NaNoWriMo: Names

[hwango]

It would be easier if I could call my characters “Bob” and “Tim” and such, and just go back later to fill in more fantasy-oriented names. However, I can’t really seem to do that. A character’s name is part of their identity, and I seem to have trouble writing about someone without knowing what their name is. Worse, I can’t just try to come up with crazy names on the spot, because as part of my effort to create countries that have discernable and obvious differences, I’m trying to give the people in them names that actually sound different. That means following rules. No matter how much I might like the name Osandril, it’s going to have wait to be assigned to someone from country #3, because the people from country #1 all have three-syllable names that end their first syllable with a consonant and second with a vowel. Or re mar. Kar si vus. Pan gu den. Of course, I’ll have to change my own rule if I want to keep Tetragen pronounced Te tra gen instead of Tet ra gen. Ack.

Comments

[qedrakmar.livejournal.com]

If you don't want to use name-style placeholders, you could always use things like (1) or (char) or something. My story (though not even close to finishing) revolves around a character whose name is never given, and the character develops just fine... ;)

[hwango.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the suggestion, but any placeholder at all makes it harder for me to 'get into character' with that person. Just a weakness I have, I suppose.

I once read a fairly long piece of fiction in which the names of both main characters were never given. The author wrote it that way as a kind of experiment, and I thought they pulled it off rather well.

[fenris-lorsrai.livejournal.com]

You could also take a brief break from writing and just do a list of names for each group. Thus when you get to the point where you suddenly need a new name, you can skim over the list and go "ah, ha! That sounds right!" Make sure to have several available for each letter of the alphabet, and cross 'em off the list as you use them.

Another sneaky trick is if you're dealing with groups (like, for example, a troop of soldiers) give each one a name starting with a different letter, in series. You can duplicate letters so long as they're different genders. It makes them easy to remember later AND if you don't want to make one right up then and there, you can put it in as just say, A or B. (I use this one constantly in RPGs to make sure I don't forget members of a group)

So, for instance, one of the original groups in a game consisted of Anthony, Basil (Basilico), Barbara, Charlotte, Davenrose (last name used as her common name. Her actual first name was Regina, but she would smack people for calling her that), Emmett, and Fiona. Anthony left and was replaced by Ghunwah. (yeah, ethnic names!) Then then got another member, Howie. Fiona left later and they then acquired Izzy.

It makes it easy to remember who's with the group at any given time and not accidentally forget a character. Just make sure never to actually write their names in alphabetical order or people will catch on. The easy way to break up a chain like that is to list all the men or women first then do the oppositie group, reversed. So if I relisted the current pack contents that way it would be Basil, Emmett, Howie, Izzy, Ghunwah, Davenrose, Charlotte, and Barbara.

You can also go with name pairings of the same letter to remind you that character appeared at the same time. Basil and Barbara both joined the group at the same time, thus why they're both Bs. It's like a little note to myself about history. "what order did they join again? Oh, riiiight. That was easy"

It's sneaky.

[hwango.livejournal.com]

I actually do have a list of names ready to be mined for new characters, but I keep forgetting to go back and add to it. This means that I often scan the (too short) list of names and fail to see one that fits, and then I have to come up with one on the spot. I will take your advice and add to the list now, though.

This is yet another thing that I should have finished in October, so I could spend all of November actually writing. Something to remember for next year. = )