A Character by Any Other Name
Before I write, I like to know my characters. My most common jumping off point is the character’s name. I have several ways of naming my protagonists.
- I watch signs along the road as I travel. I have a notebook in which I write down names that would work for a person or a fictional place. Sometimes, I will write down a first and last name, and the last name may never be anything more than an entry in my character’s bio. A wonderful friend started me down that road. (no pun intended!) I owe him a lot for his support of my writing.
- I look at names on websites. A great one is cafemom.com. They have a seemingly endless number of names that fit in various categories. Just yesterday, I wrote down names I liked from popular Hipster Baby Names and from Cute Irish Girl Names. Whenever I come across these lists, I write the names I like in my notebook.
- If all else fails, I go to my good friend Google and search “a name meaning (blank).” My friend hasn’t let me down, yet!
When I have a block I often begin looking through my notebook, and a name will say, “Me! My turn!” Then I start building a profile.
I go back to my friend Google, to images, and I search for pictures of my character. I may type in a search such as “8-year-old, red-haired boy.” Then I search for a picture of the boy in my writing.
I paste the picture in a Word document and start getting to know this boy. I already know his age and appearance, but I have to get to know him well. I find out his favorite color, subject in school, and sport. I find out what he likes to eat and his favorite pastime. What are his faults? What are his strengths?
Once I get to know him better, I ask about his best friend and his parents. These generate more bios, and those generate more of their own. If you want, you can generate an entire neighborhood in this way!
At the very least, I find myself out of my rut, and either back to writing, or on to a new project that gives life to characters I know like family