Surnames
I have a real problem coming up with surnames for my characters. A lot of them don't have one yet because I haven't needed to mention it. I do enjoy finding just the right name for a character - first, middle, surname and nicknames - but it's just so hard with surnames because of the added importance on matching cultural/heritage, and the ( Read more... )
However, you do make a good point in that they should sound right when you say them as a whole and they should SOMETIMES match culture and heritage (they don't always). Writer's need to remember that the character's parents pick the name not them. Even if the parents don't ever exist in the story itself, someone had to give birth to that character in the literal sense. They would make sure the name sounded right, had some sort of meaning to their family (like it was a grandparents name or one they just liked), and that the kid cared on their last name. That's about it and that's as far as the naming process should go.
But I am ranting, like I said I am sure you've heard all this from me before hehe just thought I would say it again for anyone who might be reading this. I do know how annoying picking a surname can be, especially while sticking to cultural backgrounds, which is why I always just look up common "insert heritage here" surnames and randomly pick one that sounds good. Usually though, the name just kind of forms in my head because I don't try to force to much thought into it. ...that and names I have heard recently pop up quite easily xD haha
Either way, go luck with your writing hun and I will check out that community when I get a chance!
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I spent days coming up with James as a first name because I wanted something that fit in a British, specifically a Birmingham setting, that sounded kind of everyday/regular but not 'top ten baby names for Britain' regular and that didn't sound too old or too young. I know that not every guy named James in Britain will automatically have the same personality and I'm in no way relying on the name to tell the readers the character's personality. I do want the name to mesh with my characterization and back it up to an extent though.
But when choosing a name the parents are very important I agree. Eliot's first name is Catherine after her grandmother on her father's side and I used it because it is apparently a quite common name for Irish girls -while still not being too cliche I don't think- which is where she was born and where her father and his family is from. Eliot never really liked it because of how delicate/girly/old it sounds (to her), so she uses her middle name instead. Eliot was her mother's contribution to her name and is after T.S. Eliot, which shows her mother's interest in classic literature which is one of the few things she and Eliot have in common and also gives Eliot a fairly androgynous name to fall back on once she comes to dislike Catherine in her a-little-over-the-top-because-she's-a-teenager tomboy phase. I do beleive how people react to their names and what nick-names they lean towards and which ones they do not like (Ellie in Eliot's case) do reflect their personality.
Then there are the less complicated reasons for naming a character. Fineus got his name because I saw it on a list of the least popular boys names and I thought not enough characters are called unpopular names, and it sounded kinda cool to me. He gets called Fin a lot by his friends simply because it's shorter and he doesn't dislike his full name and doesn't mind if people call him that too. His heritage is quite varied (mostly between Irish and German with some perhaps Asian and Nordic areas thrown in - which is based off a friend I had in high school). His mother traveled a lot before (and after) he was born and was quite an eclectic person so his name could have been anything and it would have fit her and his background.
So I know in real life people's personalities don't fit so -neatly- with their names (my middle name is Alice, my brother doesn't even have one) and I do try since our first conversation not to go so far as to match physical characteristics to names or put too much of a direct link between a character's personality and their name. But I'm still a bit of a perfectionist as to what names are just right.
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"I wanted something that fit in a British, specifically a Birmingham setting, that sounded kind of everyday/regular but not 'top ten baby names for Britain' regular and that didn't sound too old or too young." - see this is good because it brings in that hertiage angle but also relates to how a parent would look at it when naming their own child.
"I'm in no way relying on the name to tell the readers the character's personality." - Which is what I can't stand :P But you know that hehe "My characters name means 'fiery' because he has red hair" *headdesk*
That naming explanation for Eliot was assume by the way and exactly how a character should be named :3
"I do beleive how people react to their names and what nick-names they lean towards and which ones they do not like (Ellie in Eliot's case) do reflect their personality." - Very true, but those are "chosen" things which is why they can reflect that way.
Its alright to be a perfectionist with anything, just so long as you do it the "right way" :P hehe And I put that in quotes because its a very contentious thing to say but I trust you know what I mean.
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I agree about the *headdesk* :P I hate to admit I originally called Pheonix that because he had bright red hair, or I gave him red hair because his name was Pheonix. I can't remember. This was before you lent your excellent tutelage to my characterization skills though, and I have since decided not to give him red hair or not to make a big deal over it so it doesn't look like I was trying to make him resemble a Phoenix because of his name.
Speaking of your tutelage, I am really feeling like fleshing out James and trying to get him a little less like a carbon copy of Arthur Dent from the Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy in both looks and personality and I know you're quite busy so I was wondering whether you know of any internet communities on which I could find someone who specializes in character bio beta'ing that's not necessarily restricted to a fandom? I just like to have someone I can discuss stuff with and sound ideas off in this process, and some different perspectives on things (especially if I could find a British perspective).
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GOOD ones where people aren't just Mary Sue callers xP
its something we should really look into isn't it? hehe
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We should set up a site just for character beta'ing and before people register as a beta they have to read your essay on the litmus test and swear they understand what a Mary Sue actually is.
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