These literary baby girl names have been inspired by characters in books from all genres and periods. Coming up with a good book title or book title ideas can be maddening. Some titleschapter names are even with covers that i made. How to use real people in your writing without ending up. Aug 05, 2008 what a good last name for a characters in my book. It made me wonder, does it really matter whether you decide to name a person in a manuscript. Popular good characters books goodreads share book. In the first tier are the top 200 names among boys of high school age in the past few decades.
My friend rabbit by eric rohmann, grades prek2 something always seems to go wrong when rabbit is around, but mouse lets him play with his toy plane anyway because he is his good friend. Schulz comic strip peanuts magic names this is a huge list of mystic cat names, but easily adapt to use for other pets. It wouldnt be believable if all of my characters had names in the lower reaches of the top. Changing names is always a good idea, since it makes it harder for someone to assert and approve a claim. Still, make sure to give your characters easy to remember and distinct. When you get rich and famous and get asked about the name, youll have a clever explanation in your back pocket, a kind of. So again, if you are naming a baby or a character for a book or movie and need help choosing a name may i suggest this book.
Ive researched, tested, and listed all the best book title generators by genre below. I always enjoy coming up with names these days now that i can sort of listen to the characters and the settings. There are many aspects of writing novels, in particular, and on this page, i outline some of them, as well as listing some interviews that might help on your author journey. Jun, 2009 there are probably thousands of movie examples where names reflect the core essence of a character, some primary value they have, or function they carry in the plot from john book, harrison fords character in witness, a good cop who goes by the book the letter of the law in opposing his friend and mentor, the bad cop chief paul schaeffer, to malcolm crowe, bruce willis. These names are most disproportionately common in these professions not to be confused with the most common, the washington post points out. Whe using nicknames for novel characters my writers circle. I sometimes find myself looking for a book to read to my class that will serve as an example of good character or act as a literary pep talk. When youre choosing character names for your novel, you can pretend youre planning out the future lives and success of your children you are, in a sense. I have often thought that with any luck at all i could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length, but i have had to be content with what i had. Make a good last name for characters in a book last. Whenever ive used a nickname its been as a normal name. Theyll do anything they can to help the harry, though. It is about a female wolf who is the heir to become alpha a large pack of wolves through adoption. Ron and hermione from harry potter are good examples of secondary characters.
From aidan to zoe nameberry baby name blogbaby name blo. Subplots often revolve around secondary characters, such as. This list of general girls names is divided into three tiers. Hey guys, so you may have seen my other posts about my book series. I recall a book i read recently where there was a character who was routinely called by name, but every now and then like once a chapter the author would suddenly refer to him as the redhead. This book list is from s list of fictional namesakes from. Because half the novel takes places in 21stcentury chicago, it provided me the first opportunity in years to write about a modernday setting, complete with brand names. You need to think about the tone of your book, and what effect a name choice might have on it. Once youre aware of character type, youll find yourself noticing it more and more in what you read and watch. A recent analysis by verdant labs, the maker of the baby name app nametrix, tracks the most common names for different professions, from lawyers to librarians. Personally, my taste in names strongly tends towards the classical eccentric and classical unusual, but i like to vary it up. Jane i think of this as a good name for a reserved person, probably because of pride and prejudice. Coming up with last names for your characters can also be surprisingly tricky.
Love unrehearsed by tina reber, double gun dealer box set by rue volley, big girl backstage pass by aubrey rose, cl. The first tool in your naming arsenal should be baby name books andor websites. You know the narrative distance is very close if your characters think mom rather than my mom or my mother. You can use the titleschapter names with the covers if you want. Merricat from shirley jacksons we have always lived in the castle my name is mary katherine blackwood. Sep 25, 2017 what should i name the characters in my book. My daughter is emmalee, another version for emily of course, which can be broken into em, emma, or even lee, which could be used to confuse a book character who thinks that they are meeting a man and are shocked when its a woman i get told a lot that my name is great, hattie, and know many people who have thought of using it if they had girls. Sep 25, 2019 to find unique names for your characters, check movie credits or a mythology book for something unique.
Nov 23, 2012 if youre a writer, its very important to pick the right names for your characters. These needs i took from the human givens essential needs, most of which are expanded on in the book human givens. Pick something this character represents, like narcissistic, or a joke phrase, like travel king, and use an anagram generator to create a whole bunch of variations. How to make a good last name for characters in a book. Nov 06, 2008 if two characters share names that begin with the same letterand particularly if the names are similar in size and shapereaders can very easily misread and confuse them.
As an admitted name nerd, ive noticed a trend in ya fiction recently. Their hair may be short, or long and wavy, and i might essay auburnand a physique may be slender, or stocky. Popular character names a z books goodreads share book. Heres a simple formula that will help you create a great title. For the last couple of years i have partaken in the conversations, posts, discussions, art, promotions, along with every variety of other shenaniganry which takes place here on rfantasy, and i wanted to take the opportunity to say something pretty simple that a lot of authors might wish to, but can to easily be seen as selfpromotion. Names like aristotle, sebastien and bridgelle are good for more classy tales, while andrew and tom or emma and sarah are good basic names for the more uptodate stories. I have to write a book for school and i need names for my leading male and female roles in the book ive narrowed it down to 3 names each, but im still open for suggestions. Popular boys names in the late 1990s were names like cody, kyle, austin, tyler, brandon, zachary, justin among the more traditional names like christopher, michael, andrew, michael, david. Knowing what role your characters play in your story helps you to refine your plot, choose your narrative. Writing a book can be challenging enough on its own. In the first tier are roughly the top 400 names among girls of high school age in the past few decades. Heres how to come up with interesting character names in your fiction. Im here to find names for characters, not babies, though i do love working with kids.
It might be a book on fairness after an especially tough recess, a book on honesty after someones eraser collection goes missing, or maybe a book on perseverance to let a student who is feeling challenged know that it will all work out. Deep space nine is the most femalefriendly, with 288 male named characters and 108 female named characters. There are some types of characters that every story must have. An explanation of naming practices and historical context is provided for each origin section, and there is a reverse lookup of names by meaning, as well as an alphabetical index of names. Use these methods for naming characters in your book. Thousands of fantasy names fairy, gnomes, elves, goblins. If you want me to make a cover for anything, comment and i will respond. A new approach to emotional health and clear thinking.
We own a technology support company and are interested in creating an ad that uses the name of either a movie. How to choose a fiction title that fits 0 comments i know a few fellow authors who possess the magical ability to come up with a fun book title, then somehow manage to write an entire novel around it. Both names reflect our parents backgrounds, ethnicity, and popular names of the time period. How to come up with an iconic character name in 12 steps. Jul 05, 20 are you writing a book and need a name for your character. If you cant find anything you like, try misspelling other names or words to create new ones. A boy dose not despise real forest because he has read about enchanted ones, the reading makes all real forest a little enchanted. March 1st, 2010 they started as pen names for my mom, but it just grew. Choosing a character name for your novel is as pressurefilled as picking a name for a baby. The most common names for writers, librarians, and poets. But in their thoughts, theyll probably stick to one or the other, mom or my mother, rather than using both. What not to name your characters write it sideways. Nov 07, 2019 ive met literally thousands of doctors and seem some very odd names in my time, which makes me weirdly qualified to answer this question.
If there is a need to explain that toasty is mr jones because hes in a formal situation or there is a need to expand on how he got his nickname ill fit it in somehow and from then on mr jones is referred to as toasty. You can then use this awareness to study that character and see what elements you can use in your own writing. Some books to use with the interactive character scrapbook include. Romance novel characters have historically been given more flowery, romantic names. Home resourcesdiy how to pick a title for your book how to pick a title for your book.
It complained that the book had too many named characters. Names of characters in the oz books our wonderful list of exciting names some youve probably forgotten. Cress by marissa meyer, winter by marissa meyer, harry potter and the goblet of fire by j. What are some ways i can cover myself from being sued. Nov 02, 2009 can i use the title of a movie, character name, or name of actor in an ad for my company. Pick those that sound most like cool character names. Can i use the title of a movie, character name, or name of. Oct 08, 2009 suzannah windsor is the foundingmanaging editor of and compose. Two things every author needs to know about using brand names. Yes, any course costs something, and you often get what you pay for, but this does not mean that everything you decide to pay for is worth the cost.
Make a good last name for characters in a book last names. Names that are difficult to pronounce theres not much point in naming a character something no one will be able to pronounce. With every subsequent book, ive let the characters speak for themselves from the beginning. If i write a book about my life do i need to change names of the characters i dont want my family or other people in the book to try to come after me for money after i write this book. Jul 30, 2015 with every subsequent book, ive let the characters speak for themselves from the beginning. I am eighteen years old, and i live with my sister constance. They started as pen names for my mom, but it just grew. If its good, its because what it charges is worth the cost. Names of characters in peanuts our list of characters from the charles m. So throw out your old telephone books and babynaming guidesthe writers digest character naming sourcebook meets all your naming needs. This reference for writers provides meanings for some 25,000 names and surnames from 45 countries, listed by origin.
Sometimes all you get is twenty pages, but youve got to make the best of it my mother. But when even i started confusing his name with my hero chriss, i knew i had to change it. But thankfully, we no longer have to go it alone because there is an incredible tool called a book title generator that has helped me with just that. In my everevolving quest to find that perfect telling detail that will bring scenes to life before my readers eyes, i included brand names in fiction, especially. The importance of character names go into the story. From childrens literature to classic 18th century prose, weve come up with 90 names and theres definitely something here to suit every bookworm parent. The importance of character names welcome to my magick theatre. Naming your baby is the most important choice you can make as an expecting or new parent. If i write a book about my life do i need to change names. Mar 07, 2015 characters may say my mother, my father or they may say mom, dad or a combination of names when they speak to their friends.
For example, in dreamlander, i had originally named one of my characters choc. Coming up with a great name for your characters is one of the hardest tasks youll ever complete as a fiction writer. Feb 07, 2009 what are good names for wolf characters in my book. You can also check out the recommended books for writers here. Feb 06, 2020 how to make a good last name for characters in a book. I add minimalist description, but there are no flowing tresses or rippling muscles among my people. You can also rearrange the letters of phrases or names you like to create something less recognizable. Naming your characters one way to wonder said on march 25th, 20 at 1. But i do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book. This list of general boys names is divided into three lots. I want to get the greatnieces and nephews books with their names in the title and cant find an evan anywhere. What are some good doctor names for a character in a book.
Books that have characters with the most recognizable names. For a name to stick in the readers head, it should be as thoughtful as every other aspect of your novel. Comprehensive list of synonyms for characters in fiction. Theyre threedimensional, but its clear that the story doesnt revolve around them. Writing adolescent fictioncharacter namesboys wikibooks. How to invent names for your genre novel daily writing tips. I have come up with ideas for book names for anybody over 2000 book names ideas, but some are unpublished pending editing. Youll get the inside scoop on their naming methods, plus the stories behind the names of their most famous characters. In the second tier are other names you might run into more than once in your lifetime. What is your favorite character name from any novel.
Characters you really adore put character s name in comment box 78 books 47 voters strong female characters created by men. If seven people in a room discuss, youll have a hard time making the scene not suck without using at least a few names. The first time he did this i was totally confused, as he had never before mentioned the color of the character s hair. The only good reason to name your character something that doesnt fit is if youre being deliberately ironic, or if some element of your plot demands it. What are good names for wolf characters in my book. Luckily my copy of the book has a list of characters and their. If youre having trouble finding a compelling conflict, start by choosing from one of the following 10 basic character needs.
Morgan, ashley, and kelly crossed over from the boys side during the mid20th century, for example, and the genderneutral naming scene really exploded in the 1980s. I love the names from greek mythology and from the arthurian legend, lancelot for example i even like the name of his sword excalibur. To find unique names for your characters, check movie credits or a mythology book for something unique. Are you writing a book and need a name for your character. My katy likes katy and the big snow and what katy did. Saul bottcher, having trouble picking a title for your book. In the second tier are other names you might run into more than once in your. My pen name is diana or akky, whichever you prefer. Avoid names with identical two first letters on somewhat similar characters. At the very least, it will help you avoid nasty emails.
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