When Do you come up with a name - Writers Forum

wmd · 11-16-2006, 01:05 PM

I am planning out a novel right now, and the part I hate the most is coming up with names.

Do you guys plan the names of every character in your book/story before you start writing or do you make the names up as you go along?

I just hate names.

Shen · 11-16-2006, 01:11 PM

no. i have a name problem, too, so when i write and cant think of any names, i put there Xes. for example:
"i have a name problem," said X.
"i dont." said Y.
at the end i change X and Y into real names.

daisydaisy · 11-16-2006, 01:24 PM

Just put in any old name to begin with. As you get to know your character, a name will eventually fit, and you can change it.

Aeris · 11-16-2006, 01:30 PM

I do the same thing. I put in a place holder name for awhile. Sometimes that ends up being the character's name. But if I'm really stuck I go here Behind the Name and poke around.

wmd · 11-16-2006, 03:57 PM

I like the idea of a place holder... I will have to try that instead of spending four days thinking of names.

Thanks for that link.... it looks like a much better resource than the name book I have.

Anarkos · 11-17-2006, 04:09 AM

I tend to just use generic placeholders like "Johnny" and "Nick". Then, if and when I edit, I decide that I like them and keep them. Or not.

CZ · 11-17-2006, 06:29 AM

Since I write fantasy, one of the things I do is homogenize my names to some extent. I don't want to have a "John" come from the same kingdom as "N'tbuaarac" (not that I'd name any of my characters something like that!).

Thinking of names is a timesink that's easy for me to fall into, and one that lets me avoid writing, so like other folks here I tend to use placeholders until I figure out the right name. Usually it's not difficult, but there have been a few elusive names.

Foxee · 11-17-2006, 07:45 AM

Daisydaisy, thanks for posting that link! It's a great addition to and perhaps a replacement for the baby book.

I'm glad to see I'm not alone. I've never thought of using a placeholder (I like that idea) but if I'm stuck I do plug in any old name I can think of and the character either grows into that name or eventually reveals what their name should really be.

It can be a bit awkward writing that way until the proper name reveals itself, like calling your dog "John Jake Collins the Third" for a couple of days when his name is actually "Pizza".

Thing is, sometimes the first name comes quite easily then I still have to struggle with a surname. The phone book can be helpful and a friend of mine has offered to toss me names from his hotel guestbook (he said they're usefully random)...anybody have additional resources and ideas?

Also, how do fantasy writers come up with the naming conventions for their worlds?

I do agree with the others so far...the name of the game is to keep writing. It's amazing how something as innocuous as naming a character can foul that up...I liked the way CZ put it... a "timesink".

qweenie · 11-17-2006, 08:36 AM

I tend to have a pretty good idea going in of what my character's names will be. Maybe I'm wierd - but certain names link themselves to certain personality trait in my head. Mostly in wierd random ways, definitely not anything that would make sense to anybody else.....but giving a character a certain name helps define them for me, and makes them easier to write.

As for surnames - when I'm stuck I tend to just go to my bookshelf and choose the surname of one of the authors there

CZ · 11-17-2006, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foxee

Also, how do fantasy writers come up with the naming conventions for their worlds?

I use http://www.20000-names.com/ for the most part. It was linked on this site awhile back.

I have types of names loosely based on kingdom/area: one place might have Welsh type names, another has Nordic type names and so on. If I have to use a placeholder I'll find a random x-type name that fits the place the character is from and use that placeholder until I figure out what the final name will be.

I tend to use downtime (i.e. travelling somewhere/waiting for appointments/gym/whatever) to "world build" including thinking of names etc so that I can use uninterrupted time at the desk to write the actual novel.

daisydaisy · 11-17-2006, 11:53 AM

[quote=Foxee]Daisydaisy, thanks for posting that link! It's a great addition to and perhaps a replacement for the baby book.

quote]

Actually, that wasn't me. Aaris and I have the same picture.

Superlagg · 11-17-2006, 05:04 PM

For my story, I just started taking names from various webforums, modulating them into usable names, and sticking it wherever I needed a name. Though, I still use generic names, like Jim, Bob, Dave, and the surname is another generic name that is suffixed with -ford, -son, or any other sort of thing, sometimes using more than one suffix.

Example: Username MBase turns into Michal Base, HevyD turns into Hevyd Del Loca, Awesome Alex turns into Awesome Alex Supreme (Value Menu meal), CHBrules turns into Conrad Hans Brinker and his cloned wife Conesha Brinker, and so forth.

If you are writing science fiction or fantasy (works better in sci-fi) You can also just take username and put it in as it is. Usernames also make great product names and such.

theflowerofcarnage · 11-17-2006, 10:11 PM

I always browse around the net for names in advance, so whenever I do plan on writing something, I can use those names. I hate using generic names, so I try as much as I can to avoid it.

imrhati · 11-17-2006, 11:02 PM

i will get a really good idea of the character in my head. Whn I know enough of the charcter a name should seem to fit like a jigsaw.

lisajane · 11-17-2006, 11:45 PM

I use a couple of ways. I've either got the name ready to go, or once I got a character in my head, the name comes with it. Most of time, I look up a rough personality trait for the character and find names which mean that trait.

If none of the above, then it's David or Jennifer.