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04-17-2008, 02:10 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: USA
Gender: Female
Posts: 3
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Character Name
Hi, I'm new here, so I'm not sure if this is where this question belows, but I'll try it here for now. So here's my question:
I'm writing a story about a kind and caring 15-year-old girl who lives in the shadow of her popular, friendly twin sister. I've figured out the twin sister's name, Jamie-Anne (and a younger sister named Charlotte), but I can't figure out the main character's name. Well, I'm stuck between two. Charity and Emmaline. Do you think Charity is too obvious to name a kind, compasionate character? Or should I probably go with the second choice, Emmaline? (If it helps she has straight blonde hair and blue eyes).
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04-17-2008, 02:31 AM
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#2
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Prolific Writer
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 248
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Neither but if you must Emmaline. Of course what is the time period of your story? You can look on line at baby names and get ideas and check to see how common it is to have twins with similar names. Charity is so 1600's and Pilgrim-ish.
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04-17-2008, 02:35 AM
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#3
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: brooklands
Gender: Female
Posts: 7
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i think you should go with Emmaline to
it sounds like a cool name
charity is just..boring
no offence
and im new here to 
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04-17-2008, 05:37 AM
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#4
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Profound Writer
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Fayette-Nam, NC
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,181
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That and I've never met a charitable Charity (nor a chaste Chastity).
A lot of older names are coming back, but Charity had it's last heyday decades ago so I would try (whereas Emma names have been at the top for several years now, though I'm not sure if your character's quite old enough to be part of that trend.)
Most Popular Names of the 90's
Jessica
Ashley
Emily
Samantha
Sarah
Amanda
Brittany
Elizabeth
Taylor
Megan
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04-17-2008, 06:57 AM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Roma, Italia
Gender: Male
Posts: 15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Anna_Pavarli_76
Do you think Charity is too obvious to name a kind, compasionate character? Or should I probably go with the second choice, Emmaline? (If it helps she has straight blonde hair and blue eyes).
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Well, why are you looking for a unfrequent given name? Most of people has simpler names, like Ann or Mary. A name looks important at the beginning, but in the long term is the way to build your character that is important. A lot of character names of famous fictions are very simple. |
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04-17-2008, 09:34 AM
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#6
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: not nyc, NY
Gender: Male
Posts: 21
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Honestly, sometimes I feel like character names are a throwaway. A character could have any name and it wouldn't matter. It's the character's actions and attitude that make the character's name important. IMO, the characters name themselves
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04-17-2008, 09:48 AM
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#7
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Prolific Writer
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Washington D.C.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flintenspiel
Honestly, sometimes I feel like character names are a throwaway. A character could have any name and it wouldn't matter. It's the character's actions and attitude that make the character's name important. IMO, the characters name themselves
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Not true, writers like Edgar Allen Poe are notorious for thier selection of character names and how they fit or represent the character.
I think it goes for alot.
Between your choices I would go for Emmaline, If it was up to me I would call her Amy.
P.S. 200th POST WOOT!
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04-17-2008, 09:54 AM
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#8
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Ink Slinger
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Ireland
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Why don't you call her Charlise and have her friends call her Charlie?
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04-17-2008, 09:59 AM
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#9
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Prolific Writer
Join Date: Jan 2008
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LMAO @ "For Sale:One soul. Mint condition, never been used." Best sig line on WF.
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04-17-2008, 10:01 AM
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#10
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: not nyc, NY
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oops! double post
Last edited by Flintenspiel : 04-17-2008 at 10:21 AM.
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04-17-2008, 10:02 AM
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#11
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: not nyc, NY
Gender: Male
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Industrial
Not true, writers like Edgar Allen Poe are notorious for thier selection of character names and how they fit or represent the character.
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True. A name should reflect the character. However, as far as contemporary literature goes, more often than not, I find names are either bland and undescriptive labels, or extreme non-name words that only people in the 21st century would name their kids.
Ex. Chuck Palahniuk's "Fertility" from Survivior.
(of course, that was a stage name. but still, it was how she was referred to throughout the book.) |
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04-17-2008, 10:08 AM
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#12
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Ink Slinger
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Ireland
Gender: Male
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@Industrial: ty. 
Flint, just out of curiosity does your name reflect your character? I know mine doesn't.
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For Sale: One soul. Mint condition, never been used.
"In another life i'd be drenched in sweat with you but it's this life darlin', and in this life we make do." ~The Guillemots
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04-17-2008, 10:17 AM
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#13
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: not nyc, NY
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My name doesn't either. But we aren't characters in stories.
So you're saying the name doesn't have to reflect character? If so, then what, other than a simple label does a character's name have.
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04-17-2008, 11:20 AM
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#14
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Best Seller
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Bonnie Scotland
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Don't really like the name Charity but I think it would read better than Emmaline - It would be much easier just to have Emma. Emma sounds like a pretty, blond-haired, blue-eyed girly name
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04-17-2008, 03:15 PM
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#15
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Gender: Female
Posts: 12
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The name Laura conjures up a certain image for me. Classic but not too cute. Feminine and soft sounding.
I think Emmaline is too old fashioned next to Jamie-Anne.
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