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Hellooo, everybody! Today were covering the difficult task of naming characters.
Which according to your comments, is the bane of your existence. Naming characters can be really hard.
There's a zillion options to choose from, and it can be kinda overwhelming. So I'm here to tell
you my personal process for naming characters. And I'm gonna break it down into categories,
because naming a fantasy character is not the same as naming a contemporary character. So we'll start
with the easiest category: naming characters in historical fiction. Writing a story that takes
place in the Viking era use? Viking names. Done Seriously, that's literally it. Then we segue
into the next category: fantastical names. These are names for characters in sci-fi, or fantasy,
or dystopian, or any other novel that takes place in a world unlike our own. Obviously, there are a
bunch of sci-fi and fantasy books that take place in the here and now, but I'm talking about books
that are far into the future, or in a mystical realm, or some other shit. If this sounds like
your book, there are three general categories of names for you to choose from. Number One - Regular
names like Kelly, Jack or Mike. This could work in futuristic sci-fi or post apocalyptic stories, but
it probably wouldn't work in fantasy or dystopian genres. Number Two - You can choose real names
that are just really uncommon or time specific. Tristan, Lucinda, these sorts of names especially
work in fantasy and dystopian stories. Now if you're choosing this method and you're struggling
to come up with stuff, it helps to research names from different eras and folklore. In my current
manuscript, my setting is very loosely based off of ancient Greece and Rome, so I used a lot of
names from their cultures and mythology. I also like to use names that have a deeper meaning,
which is an option you could explore. If your character’s tiny, maybe she's named Cosette,
which means a little thing. Isn't that cute? Choosing character names with meaning makes the
process a little more complicated, but it's also pretty fun. It gives the reader some easter eggs
to find. I get really excited when readers come to me and say: are Jason and Percy named after Greek
heroes? Yes, yes they are. And Number Three - You can invent completely original names. Katniss,
Daenerys, Frodo. This works in pretty much any story that takes place in a made up world or
the distant future. It also works for characters that aren't human, because if they're not human,
they're probably not gonna have human names. Now one thing to take into consideration when
using original names is pronunciation. You have to consider whether or not the reader
will be able to pronounce the name, and whether or not you give a shit. Some writers will include
a pronunciation guide, some won't. That's a judgment call. Alright, now that we've covered
the world of fantastical names, we segue into the most difficult category: contemporary names.
These are the names you're going to consider if you're writing a book that takes place today,
or in the not too distant past, or the not too distant future. Now before I get into it,
please take into consideration that names are different all over the world. I'm going to give
examples that are popular here, where I live, and they may not be popular where you live. That said,
let's get into types of names. Number One (1): Normal names: Sara, John, Emily, Steven,
these are super common names. We all know these people, and lots of them. These are good character
names if you want the character to be as regular or relatable as possible. At least at the onset
of the story. Stephen was just your average teenager, until he was kidnapped by trolls and
appointed as their troll king. But just know that if you're trying to make the character memorable,
it's not going to be because of their name. There are a million characters named John or Emily. So
they're just gonna have to be memorable for some other reason. Number Two (2): Middle ground names:
Sidney, Ashton, Grace, Calvin. These are names we're all familiar with. They're
just not quite as common. These are good names if you want the character
to be kind of special but still relatable. They straddle the line between ‘Look at me,
I'm unique’ and ‘but I'm still down to earth and normal like you.’ These are the sort of names that
I generally like to pick from for protagonists because they stand out enough to be memorable,
but not so much where the character feels fake. And Number Three (3): Unique names:
Scarlet, Camden, Vienna, Gadge. These names are totally legitimate, but they're pretty uncommon
and they're usually kind of fancy or sexy. This is when we start dipping our toes into cheesy waters.
Aw, now I want cheese. These names are easier to get away with in fantasy and dystopian novels,
but if your book is set in the here and now then you might want to pair it with a tone down last
name to keep the character relatable. Damian Smoke sounds completely fictional. That person,
does not fucking exist. But Damien Beckett could exist. He could go to school with you.
Maybe he's your lab partner. Fancy pants names like Victoria Stonewater are usually only found
in romance and erotica. So if that's not what you're going for, maybe take it down a notch.
So now that we covered the types of names, we got to cover the naming process itself. Unfortunately,
when you're choosing names, there's a lot more to take into consideration than just whether to name
the character John Johnson, or Cash Casanova. Please don't use either of those names. You
gotta ask yourself a few questions. What is the character's role in the story? Sometimes it's a
good idea to have the character's name fit their persona. It's a little weird to read about a
strong female character with a really weak name. What's the character's lifestyle like? Maybe the
character's name doesn't fit their role, but if it's their background. If a character is super
wealthy, they might have a rich snobby sounding name. What's your character's family like? A
character is usually named by their parents, so you’d want to think about what their parents would
realistically name them. In Eve: The Awakening, Michael Sanchez comes from a very normal family,
so he has a normal name. On the flip side Perseus Leopold LaFleur the third, comes from
a very wealthy and eccentric family, and his name shows that. And lastly, where is your character
from? Names like a million other things can be regional. I don't know anyone in Silicon Valley
named Kobe or Jackson or Cody. But I know a bunch of people from more rural areas with those names.
So now that I've covered my rules for naming all sorts of characters, we're done right? Wrong.
I told you naming characters is a process. If you're diving into the name game, here are a few
pro tips to consider along the way. First things first, make a list. Anytime you hear a cool name,
write it down. Having a name list is so helpful because you never know when you're gonna need
to add a new character to the mix. Second of all, diversify the names. Having a Jason and a Mason in
the same book is probably not a good idea. Having several names that start with the same letter can
be confusing too. If your main characters are named Anna, Aiden, Ashley, Anton and Amber,
your readers are going to get so fucking lost. And lastly, be aware of trends. Names go through
periods of being in style and out of style. Fifteen years ago, Emma wasn't a common name,
but now you can't go anywhere without meeting an Emma. On the flip side and the 80s Sharon was a
really normal name, and now Sharon isn't really so popular. You can't sit with us, Sharon! If you're
using a name that's trendy right now, know that it's not gonna be so trendy in about ten years,
and you just have to decide if you're okay with that. So that's all I got for you today. Naming
characters can be really complicated. There are a lot of variables to consider. But that doesn't
mean you can't enjoy it. Remember, writing a book is a creative process. Don't stress
yourself out over character names. Have fun with it. You're naming people that you invented in your
magical cyborg brain. How cool is that? Hella cool. On that note, don't forget to subscribe
to my channel. I post new videos on Wednesdays. Eve: The Awakening is still available in ebook
and paperback on Amazon right now. So check it out. And if you have any questions or if there’s
something you'd like me to talk about in my next video, be sure to tweet me @JennaMoreci! Bye!