What's in a name? My name, Shada, means Pelican in American Indian (Cherokee I believe), and if you've ever seen my chicken legs - you'd say I was true to my name sake.
So I thought this week I'd talk about character names. Personally, as a writer, I think character names are one of the biggest hurdles for a writer, and therefore, one of the most important.
In my story "Always Tomorrow", my hero's name is Gavin Saxton - a very British, Victorian sounding name to my ears. I even had someone from the UK email me, lettling me know HIS name was Gavin Saxton. Anyways, I had one reader complain about the name - calling it soft. Now I must admit, the character names for "Always Tomorrow" just came to me on a whim. As with most stories they hit me like a bolt of lightening. But after I wrote the story, I decided I wanted to know what Gavin meant and what his leading ladies name, Sara, meant.
Gavin meant "White Hawk" and Sara means "Princess" - ok, so you can draw SOME conclusions into each of their characters.
But then my "Divine Sister's Trilogy: The Maiden of Life", the heroines name is Eve. This name again came to me on a whime, as well as her physical characteristis, notably her white-blonde hair. Surprisingly, the name Eve means "Life Giving" - so how perfect of a name for the Maiden of Life - protector of life from the mood swings of Mother Earth.
My "Cowboy's Aren't For Loving", the heroine's name is Mallory. The story is about a woman who looses her fiance, looses her biggest client, looses her job and moves to Nashville with her sister to start a new life. Well, Mallory means "Ill-fated luck" - imagaine that - LOL.
In my latest story "Natural Treasure", I struggled with my heroines name. She's of American Indian heritage, she a well-respected archeologist intent on protecting her heritage, and her father was a geologist/archeologist. So I wanted a name a hippie, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of father would name his child. After a few days and 20 names, it hit me. Jade. The perfect name for her. The hero - his name flashed to me on the drive to the dratted day job: Bryce Sterling.
So yeah, what is in a name. Do you think character names can make or break a novel? And what are your most memorable character names and why?
Come on - let me hear your feedback!
Thanks for reading -
Shada Royce
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9 comments:
I've sometimes done research on my character's names, and sometimes they just "came" to me, often a combo of both. My hero's name in BLOODSEEK is Riven kan Ingan. He's called the Destroyer and Riven is an Old English form of Reiver, which means "to destroy." he was given the name because his mother died in childbirth. His surname is taken from the name I gave his father--Trygare kan Ingan--which are the first three words of an old Scandinavian hymn but I thought they sounded like a name, so.... In the LAST VOYAGE OF SINBAD, I decided to make a play on the old Arabian Nights story. Sinbad was a sailor. My Sinbad is a sailor, also, a smuggler, who sails the seas of space. The principal male character in JERICHO ROAD is a part Mohawk doctor whose mother is a Southern belle. Logan Redhawk steps from the frying pan into the fire when he's assigned to do his internship in a Deep South town and falls in love with the town bigot's daughter. The hero of SHADOW LORD is a vampire. His title comes from his family name--Strigoi--which means, in Transylvanian, both
"shadow" and "vampire." And so it goes.... A name doesn't necessarily have to mean something but it cetainly helps if it seems to, and if it fits the general demeanor of the characters to whom it's given.
If it's my hero, I try to imagine whispering his name in a passionate tone. Just can't do it some of them (Sorry, but "do it to me, Willie" just doesn't work) LOL
I do try to find names not overused, like "Kate" or "Katherine". LOVE the name but just seems like it's been used and used again.
I like Jade, though.
I once did a pole on a list to try and pick a name for a hero. I needed a strong British name and got some wild suggestions. But in the end, it worked, I found his name among the many. And it was the simplest of British names. Can't imagine why I didn't think of it myself.
James.
Great topic Shada (love your name too, not surprising since I also like pelicans, lol).
Shereen
Okay, that was suppose to say poll not pole. :-)
Shereen
Hi Shada- I think character names are important. I once put a book down because the heroine's name really bugged me. It was very "cutesy" with an odd spelling. About a quarter of the way through the book the author lost me. But that was an isolated incident. Character's names usually grow on me. As for the names in my own books, they just pop into my head. I haven't done research on their meanings- as I'm writing the names either take hold or they don't. I've only had to change a character's name once. Interesting topic!
Devon Gray
I do think character names are important and I try to use some that fit the era, or period, and that aren't over used. I get so tired of reading of heroines who are Susie, Kathy, or Jennifer. Nothing wrong with those names, but after reading several books with the main character named thus, I think I'm reading the same book over and over!...LOL..
I can't say that folks would love the names I choose, but I certainly try to make them different...and hopefully, memorable!
Good post, Shada!
MM
I think names can have an impact, but if the story itself is good, it shouldn't have too much of a negative impact on the story.
Thanks so much to all of you for participating!
Toni - LOVE your Scandinavian hymn name - just love that.
And thanks Cyndi - for helping me 'see the light on Kate' - LOL
Shereen - 'pole' - cracked me up. But what a GREAT way to pick a character name and generate some reader interest! Thanks for posting!
Devon - Thanks for reading. I've been unable to get into a character from a book before with names I can't read or are too 'cutesy'. Thanks for reading!
Miss Mea - I couldn't agree more. I once read two books in a row that had the same heroine name, I kept getting stories mixed up and I felt like the 'heroine' was cheating on the hero from the first book the entire time I was reading the second - LOL.
Margay - Thanks for the input. Although I have quit reading a book before becuase the character name just didn't seem to fit the character.
Thanks everyone for reading!
I have a great hippie name in my family. One of hippie cousins named his daughter Leafy. Love it! And to think, she turned out normal!
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