:09 PM

Character names or story names?

Kimahri · 11-21-2005, 06:15 PM

If you mean character names then it's up to you really. There are name generators out there on the net but I would avoid those because they don't allow you to be creative when writing. For myself I have a big list of names that I have heard or just come up with and written them down. I like to mess with the spelling on most of them to give them a uniqueness. Orson Scott Card wrote a book about characterization and I don't remember if it was him or someone else that didn't even give their characters names until they had developed the character throughout the story. So really it's up to you. I would recommend just trying to come up with something that sounds solid and also catchy. You could always give your charcater's names that in some way describe their personality. Just explore and don't worry about coming up with names that are goofy or not. Hope that helps some.

kimahri

Raith · 11-21-2005, 06:19 PM

character names...

thanks guys.

Kyle Bagley · 11-21-2005, 06:25 PM

For character names, I definately agree with Kimahri.

Rhea · 11-22-2005, 05:14 AM

Well, for some characters it justs fits that they would be called a certain name, for me at least. But for the rest, sometimes I pick something that's to do with their personality, or in one case the role they have in the story. A have a character who plots to betray one of her friends and I named her Arnica, which is a flower that looks like a daisy but, if eaten, can make you sick.

When making up a name I just roll things around in my mouth and see what comes out. If it's nice, and I like it, I'll use it. I also twist spellings around, e.g. Karyn, Jordyn.

Character names don't really have to be un-common, though - I'd rather read a story with a Jane than a Jaelakyraen, get it?

amusinglackoftalent · 11-22-2005, 08:52 AM

I like to gather them from the cemetery.

Shade53 · 11-22-2005, 10:09 AM

odd as it sounds: when working on a fantasy - I take the ingredient list from a couple of items - soda, anything with long lists of chemicals - and pick out syllables and smash them together - thus coming up with: Ketryl, Sencha, Tekai, etc. It works for me at any rate.

~S

SeattleGhostWriter · 11-22-2005, 11:27 AM

I usually just look around. Names are everywhere. You never know how you come up with one. Ask me about Mickey Chandler, my hard boiled detective