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Why Character Names Matter

5/9/2013

26 Comments

 
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I have several works in progress without having actual character names. They have names that will have to change. That's where you come in because names are very important.

Hero names can either make or break the character's image. Heroines' names are a little more creative. An awkward heroine name can be shorten to an easier, often sexier,  name. Think about how you feel about certain names. I will not have a hero named Damien because I still remember The Omen, were the anti-Christ bore the same name. I stay away from the name Jason since it starred in so many slasher movies. Of course, one of my bad guys is Jason.

Then there are awkward names that don’t denote evil, but certainly doesn’t make you think of a sexy alpha male. Names like Elmer, Harold, or Eugene. I went to school with a decent guy named Eugene, but he did not attract the girls. Names do shape the way we treat people.

 As a teacher, I wonder why people actually named their sons Buddy, Buddy, or even Tater. I have seen the birth
certificates. Then there are the girls with stripper names such as Delite, Treasure and Njoy. It will be hard for them to even interview for a job in the professional world. A recent study revealed that applicants with unusual names did not even get an interview despite having the same or better qualifications. The real reason behind this is the interviewer already has a mental image of the candidate before ever meeting him or her.

This is the reason behind authors and stars changing their names. Back in Hollywood’s heyday, they tried
to make the star’s new names between two and three syllables and not more than five for the full name. It was easy to remember and say. The men sometimes could get by on fewer syllables such as John Wayne and Rock
Hudson.

 As a writer, I find myself running out of names I like. I recently went back to list all the names I’ve used in my Secret Cravings Novels. I discovered I repeated two names, Nick and Ashlee. Argh. This is a writer’s worst fear. The reason behind this is people will think they are the same people. They might think my Nick in Reluctant
Cougar
is fooling around with the heroine in Escaping
West
, even though almost two hundred years separate them. The good news is my historical Nick is really Levi due to changing his name when he became a gambler.

 As for Ashlee, I still have time to change the name since Seeking Shelter hasn’t been published yet. I could use some help coming up with new names for WIPs. Maybe you can help. Here are the names I used. 
 
Hero Names: Nick, Colt, Grayson, Townsend, Wolf, Marcus, Alex, Kevin, Ryan, Dylan, Jackson, Nick,
Curt, Brent

Heroine Names: Yvette, Emily, Eileen, Kitty, Krista, Teresa, Cinda, Darla, Ashlee, Amy, Leah, Elise, Ashley,
Deidre, Theo

I need two names for WIP contemporary romantic suspense.   The thirty-ish heroine manages to survive an attempt by her crime lord husband to kill her. He believes she is dead.  A kind soul and her brother rescue her from the sea. Unfortunately, the heroine doesn’t remember who she is. I need names for the heroine and the hero. The hero is intelligent and thoughtful, more Clark Kent than Superman.

 I appreciate your help. If I use your names, it is fitting you should get something from it. I will mention you in the
dedication, a free book when published, plus a gift card for right now. A $10 dollar gift card for either Starbucks or Amazon depending on where you live. Thanks.





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http://askdavid.com/free-book-promotion
David is currently promoting my books. The only requirement is that they are listed on Amazon. They can be listed elsewhere too.

26 Comments
M. S. Spencer link
5/9/2013 12:38:20 am

Great minds think alike Morgan! I have a blog coming out May 16 at Literary Lagniappe all about how I name my characters! You can't use Nick because he's in my WIP (so there). I must say I prefer classic names & spellings (Ashley not Ashlee); and it's nice if they have a meaning related to the character (in my new release Lapses of Memory the heroine's last name is Bellek which means memory. As for yours: how about Leo for the hero and Portia for the woman? :) Meredith

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Morgan K Wyatt
5/9/2013 02:09:31 am

I found a name generator, but I wanted to see what names appealed to real people as opposed to a computer making them up. I have looked through he Census records too.

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Jeanne Mangano
5/9/2013 12:43:51 am

How about Veronica Jackson (Ronnie as nickname)
or
Harleigh Randolph

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morgankwyatt link
5/9/2013 09:54:13 am

Veronica makes me think of Veronica Mars ( the television show.)

Harleigh would be harlee or harlay as far as saying his name. Or would people just call him Harl?

Interesting choices though, I can see Harleigh as being a thoughtful name too.

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Jean Joachim link
5/9/2013 12:50:38 am

How about Kelly Harrison for the heroine and Rob McConnell for the hero? I love coming up with names and have a couple of unusual ones in my books, for example, Tunney Nichols in The Renovated Heart. I can't write a book without having the names of the characters first. It helps me to visualize and craft them. I hope my suggestions help. Great post!

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Morgan K Wyatt
5/10/2013 09:48:10 pm

Whenever I hear Kelly, I automatically add Clarkson to it. I wonder how long I will do this.LOL
I have not used Rob yet.

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Ella Quinn link
5/9/2013 01:44:29 am

You probably know I'm usually stuck in the early 19th century. A lot of older names are coming back. What about Lilly and Matthew.

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morgan k wyatt link
5/9/2013 02:05:36 am

Hi Ella,

Lily is a mean girl in Escaping West. Sorry.

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Kathleen Ball link
5/9/2013 01:59:25 am

I have used some interesting names- Stetson's Storm- Stetson and Storm. Stetson is my brother's dogs name. How about Maureen and Brad?

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Morgan K Wyatt link
5/9/2013 02:07:15 am

My dog is named Chance. I never thought of using him in a book, but it has potential. LOL

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Gordon Osmond link
5/9/2013 07:41:14 am

Chance Wayne is the protagonist of Tennessee Williams' classic play Sweet Bird of Youth, played by Paul Newman opposite Geraldine Page. Anyone who saw the play or the movie will have a hard time thinking of any other Chance.

Ashley York
5/9/2013 02:30:10 am

You could approach it logically - if she's 30ish - she was born late 70's early 80's -popular TV shows are a source of names - Marcia, Jan, Cindy, Miss Holt - no wait, that's Laura. If you pick a long name like Juliette or Julie there are a lot of shortened versions to use. (I think of Psych), Marissa (more ethnic), Lindsay (Lin, Linz), Nicole (Nick, Nicky), for the men Fabio (kidding), Giovanni (John or Jack), Salvatore (Sal), but that's for the crime lord husband, how about Jake, Cole, or Scott? It has to fit your idea of the character, though. Good luck.

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Morgan K Wyatt
5/9/2013 07:01:55 am

My son and husband's names are both Scott. I do threaten to use them.

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Lindsay Downs
5/9/2013 02:41:18 am

For me coming up with names sometimes is easy, sometimes hard depending on the genre. For my contemporaries it's easier than with the regencies. There naming the characters can be difficult as the choices tend to be limited, especially for the women. Fortunately, I've got a link which helps. It's the fantasy were naming the characters is the most difficult. I'll take a normal name for example-Barbara and make it Ara.
Oh and Ashely-Lindsay can be both male and female.

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Morgan K Wyatt
5/9/2013 07:03:54 am

I used to register peole to vote I noticed Sydney, Stacey, Shannon and Shirley are also guy names too. Really, Shirley.

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Gordon Osmond link
5/9/2013 03:33:43 am

Congratulations on coming up with a topic that clearly strikes a lot of nerves. Great suggestions so far, I think.
In naming a character, thought should be given to the orientation of the PARENTS because, that's after all where the name came from. Traditional parents are more likely to name a daughter Margaret or Elizabeth, whereas younger less hide-bound parents might go for Hillary, Kimberly, or Courtney
Parents usually try to give a child a name that will not cause embarrassment as the child grows up. Such a parent would choose Scott or Mark for a boy. (The ultimate opposite of this is in the song A Boy Named Sue, telling of a father who wanted his son to develop character through constant childhood taunting.)
Names can also have subliminal influences on a reader. If, for example, you have a couple of dudes who are morally opposite, you could name the good guy Ben and the bad guy Mal.
Hope this helps and good luck!

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Morgan K Wyatt
5/10/2013 09:54:46 pm

I had a student I liked very much named Mal, short for Malquisha. I know some writers tell a great deal with a name like Trueheart, Strongheart or Braveheart as a last name. I also had a student named Remmington,which I thought was a heavy name for such a little fellow.

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Gordon Osmond link
5/9/2013 04:54:30 am

Another thought: It's important to consider the full name and the common diminutive, for example, Daniel and Dan. The diminutive can be important for two reasons. During childhood the diminutive will be used almost only exclusively.
Later on the two names can be used with advantage to indicate the mood of the conversation. When all is going well, it's Dan, but when the plot thickens and darkens, an angry wife will depart for her usual Dan and switch to Daniel. The change itself can register without too much in the way or needless exposition. The choice is another tool in the writer's chest.
I've noticed that many married men will shorten their wives' names to versions that sound like men's names. Allison becomes Al. I try not to infer too much sexual significance in this.

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Morgan K Wyatt link
5/9/2013 07:06:04 am

When a man has been married more than once, he often tries not to call his wife by her given name too much to make sure he never calls the wrong wife name. :)

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Angela Adams link
5/9/2013 09:38:39 am

I agree with everything you said about a name "making" or "breaking" a hero or heroine. Having said that, I am awful when it comes to thinking up names. I have a list and sometimes go "eeny, meeny, etc."

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Cindy Bartolotta
5/9/2013 11:05:40 am

I know my character's names before I start writing. Having that out of the way, helps develop them. What about Riley O'Connell and Marc Ford?

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MorganKWyatt
5/10/2013 09:56:57 pm

I like that Marc is spelled differently than the traditional Mak suggesting he might be unusual. It also indicates a younger me. Come to think of it, I haven't met too many Marcs.

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Tamara Hoffa link
5/9/2013 11:33:50 am

Brandon, Chase, Matthew.
Jennifer, Grace, Louise
O hate picking names too!

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MorganKWyatt
5/10/2013 09:59:57 pm

Chase has a nice western feel to it. Brandon more East Coast. Matthew is Midwest. These are only my opinions.

I read a romance were the character was named Pea, an unfortunate nickname. It bothered me the entire book.

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Sarah Hoss link
5/10/2013 07:24:46 am

Great topic. My niece named her daughter Sophia Mackenzee and we call her Sophie Mac. I also have a niece named Brookney and we call her Brook now that she is older.

As for a boy, I like Cohin, Holden, and Alexander.

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Morgan K Wyatt
5/10/2013 09:50:49 pm

I have heard quite a few girls named Brooklyn lately. A pair of brothers were named Walker and Hunter. I thought at first it was designations.

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    Morgan K Wyatt

    I write contemporary and historical romances for Secret Cravings. Escaping West is my newest book find more titles at: www.morgankwyatt.com

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