What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
As I am working on preparing for NaNoWriMo, I have begun thinking about characters’ names. I think part of this naming preoccupation has to do with the fact that many of my friends and me are having babies so names have been a common topic of conversation, but I think the other part is the fact that characters’ names need to really match who they are as a character. In a movie we saw last night by Ed Burns called Purple Violets, the main character’s name was Patti Petalson. With the alteration and comic book feeling of this name, you had to really believe that it fit. Come to thing of it, Burn’s used Chazz Coleman and Michael Murphy as other names with alteration. The names did fit the characters, but you have to be careful when thinking about using this type of style because sometimes it can come across as forced. I recommend really thinking about names for your characters and not just choosing something because you like it. Characters need names that help define who they are in the story. Think about all the reasons you can’t name your child Jezebel even if you like the name. There are certain associations to names that will make your reader believe that is who they are.
Nicknames are also an important part of a character. Does your character have one? Is it based on their actual name — Dick for Richard, Betsy for Elizabeth, Eddie for Edward? Or do they have names that have nothing to do with their actual name? My mother grew up with a guy whose nickname was Fast Eddie (probably for good reason). Over the years, my mom has met a lot of Eddies and she swears that each Eddie she meets could be nicknamed Fast Eddie. These Eddies can be sixty year old men or five year old boys. Each of them seem to demonstrate an attribute of that first Fast Eddie. In fact, she is sure that all of us have met a Fast Eddie in our day.
As you are brainstorming your characters for your piece, be sure to research names that will fit the time period as well. The name Trixie probably isn’t going to show up in a period piece about the Renaissance just as much as the name Josephine is going to show up in modern times without some type of nickname attached. Use resources to help figure out names. Read baby books or look at online resources (I’ve listed a couple below). Begin to collect these names so that your character can become real to your reader as your story grows.
Naming Your Characters
Resources for Naming Characters
Tips for Writers
