Writing 101: What’s in a Name? // Naming Your Characters // Episode 2

Hey, everyone! I’m back with another writing post! Today, I want to share a little bit about naming characters. Personally, I think this is one of the hardest parts of writing! Some characters have names that just jump out at you; you can’t imagine them having any other name. Others cause you to go from name to name trying to find the one that fits them. Some just don’t come at all.

Let’s take a look at a few ways I’ve found names for my characters.

1. Dreams- Now, please don’t think I’m telling you to let your subconscious lead you! But sometimes, a person in your dream may have the perfect sounding name. Don’t be afraid to use it! That’s where the names for Richard and Dixie Mason came from, as well as the names for Tyler Nace and Brandon Tanner. (Brandon’s original last name was Walker…Tanner fit him better.) The names just fit the characters I had planned on. I repeat, there’s nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from a dream, just don’t try to start thinking your dreams are prophetic. 😉
2. People you know- Don’t do this for spite! I would not recommend naming the character the exact same name as someone you know, unless you’ve been given permission. Joseph Richardson in my book is named after an employee at a hardware store who helped my mom when the van overheated. I asked permission to use his name and he said that was fine. Never saw him again. But using his name was a way of allowing our family to remember the man who helped us out back in 2011. Another character, Capt. Beasley, is named after a dear friend of mine and Army National Guard Veteran, Bro. L. Beasley. He served two tours in Iraq towards the end of his career. He is one of those one in a million people and such a blessing to me and my family. Capt. Beasley is my way of saying thank you to one of my heroes.
3. A name you don’t like- Yes, I did it. One of my favorite characters, Lana Brewster, was named this way. At the time, I couldn’t stand the name. I decided to experiment and see if it would become a favorite name because I liked her, or if I would dislike her because of her name. I now like the name Lana a whole lot. The sweetness of her personality won me over. (Characters have a way of doing that 😉) I also took a name I wasn’t too fond of and gave it to one of my bad guys. It made it easier for me to not like him, lol!
4. Baby Name books- I collect these…literally! I have five! I love looking through lists of names for a specific time era, location or profession. Inspiration is a baby name book with 200 lists of names!
5. Websites- The internet is always a good source of names. Sites like Nameberry and Babyname.com are good resources.
6. Bonus! Last Names- Address books, church directories and movie credits work great! Or use a variety of names from your community. Writing exclusively about a certain state or country? For the state, use state counties; for the county, use towns and cities within the county. You can find inspiration everywhere!
   

Something to Think About: Do you have a special way you find names for your projects? How did you do it? Did you use any of the above ideas? Which one are you most prone to try out? And what is the best name you’ve ever come up with, and how did you find it? Share your ideas with a struggling friend!

Until Next Time,
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22