Name Theory: Feel Your Way Through

Imagine you are in the middle of a room which is pitch black. How do you get out?

You feel your way out.

You feel your way to an answer.

Instinct, emotion, and sense can be used to help you get to nearly any goal. Especially in art, where sparking emotion is often the goal, you can use your emotional connection to your creation to find the right word, the right setting, the right turning point, or the right character name.

Art is feeling, and art is inspiring feelings in others.

Today’s message is that simple.

Trust your instincts, delve into your gut, and find what you seek by feeling your way to the door. Writer’s block, or namer’s block, can often be solved by asking yourself the simplest of questions:

What do I want? Or, what do I need?

Then feel your way through to the answer.

Character of the Week: Iowa Names

Sometimes naming is just a feeling.

The Writer Describes the Character

Female, not quite 30, set in the modern day
Born and raised in a small town in Iowa, transplanted to Boston.
Her parents don’t figure very prominently in this story, but they probably own a small farm supply or grocery store and aren’t very remarkable.
Mother’s name is Ida; love interest’s last name is Kvamme.
She is a completely unexpected genius who won a scholarship to MIT, went to school there, and now works there. She discovered time-travel pretty much single-handedly, and now has to figure out who has been changing things in her life, and why.
Soft Science Fiction

I admit I don’t remember being very inspired when searching for names for this one. The love interest has an interesting name, but the mother has a “normal” name (albeit, a very unpopular name for when the character would have been born). I thought that since this character is from a small Iowa town and “transplanted” to a major city, that there may be a bit of a fish out of water thing going on, and therefore the character should have a normal/popular sort of name.

I searched the SSA database for names popular in Iowa about 30 years ago, and I skimmed the list for names that “felt” right. For other namings, I know I kept character qualities like intelligence in mind, but for this one I think I just let the names hit me.

My Reply to the Writer

• Sophie Miller
• Bridget Miller
• Lacey Miller
• Kara Miller
• Molly Miller

The writer replied: Bridget Miller sounds perfect. Thank you!

Often it’s good to be thoughtful about character naming, but going by instinct is a valid technique. Somehow my instincts often helped me as well as or better than my “smarts” when I was helping name characters for other writers, as evidenced by this writer’s enthusiastic response!

Name Theory: Cure Disbelief by Creating Reality

Why would a robot call himself Sir? Why would he call his dog Lord? Why would a robot even have a pet?

These are the questions I began to ask myself when contemplating this week’s naming. I needed to justify my name choices with a reason that would make sense in the context of the story.

Justify, justify, justify.

This refrain comes up a lot when I’m writing, or reading, or critiquing. Why would a character do or say something? Why would a society have certain rules? Why would a character’s parents have named her Kaditya?

Why? It’s the most often used word in my critique group. Why does your character think her date is gay? Why is your character attracted to her sister? Why does anyone put up with your characters antics?

If you’ve done the appropriate character development, the answer to the question should be simple and your only work will be in making it understood or accepted (inciting suspension of disbelief) by the reader. But you must do the character development.

Most problems unrelated to plot are due to a lack or hole in character development. Even in a story where the writer has done the due diligence of working out who her character is and why he acts the way he does, there can be other holes.

Holes in the character development of the secondary and tertiary characters.

Did you know that secondary character have motivations that are wholly unrelated to the main character?

Think about it this way: That closeted man on the date with your heroine is the main character in his own life. That girl who is flirting with the half-sister she just met has had a full life leading up to that moment. That acquaintance of your character has had other experiences that morning which will affect how he reacts to any antics.

Your other characters are not there just to further the plot or to populate your main character’s world, they are “real” people with their own reasons for telling you that they are interested in another guy or crying when you say another guy isn’t much of a golfer.

Make sure that you have shown the readers a good enough reason why the secondary character acts the way she does, so that the reader isn’t thrown out of the “reality” of your story and back into the bookstore where there are better written characters waiting to be read.

Character of the Week: A Robot and His Dog Names

This one was a truly unique naming.

The Writer Describes the Character

Okay, my characters aren’t exactly HUMAN, but they have human names. 

Gender: Male
Species: Robot/AI (humanoid)
Age: Unknown (est. 150+)
Where born/raised: New York City
Info about parents: (father) Government scientist and robotics engineer, conservative
Career and characteristics: he doesn’t really have a “career”. He goes around from place to place, basically surviving. He usually just collects things that catch his eye. He is very small, about three and a half feet tall, with a battered silver-blue metal frame. He’s humanoid, with five fingers and no toes. His body is made of simple rounded shapes, his entire torso just an egg and his arms rounded. He wears a yellow construction hat with a bright light attached to it, has a backpack with one strap across his chest, and heavy brown gloves. His head is rounded at the top and flatter on the bottom, with a single blue-light eye. He wears a red bandanna around his neck. He has an MP3 player attachment inside of his chest (a plate slides down). He takes snippets of the song lyrics in order to communicate with the humans that he meets.
Genre: Sci-fi, Apocalypse
Note: He’s a little robot, so I’d sorta like something simple. Also, he refers to himself as “Sir ___” because he calls his dog/companion “Lord ___”, so something that sounds okay or cool with “Sir” would be wonderful.

Gender: Male
Species: Dog
Age: Unknown (est. 1-1.5)
Where born/raised: Unknown (found in Washington D.C.)
Names of parents/siblings/love interests: Angel (female German Shepherd)
Career and characteristics: he basically survives along with his companion (above). They are packmates in his eyes, with his companion being the alpha. He hunts the small animals that they find, which are surprisingly plentiful. He looks like a Golden Retriever, but with slightly shorter fur and a more reddish-gold coloring. His eyes are golden brown, and one if his ears is shredded.
Genre: Sci-Fi, Apocalypse
Note: He is referred to as “Lord ___” by the above character, so something that sounds cool like that would be nice. Oh, and a unique, human, name, too. Not Spot or Spike or Rufus. Foreign names are welcome for either character.
Thank you! I don’t know if you can do non-humans, but it would be much appreciated!

So this robot character seems a little like a Wall-e, but with some different quirks. Any creature who refers to himself as Sir So-and-So, and to his dog as Lord Not-Dog-Name, is definitely quirky. I just had to discover in what way.

I tried to put myself into this robot’s mind, to think about why he would like using these honorifics and what may have inspired his name choices. I think I had a good concept, but I could see the writer using my thought to come up with other name choices.

My Reply to the Writer

I have chosen names from the Round Table (or related names). Sirs became Lords, and Kings became Sirs. I think anyone who calls himself Sir and his dog Lord would probably be obsessed by or inspired by something.

• Sir Benwick
• Sir Arthur
• Sir Pellinor
• Sir Loth
• Sir Gaul

• Lord Gallath
• Lord Lionel
• Lord Tristan
• Lord Ector
• Lord Mordred

The writer replied: Thank you so much! Those names are amazing! I like Sir Pellinor and Lord Tristan the best.

This naming definitely made me think. I think that’s what I love about Sci-Fi and Fantasy namings: I have to stretch myself to consider the characters’ worlds and perspectives before I can search for appropriate names. You see, character motivation is important on so many levels.

Character Surname Possibilities

It is difficult for me to give advice on surnames, because other than choosing based on origin, they seem to truly be chosen only due to the preference of the writer. While surnames may be invented or go extinct, they do not come in and out of style like given names and so are therefore easier to mix and match as needed.

The best advice on choosing surnames for characters is:

1. Make sure it is from the correct culture if your character’s background is mentioned in the story.
2. Pick a surname that is easy to pronounce (for readability) and spell (for your own sake).
3. Short surnames of one or two syllables will also help readability.
4. No nouns. No jokes. And lay off the surnames with too obvious meanings.
5. Read potential surnames out loud to make sure they don’t sound like something else. (I know a woman whose last name is Hoare, pronounced Whore.)

Here are some of the surnames of our students. I selected names that are not too common (or else you would have come up with them yourself), nor too strange. I’ve tried to give choices for each letter of the alphabet, focusing on names that are more likely to be used in the US.

 

Surname Possibilities

Aksel: German, meaning Father of Peace

Bamsey: English

Chamblain: French

Clack: English, refers to a chatterer

Druck: Jewish from the German, meaning Print (refers to a printer)

Eiding

Fiano: Italian place name

Fors: Swedish, meaning Waterfall

Gauger: German, meaning To Wander Around or Stumble

Hambury: English place name

Janamillo

Kutsop

Lazoff

Lindahl: Swedish, meaning Lime Tree Valley

Marra: Italian, meaning Heap of Stones

Monzo: Spanish place name

Noonan: Irish, meaning Beloved or Dear

Ostergaard: Danish and Swedish, meaning Eastern Farmstead

Prout: English, variant of Proud

Quilty: Irish

Rosser: English

Sokol: Slavic, meaning Falcon

Thierry: French, meaning Ruler of the People

Unter

Verdy

Whetsel

Yellen: Americanization of a Norwegian name, meaning Terrace or Ledge

Zemlin

Interesting Rare Name Choices

Today I want to feature some of the rare names of our college students. (Some of these may not be rare in the country or culture that the student comes from, but they are rare in the US.)

I wouldn’t suggest you use names this rare in every story you write, unless you write Sci-fi or Fantasy. In fact a few of these seem particularly suited to those genres. Specifically, I believe Lilu probably inspired the name of the character Leeloo in The Fifth Elelment.

(Note: I unfortunately cannot post my favorite of the rare names, since when I searched for the name on the Internet this student was mentioned in every listing. It’s a shame I can’t share it, because it is such a great name and a truly unique moniker.)

 

Interesting Rare Choices

Amika (f): Latin name meaning Loved Friend

Andro (m)

Basit (m): Arabic name meaning One Who Enlarges

Ceren (f): Turkish name meaning Young Gazelle

Cerise (f): French name meaning Cherry

Derya (u): Turkish name meaning Ocean

Divya (f): Indian name meaning Devine

Eliad (m): Hebrew name meaning My God is Forever

Germaine (u): Most likely meaning From Germany

Giorgi (m): Version of George meaning Farmer

Hiley (f): English place name

Isle (f)

Jamilla (f): Arabic name meaning Beautiful or Graceful

Jesella (f)

Jia (f): Chinese name meaning Outstanding Person

Jiada (f): Alternate spelling of Giada which is an Italian name meaning Jade

Joakim (m)

Junious (m)

Kerrin (f): Danish version of Katherine

Kriti (f): Hindu name meaning Work of Art

Lilu (f)

Lucio (m): Spanish name meaning Light

Montez (m): Spanish name meaning Dweller in the Mountains

Nikolina (f)

Olesia (f): Polish diminutive of Aleksandra

Patricio (m): Latin name meaning Nobleman

Philina (f)

Prim (f)

Rommia (f)

Vivek (m): Indian name meaning Distinction

Volkan (m): Turkish name meaning Volcano

Zeenia (f): Varriant of Xenia which is a Greek name meaning Guest or Stranger

 

Name Theory: Students in Society

Some of the college students I work with are characters. It’s not always a good thing, but it’s always an inspiration.

Today I thought I’d tell you about a few of them and their interesting names.

 

One of the biggest characters is Maguire. I love that name.

He is confident, together, intelligent, and all-together what you would want in someone you have to deal with. He’d also make a great character—the kind of character that would charm the girl, save the day, get things done, and move the plot along.

Technically, Maguire is not his name. His name is James Maguire Stainton (only it’s not; I’ve substituted similar names for privacy). So Maguire, what I’m guessing is a family name (mother’s maiden name?), is almost a pseudonym for this “character”. While he seems to use his given name with people he doesn’t know very well (I’ve heard other students refer to him as “James”) he prefers for most people to call him Maguire.

I think it could be great to have such a character who has an excellent middle name that she or he uses with most people, but a common or boring given name that is used by those who have been relegated to permanent acquaintance status.

 

I haven’t meet the next student I’d like to introduce to you, but I wonder about her. The name has me making up stories about her.

She is one of our many Asian students, and like is oft done she is also known by an American (or English) name. Unlike most of those Asian students who have chosen common or slightly out of date names, this girl seems to have been given something with a “story” for a background.

I imagine an American student dubbed her this nickname, but she may have taken it on herself after reading the book or watching the movie Twilight.

Her name is Sewan, and her nickname is Bella. Bella Sewan.

It’s cute, it’s memorable, and it makes me think. Is she at all like Bella Swan? Is she an everygirl who isn’t remarkable? Does she hate the cold and love to read? Does she love Vampires?

Or is she nothing like that. Is she a punk girl, or a hipster? Does she break the mold and make her “joke” name into another form of rebellion?

Someday I hope to meet her and find out.

 

The last character is another who I haven’t met, but who is soon to find that her rare and different name has suddenly leapt in popularity.

Arya. You may have heard of her? No, yes, maybe?

Arya used to be an extremely rare name in the US. It is an Indian name meaning Noble, Great, or Truthful. I’m not sure if the Arya who we work with is Indian, but I would guess she is.

If she was a newborn, however, I wouldn’t make that kind of guess.

Arya has shot up in popularity in the past few years, both as an alternate spelling for Aria (which is also up in the popularity charts) and as an homage to the Game of Thrones character.

I wonder what the student Arya thinks of the character bearing her name. I wonder what she thinks of the name’s popularity rising. And I wonder whether she is even aware of these aspects of our society (the book series, the television series, and the name popularity).

Characters who are outsiders might not know what their names sound like or mean to those in a society they have recently entered. In fact, learning about their name in the new society could help show the reader something about both the character and the society.

 

These are just a few of the interestingly named characters I am working around. I haven’t even told you about Mr. Rabbit, yet. Maybe next time.

Until then, have fun naming your characters. And remember, even if it ends up on the cutting room floor, the story of your character’s name could be an interesting character sketch.