What’s In a Name?
Is
naming your characters a joy or a chore?
Charles Dickens had a way with names. Many of his characters had odd, but memorable
monikers, such as Wopsie, Winkle, and Spottletoe. Some were more descriptive, like the
bombastic Mr. Bumble or the festive Mr. Fezziwig. Author JK Rowling has fun with her character
names, too. Gossip columnist Rita
Skeeter connotes an annoying mosquito and the cruel Dolores Umbridge isn’t that
far a stretch from the word umbrage.
Strangely enough, I find it easier to name secondary or
tertiary characters than the main ones.
Perhaps it’s because I feel some sort of pressure to make my main characters
somewhat dignified, approachable, or attractive. Since that impression is
subjective, it always takes me longer to decide which way to go.
Is it just me?
Even though naming my main characters is always a bit of a
challenge, picking names for the remaining residents of my stories is a
delight. My creativity is unfettered and
my humor comes to the forefront.
In
my latest fantasy release, Tournament of
Chance, my protagonists’ names are the relatively straightforward Heather,
Dane, and Joe. Some of the minor
characters, however, have more amusing names like Gumm the troll, Towcheez the
fairy, and the one-eyed chef, Piers. Fun details won’t save a weak storyline,
but a strong plot can be further enhanced with a little imagination.
As a reader, do you feel memorable names increase your
enjoyment of a novel, or are they a distraction? As an author, do you agonize over your cast
of characters?
After all, a rose by any other name might just be fantastic.
~ S.G. Rogers
In
Tournament of Chance,
a hunter’s daughter becomes the spark that ignites a revolution—in time.
When a beautiful commoner enters the Tournament of Chance
archery competition, her thwarted victory sparks a revolution in the oppressive
kingdom of Destiny. Although Heather never believed the legends about the
restoration of Ormaria, after three shape-shifting Ormarian wizards awaken from
a long magical slumber, she joins their perilous quest to regain the throne.
Heather battles vicious predators and angry trolls to free the wizards’ magic,
but at a horrendous cost. She is unexpectedly torn from the arms of the man she
loves and hurled back in time to fulfill a prophecy not yet written. The
ensuing maelstrom tests Heather’s survival skills, wits, and endurance. Will
she become an unwritten footnote in history, or can she trust the magic to lead
her back to her one true love?
Now available at Musa Publishing: http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=396
Author Links:
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/SuzanneGRogers
Yes, Dickens had a way with character names. Great post.
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