Character names for writing a book

Ive created a lawyer character that is a compilation of all the bad qualities of every rascal man ive ever dated, all bad qualities rolled into one. Character names are to characters as titles are to books, so if youre blindly. On one hand, you dont want to saddle your characters with ordinary, pedestrian names. Give them a goal your character s story goal serves as the basis of their journey, helping you plot your story with clarity and purpose 2. Helps the reader differentiate between the major players. Attributing quotes to fictional characters writing stack. Aug 28, 2012 i usually think of character names that inspire stories. Create unusual, surprising characters by giving them traits that dont always go together.

Especially when writing a novel or a series of stories, coming up with a fitting name for each member of your cast can be surprisingly difficult and time consuming. Follett isnt the first author to load on the characters. Whenever i get new name ideas, i will incorporate them into the already existing list. Writing a book can be challenging enough on its own. But on the current story im working on, wouldnt you know it, the names arent settling with me. Youll get the inside scoop on their naming methods, plus the stories behind the names of their most famous characters. So throw out your old telephone books and babynaming guidesthe writers digest character naming sourcebook meets all your naming needs. You have to invest everything you are into creating an important p.

I wish i was writting a magical story right now so that i could use one of those unusual names. Naming a character, especially in a longer piece of writing, can be just as. How to make a good last name for characters in a book. Have you ever wondered how to write a childrens book, and if you have what it takes to create one. Head to a baby name website and search for names by gender, popularity, and alphabet. Make sure each name you choose fits the character, i.

Many grandmothers are doting, but what if theyre also manipulative and selfserving. Note that all fields are optional and should be used simply as a guide. If i want to honor someone in real life, i may use their last name as a first for a character. This gives the book a sort of visual aesthetic crucial, since novels dont have the help of visuals. Oct 21, 2019 about the writers character generator. Aim to have the name suggest something about the character. In the second tier are other names you might run into more than once in your lifetime. Bestseller david baldacci says he doesnt have a set formula. If you want specific suggestions, you need to tell us what kind of book it is. But to create characters with the depth that will make them seem real to your reader, we must proceed to a deeper level. Writing resources for naming your characters writing forward.

If character names arent coming easily, try one of these tips to. If you have any other names that you would like to add to the l. To match the monochromatic title, fifty shades of grey has characters named grey and steele. How to come up with an iconic character name in 12 steps. So, ive been looking up names and meanings online and wavering back and forth. Oh by the way, another name i thought you might like on your list. There are all kinds of arabic names, for example, that have a long history and tradition, so picki.

A captivating character is what truly hooks kids on a book or an entire series, which is why the most popular childrens books feature unforgettable figures who kids can relate to or look up to. This list is comprised of some of the most recognizable names from fictional books. All you have to do is scour the page of 300 unique, original fantasy names and keep this list a reference while you write that fandomworthy novel of yours. A stressfree guide to writing the book of your dreams. If youre writing a historical fiction novel, for example, make sure your characters names are appropriate for the time period in which your book is set. The hard part of writing a book isnt getting published. Character genre based names vintage writing resources i am not an expert character genre based names vintage writing. I also explain how you can write your book faster this year. In this article, i offer 10 steps for writing a book along with 10 bonus steps to getting your book done. Writing adolescent fictioncharacter namesboys wikibooks, open. Sort using filters such as language, gender, and fantasy and even discover the meaning behind your favorites.

Charactergenre based names vintage writing resources i am not an expert charactergenre based names vintage writing. Tricks and traps of using real people in your writing, part 1. Jul 31, 2015 tricks and traps of using real people in your writing, part 1. Answering questions like these will help draw a deep portrait of the. For my current project, i just went with what i liked. Writers resourcescharacter name listsfind names for your characters. If the title of a work contains the name of a fictional character, style the name as a name and the title as a title that is, in italics or quotation marks. Fed up of staring at a blank page and trying to find the right name for a character. Im writing a book right now, and the names are so important. Charactergenre based names znalezione obrazy dla zapytania vintage names for girls names girl names boy names unisex names nonbinary names kathleen is a really pretty and classy name.

Write down your characters full name first name, middle name, and last name, and any other names nicknames titles he or she has. There are probably thousands of movie examples where names reflect the core essence of a character, some primary value they have, or function they carry in the plot from john book, harrison fords character in witness, a good cop who goes by the book the letter of the law in opposing his friend and mentor, the bad cop chief paul schaeffer, to malcolm crowe, bruce willis. It drives me a little nuts when i see reimaginings of classics, because you get the long cast of overdone characters who never change. Top 10 character cliches that drive me nuts litreactor. Aug 16, 2018 character names are to characters as titles are to books, so if youre blindly putting finger to phone book when picking one, youre doing it wrong. Remember, dont choose names that start with the same letter. Other favorite names in my book are luella nn lu, almafor a girl, dexter, and the twins oliver and oscar, all siblings of arry. Our name generator allows you to create a name with up to five components, so a name can be short and sweet or doublebarrelled and swanky. Jan 17, 2018 agatha christie was exceptionally good at naming characters in this way, and its one of those things that when an author doesnt quite get it right can make a book really grate, but when they do get it right can make it really flow. How to create characters for your novel how to write a book now. My main character is named wallace wally mcknight because i like having nicknames for characters and i like how his full name looks. Check out the video below to see my favorite book name generators in action and how i a nonfiction title generator can work surprisingly well as a novel title generator. Give them purpose if a character doesnt in some way shape the plot or round out your.

Youll also get a clever tool that speeds up writing a great book that you readers will love. After 32 novels, ive created thousands of characters, so the challenge is not to duplicate. Here are more do not tips when choosing your characters names. The right of publicity by helen sedwick explains if and when writers can model characters after real people and name names without getting sued. Aug 28, 2019 using any of these methods cuts down the amount of time i spend coming up with character names and lets me get back to the actual writing. Character name generator the ultimate bank of 2,000,000. Charactergenre based names vintage writing resources baby name generator i have a shipping problem anomalouslywritten. How to write a book in 2020 a stepbystep guide for new. From chinese to viking and from dragon to werewolf, i have a fantasy name generator for all your needs. Jan 16, 2010 ive written an unlikely fiction book based on a group of environmental activists.

We hope to make things easier by giving you the opportunity to craft an immense number of convincing potential characters with whom to populate your stories. With over 220,000 names in our database, you can also specify language, nationality and other factors to give your character the perfect name. You probably dont want to use a new, modern name if youre writing a novel that takes place in the year 1750. Think of the book little women by louisa may alcott, and that family of girls.

Coming up with a great name for your characters is one of the hardest tasks youll ever complete as a fiction writer. Choosing fictional character names best character names. When your child gets invested in a certain character, theyll be more likely to pick up subsequent books in. There are many literary and movie characters that become everlasting brands in our cultureatticus finch, ratso rizzo, holden caulfield and scarlett ohara, for example.

Have you struggled to imagine a suitable name for your story or novel character. Thesauruses, plots, character traits, names, and more kindle edition by donovan, bryn. Shes also the author of the excellent resource for writers, youve got a book in you. You may be writing a mystery have your main character may just be referred to as, for example, the man, all the way through the novel. Use these methods for naming characters in your book. Of course these lists are flexible names can often be used either way looking for more help with character development. In reality, a character name has just a few things to establish.

On one hand, you don t want to saddle your characters with ordinary, pedestrian names. This is great character writing advice from becca puglisi. Use our free random character name generator and generate names to kickstart your next creative writing project. When writing a book, is it okay to mentionmake references. If shown, the year indicates when the book was first published. How to name your book characters writing with jenna moreci. Get access to the free course here my favorite book title generators. If you name your character right, you will choose a name that is unique to your character and memorable to your story.

When i realized that she was both an attorney and someone who understands the world of bloggers, online publishers, and authors, i asked her to write an article that would highlight legal issues authors face, and how those issues affect selfpublishers. Jennifer moss is an author of a series of mystery novels and the founder of and. The importance of character names go into the story. Jan 20, 2016 get the tsc audiobook for free on audible. Use the ethnic background of the character to search online for names that are for the background, eg. These include novels, short stories, graphic novels and comic books. But for fiction writers its harder because you have to come up with a dozen or so character names for every single story or novel. So, this female character needs a good superhero name, her actual name is mica grenbern, and her super power is the ability to summonmake chains from her hands, arms, and back, to then use them as she likes against enemies just ask if you need a better description of what the power isdoes. The easy way to name fantasyscifi characters samantha. Charactergenre based n vintage writing names writing resources character building writing reference character names old fashioned names apparently my mom liked old fashioned names because my siblings names, and mine too, are on there.

If you need further help with character names, write jennifer, to book a character name consultation. It is publishing the book that can triggering infringement, libel, and other legal issues. So next time youre stuck and cant decide what to name your dystopian sharpshooting heroine, try one of these ideas. Your character names need to fit into the fascinating, magical and mystifying world that you have created. In my current novel, im writing about faculty, staff, and students at a smallish university in the southeast. I dont find it difficult to choose names for characters. My real problems is trying to settle on a name for a new puppy. Many aspiring and even accomplished authors dream of writing a childrens book. Essentially, you can simply think up a random name. Nov 02, 2017 this is great characterwriting advice from becca puglisi. So far, we have looked at how to create characters that have a purpose in the plot, that are distinct, and that are consistent. Maybe you have an incredible idea that you cant stop thinking about. How to give your character the perfect name writers digest. When you are writing a book, during the actual writing process itself, yes all of these are allowed.

I have this character and cant think of a good superhero name for her relating to her power. You can even fashion character names from a theme, if it fits. But youre a writer, so you know how to get creative. This list of general girls names is divided into three tiers. Okay, so technically, the title of this book is a world of baby names. You may have noticed them while reading, or you may need to start being aware when you next pick up a book. The weight of that responsibility can often paralyze writers. The 7 rules of picking names for fictional characters.

A characters name is a basic part of that character, but it can sometimes be hard to come by just the right name. Here are a few things to consider when choosing character names. This doesnt mean you have to commit before you start writing. How to write a childrens book in 9 easy steps complete. Even if this is the case, to add depth to your character, you should know them insideout. Writing adolescent fictioncharacter namesgirls wikibooks. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Brainstorm characters for your book on now novel, and use the helpful prompts in the character. In the first tier are roughly the top 400 names among girls of high school age in the past few decades. In an interview, the writer stephen king said that one of his favorite books features a character named margaret ridpath. A minimalistic approach is to place the characters name in quotes. Its better to call a character caleb, which means faithful or faithful dog, than to overkill it by naming. Fantasy name generator are you writing a fantasy novel and need some character. Return to writing romance printmobilefriendly version.

In this easy guide for new writers and aspiring authors, i break book writing down stepbystep. Print this page to complete the form for each main character you create. Rowlings made a habit of writing huge ensemble casts in her books, and joseph hellers catch22 dedicates a chapter to every named character, with only four repeats, not to mention all the characters who dont have names. We have a series of different character name generators that produce personality descriptions and names from different countries. Feb 06, 2020 how to make a good last name for characters in a book. Emma woodhouse is the heroine of jane austen s novel emma. These tips might make that passage a little easier. If writing a series or saga and the characters in following books show up in book one, you dont have to worry about coming up with the main characters names.

One common writing mistake is choosing character names that dont fit their personality or traits. Character opposing the main character antagonist in fiction, when there is a protagonist or a main character who plays a role of a hero who takes the stand for the good and truth, the antagonist plays against this heroic character and tries to stop him by posing threats to his and others lives. She has over 20 years experience naming babies, companies, and fictional characters. Feel free to use or change any of these for any of your works. Your character doesnt have to have their name mentioned in your novel. Character names and surnames in 2020 writing tips, book. Coming up with last names for your characters can also be surprisingly tricky.

Even though this was the first book of names that i noticed, i checked out several others before buying this one. Since there is a big cast, characters need to be distinct without being odd at least, not all of them can be odd, which means i need a lot of names. Be careful about using ethnic names, or names outside your culture. The simple automated character name generator below will help in your search for interesting and unique character names, male or female. Practice the above approaches to master different types of character introduction. A fantasy name generator for every fantasy character. Heres how to come up with interesting character names in your fiction. I used that for a story that i hope to post on kp someday. Jul 09, 2019 if you want to have 100% unique character names like lhonniadreah, a character in the book im writing, lhonni for short, youve got to get creative. Then you have the books where the author tried to do something unique with the characters, but ended up being too heavily influenced by the original characters and ended up creating stereotypes of them. Parentstobe pore over baby name books for months looking for that perfect name. Use characters names to convey subtle implications. John sheridan, babylon 5 a moreproper method is to mention the charactername in quotes, the work or series and episode, and the author.

Knowing how to introduce characters so they seize readers attention is an important skill to master. Character names and surnames writing tips, book writing. While there are no rules in writing, following your. Give them a motivation knowing the reason why a character chooses to pursue their goal helps readers invest in their journey, making for a captivating read 3. Try not to use your name, or someone elses name that you know, as this may be considered personal information. Naming your characters is equally as fun as it is frustrating especially for those of us writing fantasyscifi characters. Writers resources character name listsfind names for your characters.