The Dos and Don'ts of naming your character
12-07-2008, 04:30 AM
The Do's and Don'ts of naming characters.
What is more than important than your characters name?
A character is a huge part of any story, and a bad name is ruin a story or a game.
Heres some things I have noticed while playing games and making games, with some advise I've heard thrown in.
Naming Fiction Characters - Alliteration
"Hi, my name is Chris, this is my sister Cristy, our dog Chime, and Great Aunt Chelsea."
Do not give the majority of characters in your game names that begin with the same letter. Not only is this too cute for words - these are the same people that dress in matching outfits at holidays - it can also confuse the player.
Naming Fiction Characters - Avoid Real People
Abraham Lincoln might very well be a wonderful name for the weaponsmith in your story, but it will bother some readers. If you are going to use the names of real people, be sure there is a reason for it. Also, using the names of people you know in real life may cause undue Mary Sue-ness or end up getting you sued.
Naming Fiction Characters - No Transgender Names
Francis, Pat, Terry, and Robin are all great names. However, they have gender ambiguity. Do not make it difficult for your readers to remember if Pat is the sister or brother of your main character.
Naming Fiction Characters - Avoid Plain
Since you want your characters to be memorable, do not give them plain, ordinary names. This does not mean you should come up with outlandish ones either. John Smith, Mary Roberts, Ann Jones, Bob Johnson. These names are so commonplace that people may forget them.
Naming Fiction Characters - No Rhyming
Another too-cute method of naming characters is rhyming their names. Do this only if you have a reason, such as a pair of twins with a silly mother. We all remember Palem and Porem, but hey, they were twins, and who couldnt like them? Bob and Rob, Tim and Jim, Mary, Larry, Gary, and Carrie. This is just another way to confuse readers.
Naming Fiction Characters - Avoid the Last S
The last thing to avoid when naming fiction characters are names that end with the letter S. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with them: Regis, Thomas, Marcus, but they throw you into the possessive conundrum. Some style guides say to show possessive with an apostrophe S no matter what. Others say to use just the apostrophe.
Select a name that reflects your character's personality. Occasionally, the names of my characters change mid-way through the making of my game. Why? Because the character isn't who I thought he was when I first set out to make the game. Think of your favorite actor. I'll settle on Jack Nicholson. Now picture him, walking the red carpet in his sunglasses and tux. Got a good image of him? Good. Now, what if I told you that man's name was actually Horace Wheatley? Don't worry, it's not. But you get the gist, I'm sure. The name should reflect the personality of your character. It doesn't always do so in real life, but it certainly should in fiction.
The name of your character should roll nicely off the tongue. The names you choose should sound harmonious. Vary the syllables. Take more time developing the names of your main characters, which will be mentioned far more often than your secondary characters. Consider the names of some of your favorite fictional characters.
Keep the character's name consistent with his time period. For instance, you wouldn't have found many Calebs or Jaydens back in the 1930s and 40s when Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe were walking the streets. You wouldn't find them in 17th Century Romania either. Research the time period and place in which your novel is to be set, and find popular names from that time and place.
Avoid names that sound similar to names that others have already made famous. If you are making a childrens game, it will not do well to name your main character Larry Potter, or Harry Totter either for that matter. Be as original as possible without making the name odd.
This kind of defeats the entire purpose of this thread, but If you have trouble coming up with ideas for names, use this generator. It's for fantasy names.
http://www.todays-woman.net/writing-reso...t-776.html
What is more than important than your characters name?
A character is a huge part of any story, and a bad name is ruin a story or a game.
Heres some things I have noticed while playing games and making games, with some advise I've heard thrown in.
Naming Fiction Characters - Alliteration
"Hi, my name is Chris, this is my sister Cristy, our dog Chime, and Great Aunt Chelsea."
Do not give the majority of characters in your game names that begin with the same letter. Not only is this too cute for words - these are the same people that dress in matching outfits at holidays - it can also confuse the player.
Naming Fiction Characters - Avoid Real People
Abraham Lincoln might very well be a wonderful name for the weaponsmith in your story, but it will bother some readers. If you are going to use the names of real people, be sure there is a reason for it. Also, using the names of people you know in real life may cause undue Mary Sue-ness or end up getting you sued.
Naming Fiction Characters - No Transgender Names
Francis, Pat, Terry, and Robin are all great names. However, they have gender ambiguity. Do not make it difficult for your readers to remember if Pat is the sister or brother of your main character.
Naming Fiction Characters - Avoid Plain
Since you want your characters to be memorable, do not give them plain, ordinary names. This does not mean you should come up with outlandish ones either. John Smith, Mary Roberts, Ann Jones, Bob Johnson. These names are so commonplace that people may forget them.
Naming Fiction Characters - No Rhyming
Another too-cute method of naming characters is rhyming their names. Do this only if you have a reason, such as a pair of twins with a silly mother. We all remember Palem and Porem, but hey, they were twins, and who couldnt like them? Bob and Rob, Tim and Jim, Mary, Larry, Gary, and Carrie. This is just another way to confuse readers.
Naming Fiction Characters - Avoid the Last S
The last thing to avoid when naming fiction characters are names that end with the letter S. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with them: Regis, Thomas, Marcus, but they throw you into the possessive conundrum. Some style guides say to show possessive with an apostrophe S no matter what. Others say to use just the apostrophe.
Select a name that reflects your character's personality. Occasionally, the names of my characters change mid-way through the making of my game. Why? Because the character isn't who I thought he was when I first set out to make the game. Think of your favorite actor. I'll settle on Jack Nicholson. Now picture him, walking the red carpet in his sunglasses and tux. Got a good image of him? Good. Now, what if I told you that man's name was actually Horace Wheatley? Don't worry, it's not. But you get the gist, I'm sure. The name should reflect the personality of your character. It doesn't always do so in real life, but it certainly should in fiction.
The name of your character should roll nicely off the tongue. The names you choose should sound harmonious. Vary the syllables. Take more time developing the names of your main characters, which will be mentioned far more often than your secondary characters. Consider the names of some of your favorite fictional characters.
Keep the character's name consistent with his time period. For instance, you wouldn't have found many Calebs or Jaydens back in the 1930s and 40s when Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe were walking the streets. You wouldn't find them in 17th Century Romania either. Research the time period and place in which your novel is to be set, and find popular names from that time and place.
Avoid names that sound similar to names that others have already made famous. If you are making a childrens game, it will not do well to name your main character Larry Potter, or Harry Totter either for that matter. Be as original as possible without making the name odd.
This kind of defeats the entire purpose of this thread, but If you have trouble coming up with ideas for names, use this generator. It's for fantasy names.
http://www.todays-woman.net/writing-reso...t-776.html
