A Name is a Name is a Name
Last week I read an article on CNN by Stephanie Chen titled Does Your Name Shape Your Destiny?
Go check it out - it's short. And it has a photo. Go ahead, I'll wait.
"Gin!" Oh, you're back already? You read quicker than I do.
Think about this article when you name your characters. Their names shape their destinies, too.
Think what you could do with these characters:
A mixed martial arts fighter named Miles Osbourne.
A stripper named Emily Greene.
A physicist named Billy Joe Hatfield.
When the name don't fit the character's occupation, it opens up a whole new side of the character for you to layer in all kinds of good stuff.
Now think about these characters. How do you envision them?
Liliana Fontaine
Florence Bartlett
Quinn O'Neill
What's in a name?
Could be quite a lot.
Go check it out - it's short. And it has a photo. Go ahead, I'll wait.
"Gin!" Oh, you're back already? You read quicker than I do.
Think about this article when you name your characters. Their names shape their destinies, too.
Think what you could do with these characters:
A mixed martial arts fighter named Miles Osbourne.
A stripper named Emily Greene.
A physicist named Billy Joe Hatfield.
When the name don't fit the character's occupation, it opens up a whole new side of the character for you to layer in all kinds of good stuff.
Now think about these characters. How do you envision them?
Liliana Fontaine
Florence Bartlett
Quinn O'Neill
What's in a name?
Could be quite a lot.
Comments
I like the names you've given as examples.
Florence Bartlett - the first thing that came to my mind was a sort of nanny or au pair. Probably an association with Florence Nightengale and Bartlett pears. Okay, my mind makes weird associations sometimes.
Liliana Fontaine -- definitely an opera singer.
Quinn O'Neill --- A literary type, a writer perhaps, who is very sensitive.
Lee
Tossing It Out
I don't think I have the 'right' name--everyone has trouble remembering it.
Mason
Thoughts in Progress
Joanne - I agree. Sometimes I read a book and wonder what in the world the author was thinking with a certain name.
Terry - Of course it was planned (cough, cough). I like your name. Mine, meh.
Mason - Me, too!
Florence... I cannot do, as my main character is called Florence. :)
Quinn is in his forties, a sharp lawyer with an interesting, quizzical face. He plays sax when he is not in court.
Loved doing these! Thank you. :)
Helen
Straight From Hel
Helen - I agree that some of us have built-in images for some names.
Aubrie - You're welcome.
Elspeth - I try to give mine names I can work with ... but they often have their own ideas and the name ends up being opposite of who they are. I think they do it to me on purpose :)
Florence Bartlett – aging medical scientist
Quinn O'Neill - archeologist on a dig in the desert
Southpaw - I love how everyone is perceiving these names.
Florence Bartlett: A crotchety bartender
Quinn O'Neill: A strong-willed young female pilot.
What fun!
Naming characters is so important and creates strong images in readers' minds.
Thanks for sharing this post.
Cassandra - "...you do choose how you wear it." Excellent.
Kimberly - You're welcome.
Liliana Fontaine
We have an opera singer, a Someone who smells like face powder, and an arthritic gardener. Put those together for a great supporting character.
Florence Bartlett
Florence Nightingale came to mind for you, so some kind of healthcare worker. I know a woman named Florence, so my own thoughts didn't run in that direction.
Quinn O'Neill
I loved that someone thought of HER as a strong-willed pilot. I pegged HIM as the owner of an Irish bar.