For the previous in this series of humor posts, go here.
I know everyone keeps on saying Obi-Wan’s name is Japanese, but I’m here to say that it doesn’t have to be. For instance, well…
You never know. It might be Welsh. X-P Just spelled phonetically for English speakers. ;-P
Or maybe it’s Russian.
Does anyone really know?
Anyway, this post didn’t have a point until I came along months later and gave it one. (I have got to stop scheduling posts and then losing my momentum…)
Basically, it’s about naming your characters. A good man is hard to name, and I’m finding more and more frequently now that they do not spring into my head fully formed and named. (Do I really want to name this other protagonist Ben as well? Or should I name him Matt? Or have his full name be Benedict instead of Benjamin and everyone just calls him Ben? Choices, choices…)
An especially difficult one to name was Rynnar (closely followed up by Halbryn, from Bound to the Flame.) Rynnar is the mentor of Winter, the protagonist of Loyalties and Generations (check out my Novels page to read more about those books!) And I needed a name for him that would sound strong, but thoughtful, and would not sound like Qui-Gon Jinn or Halt… (Nailed it! :-P) And the result? Rynnar Evremere. (That’s an awesome last name. And you know it. 😛 Don’t try to deny it. :-P) I’m still not absolutely sure about the name, but it sounds good enough that I will probably leave it as is. Some characters are just so hard to name, but fortunately most characters, sooner or later, if they’re done right, make the names their own.
I also have a hard time naming my villains. Fortunately, though, I have been writing long enough that by now I have a full list of good villain names, just waiting to be used.
So, my advice? Jumble names and letters around until you find one that works. Write down interesting-sounding names in the “Master” Notebook (and if you don’t have a master notebook, start one! It will be a great resource for plot bunnies, novel ideas, and keeping your novels organized.) Make sure to keep character profiles current, so you don’t have to scramble to go find someone’s name or what they’ve been up to.
Okay, hopefully that rambling post was helpful! Please tell me if you want me to post on how to start and structure a master notebook for use in writing. Thanks for reading, and God Bless!
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