{"id":6339,"date":"2015-09-25T06:00:19","date_gmt":"2015-09-25T11:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thewritelife.com\/?p=6339"},"modified":"2022-10-26T14:02:46","modified_gmt":"2022-10-26T18:02:46","slug":"5-new-ways-to-choose-perfect-character-names","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/?p=6339","title":{"rendered":"5 New Ways to Choose Perfect Character Names"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you agonize for hours over character names? <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I used to. I knew I needed the just-right name to convey who the character was, but I didn\u2019t know how to figure out what that just-right name was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a real drag, because you don\u2019t feel like you can move on and keep writing, but you don\u2019t feel like you\u2019re <\/span>managing your time wisely<\/span><\/a> if you spend a while deciding on a character name.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andre Cruz previously offered six useful <\/span>character-naming suggestions<\/span><\/a>, but if you\u2019re still stuck, never fear. I have five more to help you stop agonizing. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

OK, you might never completely quit agonizing, but <\/span>these five easy tricks can help you get better at coming up with more names you like — and doing it faster.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Try the Random Name Generator<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I love this thing!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just choose your character\u2019s gender and whether you want a common, average, or rare name, and check out what you get. <\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span>A few examples fresh from the <\/span>Random Name Generator<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fawn Spicer: Could a steampunk airship pirate who flies the world with her trusty crew, consisting of Mad Max the one-eyed clockwork man, Bowie the half-parrot boy, and Frida Malark, a shapeshifter trained in the Lost Arts of Wildness who doesn\u2019t talk much but helps run the ship with an iron fist \u2026 literally.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or what about Illuminada Lo? Sounds like a queen of an ancient lost civilization who lives in an ice palace deep under the ground, but she\u2019s been kidnapped by an evil warlord who wants her to breed children for him. Maybe Fawn should come rescue her. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phew. Totally just made all that up based on a couple of names. I would use those. I <\/span>will<\/span><\/i> use those.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Hey, no stealing my character names now.)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Make use of ancient civilizations<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

YA fantasy writer <\/span>Ysabeau Wilce<\/span><\/a> set her <\/span>Flora Segunda<\/span><\/i> series in the Republic of Califa, a magic- and Aztec-influenced version of California in the 19th Century — think Gold Rush. Many of the names, especially of the villains, reflect Aztec naming conventions. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It gives the world a particular flair and atmosphere of mystery. <\/span>Think of the geography and history of your story when you\u2019re looking for naming inspiration.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Be creative with nicknames<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Give your characters silly monikers that either are nicknames or sound like them. Some of my favorites:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n