Character names

[inkdust]

How do you name your characters, and how important are character names to you?

I love names. For me they're an essential part of a character. But I don't usually base them on name meaning - though that's a bonus - for me it's more of an instinctive fit and feel. Most major characters I invent seem to come with names built in, or else the right name comes to me very early on, and it's almost impossible for me to try to change them later. If I have trouble finding the right name, I stew about it for a long time until I land on the right one. Minor characters are a little more flexible.

Character names are also important to me in what I read. I've gotten a lot better about it, but when I was a teenager if I didn't like the main character names on the book jacket, I wouldn't read the book. Not a habit I would recommend, because I know I must have missed out on some good stories. Nowadays I'm more bothered by character names that don't fit the setting or time period, though I still prefer to see ones I like.

How significant are names in your writing?

Comments

[badass_tiger]

I always try to hit on something that just sounds right, too. I find it difficult to work when a character and their name don't match up in my head. I think some names just fit certain appearances too, so that might affect how I pick names as well. If I'm having trouble coming up with one, I'll usually browse for names with certain meanings and so on.