Chosing the Right Names for a Character

While writing my story and other short pieces I've found coming up with original names is pretty hard. I'd like original names but they just either don't come or don't make sense. I'd also like them to have a meaning behind them if at all possible. And knowing how many people wish to be writers or what not out there you may have faced this problem. We could all rip off the names of another author's characters but I don't think you'd want the lawsuit. So, we'll just have to try something different and not illegal.

When choosing a name for a character you have to have at least a clue about how a character is going to act and how there personality will play out. A name should reflect how they are, a clue to what he or she may be like if you were to talk to them face to face. Remember this and picking a name will be much easier than if you were working with a blank slate or just a blank mannequin. Keep in mind people react better to a name and face to a mask face and nothing more.

Start of by thinking and writing down names you like. Every day names those that aren't special in anyway maybe. Or go for exotic names that you prefer. Write down any name that catches your ear or gets your mind thinking. Many people try to combine aspects of different names to create something completely different. If you do this try to make it easy to say. Try something that rolls of the tongue nicely and will catch people's attention.

If you can't think of different names try looking at baby name books. There are hundreds of names out there now and many books will have a lot of them in there. You may find some that you like and some you definitely want to stay away from. Try also to look at the meanings behind each name because if you have a character who is strong willed and a fighter you don't want a name that doesn't suit the character. If you like a name, write it down with it's meaning to a list so you don't have to go back and find it in the book later. It could get frustrating if you lose a name that you really want to use in your story.

I've found the internet has a lot of sites for baby names. It's interesting to surf through what's there. Many names have so many different spellings that the books don't even begin to cover them but these sites do. A few good sites for looking at baby names are www.babynames.com, www.babycenter.com/babyname, and www.americanbaby.com/babynames . Try to keep away from some that want you to pay for them. A lot of the time it isn't worth the money to look at a site if you don't know how to use it.

While on my search for unique and different names I've come across sites that give family names and names of different regions and countries. These sites could be fruitful if you want a more historical feeling to your story or if the story is placed in a certain country or region. A few good sites for these are www.babynameworld.com or www.behindthename.com.

One site that I found only a short while ago was very interesting. It held many names that deal with mythology, elements, nature, stones, and others. It was interesting as it help the meaning of the name and where they were from. If was easy to find a name for a certain meaning because they were placed in organized categories. I was impressed with this because of all the time it must have taken to find and keep track of the names and how easy it was to use. It's an unconventional site but as far as www.lunarberry.com/names goes it's a good site for those odd and fascinating names that would suit a character well.

I know for a fact that it takes time to come up with a name. I hope though with these sites I've helped you one your journey to create the perfect name for the perfect character. Hopefully it's cut down on the time of your researching for the perfect name and given you time to work on the action, adventure, romance, and magic twined within your tale. May your writing be fruitful and fantastic. Maybe I'll see your book on the best selling list, you never know!