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.