Question

[k_a_webb]

Names are going to get slowly more difficult and I was wondering how other people dealt with this, although I’m pretty sure most people don’t have the same problem I do, having to come up with unique names for so many different collections. Part of my problem is being picky. When I name a character I put a lot of effort in to finding the right one, because otherwise nothing feels right. There are also some characters who seem to want to have the same name (or close to) as another and I don’t quite know what to do about that. I’m pretty sure it would be fine to have characters with almost identical names in different collections. My problem is the characters who want to have the same name as another character and finding names that feel right for other characters. Input would be appreciated.

Mirrored from K. A. Jones Writing.

Comments

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

>> Names are going to get slowly more difficult and I was wondering how other people dealt with this, although I’m pretty sure most people don’t have the same problem I do, having to come up with unique names for so many different collections. <<

Well, in Torn World we have an actual database, because ellenmillion can write code. It's awesomely convenient, as far as it goes. I'm currently writing up bit characters to add so we can track them. Each character has to have a different name, but we have some that are just one letter apart. That can get confusing.

Me, I can't code, and I suck with most database stuff too. So all my series with notes just have them in word documents. I have character lists for some series with a lot of people in them. Hart's Farm is a rat's nest of crossing relationships. I use a lot of baby-name books and other cultural name lists to find names that fit both the character and the setting.

But in fantasy contexts, the names usually just pop into my head; and given my linguistic background, they don't even all follow the same phoneme set. Starting with a wider base of options makes it easier for me to avoid duplication. Within a specific culture, however, some names are hugely popular and once you get a couple dozen people it's natural to have duplication. So then I look at how people handle that in real life -- most often with nicknames. Two people named "Richard" might be "Ricky" and "Dick," and then there are descriptions like "Big Dan" and "Little Dan." *chuckle* Or worse. Some of the ones from my family tree are kind of wacky.

>>Part of my problem is being picky. When I name a character I put a lot of effort in to finding the right one, because otherwise nothing feels right.<<

Same here. A lot of characters just tell me their name outright. For those that don't, I look until I find a match. I have half a shelf of books for this, plus online stuff. The name is a vital anchor for me; I usually can't connect with a character without it.

>>I’m pretty sure it would be fine to have characters with almost identical names in different collections.<<

That should be okay.

>> My problem is the characters who want to have the same name as another character and finding names that feel right for other characters.<<

Another option would be last names. Joe Smith and Joe Parker are distinguishable. In a fantasy setting, people might use location or profession instead -- that's where a lot of our surnames came from.