I’ve had many character names over my history of writing.
Some, like my main character Rain, have specific meanings. In my WIP, I have a
blind character called Thea (goddess of sight) because I wanted a specific
metaphor. However, I don’t recommend names like this unless you’re trying to
make a point (which I am).
I’ve known people to spend months looking for the right character
name, convinced they can’t start their story unless they choose The Right One.
Well, news flash: in the real world people have perfectly ordinary names like
Chris and Daniel and Jessica. There are very few people named Thea out there,
but I use her name with irony. There are very few people named Cinnamon or
Yolanda or Blanket or Sunshine.
These are obnoxious, and your readers will most likely hate you and/or your book if your main character is anything like these names. In
reality there are many more Plain Janes than there are Optimus Primes. Don’t
agonise over choosing a name when the most successful book series of time is
based off the character “Harry Potter.”
This is, of course, slightly different when you’re in the
sci-fi or fantasy genre. Names like Katniss and Seneca are acceptable here, but
they’re not so far from our names that they sound stupid. Zaphod Beeblebrox,
for example, is a name that would annoy many people if it wasn’t specifically
supposed to be ironic. When in fantasy or sci-fi, choose a name similar enough
to ours that it won’t annoy readers.
Basically what I’m saying is that it’s alright to have a Plain Jane or a Mary
or a Sue (but perhaps not a Mary-Sue). Don’t wait for three years to start your
story because you can’t find The Right One. Pick a name that fits your needs
and stick with it.
Some things to avoid:
-
Names people can’t pronounce
-
Too many names that sound the same
-
Names that don’t fit their age, location, time,
or genre, so a 12-year-old English girl wouldn’t generally be called Doris
Names that sound stupid (see above)
How do you name your characters? Do you find one right away or take a while to find one? Share your thoughts below!
