It's a tricky business, choosing names for your protagonists and other characters in your novel. I'm guessing it might be akin to choosing a name for your child. After all, our characters sort of feel like our children, don't they? And just like with baby names, people have wildly varying reactions based on personal preferences and knowing individuals with that name in their lives.
Personally I'm not a big fan of naming one's son after the father since I believe it might interfere with the son's identity development. And when my sister named her middle son Dylan James, I blanched when she told me that they'd call him "D.J.", thinking that name sounded straight out of the TV show Roseanne! (Now that I know and love my nephew Dylan, I'd be fine with the name D.J., by the way).
How did you go about choosing your character names? Did you base it on your favorite names--names you'd like to use for your children someday? (George Costanza wanting to name his daughter "Seven" comes to mind!) Or did you try to infuse meaning into the names?
For my debut novel With Good Behavior, I did a combination of the above. I tried to be thoughtful in choosing the surname of my story's depraved crime family: Barberi. And for the son of the most vicious, psychotic character associated with that family, I picked the surname Madsen. (Plus, I love the actress Virginia Madsen and needed a Scandinavian name for the storyline).
For my protagonists I simply chose names that I liked: Sophie and Grant. Imagine my surprise when astute reviewer Ana Josefina Borge told me that she loved how the meanings of their names translated into their character strengths (Sophie = wisdom, Grant = great, tall, a gift). I was tempted to pretend that I'd intended that all along but I did fess up that it was a happy accident. ;-)
I'm currently reading Seers of Light by Jennifer DeLucy (and thoroughly enjoying it!) and one of her character names caught my eye: Christian Wright. At first I thought this character would be a total goody-two-shoes, but as I get to know Christian, I'm finding that he is very much a multi-faceted character. It seems her sequel Whispers of Light will explore his layers even more in depth.
How did you choose your character names? What are some of your favorite names?
It's Monday, time for the Meet an Author Monday Blog-Hop! A great chance to meet new authors.
Personally I'm not a big fan of naming one's son after the father since I believe it might interfere with the son's identity development. And when my sister named her middle son Dylan James, I blanched when she told me that they'd call him "D.J.", thinking that name sounded straight out of the TV show Roseanne! (Now that I know and love my nephew Dylan, I'd be fine with the name D.J., by the way).
How did you go about choosing your character names? Did you base it on your favorite names--names you'd like to use for your children someday? (George Costanza wanting to name his daughter "Seven" comes to mind!) Or did you try to infuse meaning into the names?
For my debut novel With Good Behavior, I did a combination of the above. I tried to be thoughtful in choosing the surname of my story's depraved crime family: Barberi. And for the son of the most vicious, psychotic character associated with that family, I picked the surname Madsen. (Plus, I love the actress Virginia Madsen and needed a Scandinavian name for the storyline).
For my protagonists I simply chose names that I liked: Sophie and Grant. Imagine my surprise when astute reviewer Ana Josefina Borge told me that she loved how the meanings of their names translated into their character strengths (Sophie = wisdom, Grant = great, tall, a gift). I was tempted to pretend that I'd intended that all along but I did fess up that it was a happy accident. ;-)
I'm currently reading Seers of Light by Jennifer DeLucy (and thoroughly enjoying it!) and one of her character names caught my eye: Christian Wright. At first I thought this character would be a total goody-two-shoes, but as I get to know Christian, I'm finding that he is very much a multi-faceted character. It seems her sequel Whispers of Light will explore his layers even more in depth.
How did you choose your character names? What are some of your favorite names?
It's Monday, time for the Meet an Author Monday Blog-Hop! A great chance to meet new authors.
Comments
Great names demand that you take the time
Eeleen, goodness, 3 years? The poor man and woman were probably having an identity crisis. ;) It does take some time to find a proper name.
Thanks for commenting!
It is derived from the Hebrew Shem'uel (Heard of God.) His first name is ironic : he is an agnostic, his bruised soul no longer able to believe.
Yet, he is the answer to the prayers of the afflicted whom he saves. I picked McCord for my undead Texas Ranger as a tip of my Stetson to the Western Icon, John Wayne, and his character in NORTH TO ALASKA :
Sam crossed the majestic mountains to the valleys far below.
He talked to his team of huskies as he mushed on through the snow.
With the northern lights a-running wild in the land of the midnight sun,
Yes, Sam McCord was a mighty man in the year of nineteen-one.
I use similar reasons for the major characters in my novels. It makes me smile while I write of them, knowing their origins, Roland
Occasionally I dig deeper into the meanings for symbolism - like, I just named a French woman who's a bit of a cougar, and her last name will be "DeMontagne" for "of the mountain" like mountain lion.
But many times I just pick a name out of the air that seems to suit their personality. I had one character that was mentioned but we never actually saw him, and I wanted to convey that he was a bit of a nose-in-the-air stick-in-the-mud so I named him Roger. To me it said a lot without having to say it, ya know? (Sorry to anyone named Roger who might read this. ;))
Nicki, I'm sure "Jen" was popular in the 1980's! I had a million Jens in my class. Good thinking on DeMontagne, and I look forward to reading about your cougar. That's funny--I have a character named Roger too, but he's nothing like your Roger. Case in point about names meaning different things to different people.
Eeleen, good to know your characters aren't floating in the abyss of no names anymore. ;)
I love the names Grant and Sophie too -- which works, since we're meant to love the characters!
When I name my... multiple personalities... I usually go random -- the first name that pops into my head -- which usually has some sort of connotation in my life. ;)
I usually pick names that I like, and that seem a good fit for the story. For walk on characters, I might use a name of someone I know, just for fun.
I'm all about character names! I never know if mine will keep but before I start writing any novel a name comes, that's about it... just a name! Funny how we all write differently!!! :)