Is it just me?

[katiefoolery]

Is it just me, or is this week going incredibly slooooooooowly?

I still can't believe that yesterday was only Tuesday. It feels like I've done at least six days' worth of work already, so why is it still only Wednesday? Surely it should be some time next week by now.

Also, I just wrote "work of work", instead of "worth of work". Work is working over my work!

And on top of this slowness, I have a complete inability to work (gah, that word again!) out which day it is. I thought Monday was Tuesday. And I thought the fourth was Thursday, when it's actually today. I have no idea how I'm managing to stay organised throughout all of this... but I am! For instance, I already have my vlog recorded, edited and ready to go.

Before I go (back to work), I have a question. Well, it's more of a request for help, really. One of the problems with my writing at the moment is that a major character in my story remains nameless. It's... a slight difficulty. So I was hoping my lovely flist might be able to help me out with some suggestions. He's an old-ish, Winston Churchill-ish type figure and he needs a name. If you could tell me what sort of names you think would fit that type of character, you will earn my eternal gratitude. And I might even eat some double-coat tim tams in your honour.

:D

Additionally, I'd love to know how other writers come up with names for their characters. Do they just come to you, or do you have tips for working out the perfect name?

As for me, I have to return to my long, sloooow week... but I'll be seeing you all tomorrow for Thursnesday and my vlog.

Comments

[gwencameron.livejournal.com]

Name possibilities --

Horace
Mortimer
Vernon
Edmund
Stewart
Theodore
Horatio
Bertram
Gerald
Donald
Gordon

There. That's 11 off the top o' me head.

But I'm afraid I'll be no help to you with name-picking tips. I literally have a list of favorite names (been collecting them for years). Mainly girls, though. I have about 3 dozen of them, but only about 10 guys' names. I get them from all over - books, TV, people I know, even obits.

And yes ... this week is lo-o-o-ong ....

(a little like this comment ... lol)

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

That is a spectacular list of names - thank-you so much! I think "Mortimer" is feeling like a good fit right now. I honestly can't thank you enough - this namelessness has been driving me crazy!

My mum collects names, although not for writing - she collects the ironic ones, like "Dr. Goat - vetinary surgeon" or something. It's amusing to read through the ones she's found. Not that useful for writing, though.

I want this long week to end! Preferably right now.

[gehdra.livejournal.com]

I'm not very good at coming up with names. But I liked Mortimer as well. Also Horatio, though that always makes me think of CSI Miami... scarred for life!

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Hortatio makes me think of Hornblower. And that makes me think I should pop my DVDs in and watch the entire series again.

These name associations are quite fascinating, though.

[gwencameron.livejournal.com]

In a town near where I live, there actually is a Veterinary Surgeon named "Dr. Wagy,"

!!!

[morbane.livejournal.com]

I've always liked Cyril. Maybe he's also one of those characters who would suit a name that has been modernised to feminine, like Evelyn.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Interesting! I hadn't considered that. Thanks. :)

[sopdetly.livejournal.com]

I have a book about naming characters. Sometimes the names just come to me, but other times I want Deep Meaning behind them. So I use my book! :D Book is marvelous, tells you all the meanings, and it suggests last names, too, which is great for me because last names are where I totally fail on my own. LOL.

As far as suggestions, the ones above all seem good, but if you need something more, let me know!

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

I'm a bit the same with names - I once had a character named "Carmen" because it's Latin for song (I think... or something like that), which was significant in some way.

I'd like to know the name of your book! It sounds almost magical.

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

Bob McWilson.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Hehe! Something about the "McWilson" amuses me greatly.

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

I hope it's the obvious!

[the-wanlorn.livejournal.com]

It's going so damn slowly I just might invent a time machine to get out of it. :(

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

You should make it out of a police box and call it the tardis! :D

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

Sometimes names just come to me (Xavier Green Kingston), sometimes I get inspiration by trawling through my baby names book (that's where I got Tiffany as a boy's name) or my many names lists, and sometimes I'll alter them (Thom to Thomlie), and sometimes I'll just play around with sounds until something sticks (Alaris).

I could never write a character who is yet to be named by me. They would be different pre- and post-name. It took me an agonising week to decide whether a character should be Bellamy or Brook, because each name carried a different personality.

(Then again, my dream job would be creating fictional family trees, so I might take names a bit too srs bzn.)

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, the namelessness thing happens to me quite often, even though I'm like you when it comes to names - a different name makes a character a different person. Even the same name with different spelling can change a character for me.

[seagull-fred.livejournal.com]

I enjoy using street names for inspiration. Today I was even thinking of using a train line for a name ("Hi, my name is Mr Glen Waverley...")

Or maybe think of famous kings of England?
Alfred
Albert
William
Malcolm
Edgar
Justin
James

Or why not just steal the name Winston? That's exactly what the author of 1984 chose to do. :)

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Have you ever seen that episode of Kath & Kim where they're trying to choose a name for Kim's baby and Kath suggests "Glen Waverley"? I wish I could remember their other suggestions.

I love that show. :D

Those are some good suggestions! Thanks. :) I was half-thinking of going with Winston, but I wanted to be a bit different.

[crazedturkey.livejournal.com]

Arthur McIntosh

Cyril Peters

Archibald Williams


and I dunno. I'm tired now. I've been working all day :p

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Nice ones! And you've included surnames as well - most considerate.

[stefeny.livejournal.com]

i'd recommend Aloisius, but then i just like it in brideshead revisited ....

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

That name always makes me think of church, since that was the saint of the church I was dragged to as a kid. It could make a good middle name, though.

[erinmacha.livejournal.com]

:(( I am terrible at naming original Characters. I usually ask my betas for help. :P

So - sorry, no help from me on this one. *squish*

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Heh, makes it tricky when you don't have a beta, though...

*is sqiushed*

*squishes back*

[ilexarts.livejournal.com]

I would suggest not using Mortimer... but that's due to my personal bias of always immediately envisioning Don Ameche in Trading Places every time I see that name (same goes for Randolph / Ralph Bellamy).

When I think of names I'm totally guilty of using names of people I know or have known, but the personality of the character doesn't necessarily match. A lot of times it's reverse psychology thing. I used the name Daax for my starship captain because I knew a kid named Dax who was definately not a leader of anything but always seemed to be someone's right hand guy, so I guess I gave him the chance to be the boss and abuse his second in my story.

On that line of thinking, I'm going to suggest Cedric - the kid who was usually the mastermind of some of our neighborhood exploits, for your character. Plucky kid as I remember, definately not Winston Churchill-ish.

[gwencameron.livejournal.com]

Me, whenever I hear the name Mortimer, I always think of Cary Grant in Arsenic and Old Lace. Great Halloween movie.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Mortimer makes me think of crusty old lawyers in crusty old offices... and I have absolutely no idea why...

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

I'm finding it really quite interesting to read about all of these associations people have with names. It's fascinating.

And you have an equally facsinating way of choosing names - I like it! I rarely use names of people I know in real life, although I can think of one exception. There was a teacher called Lenore at my old work who always used to wear the most interseting looking outfits. Interesting in a good way, that is. So when a story called for a very stylish, fashionable-type character, the name Lenore immediately leapt forward. But that's about the only time it's happened.

I have almost too many names to choose from now!

[elfie-chan.livejournal.com]

I like Horace. ^_^

I keep thinking I should sit and write down the names of people in some movie credits--they tend to have great names.

My villain for Swashbuckler Files, Francesco, was named after an extremely annoying four-year-old boy who was on a train with me in Italy. Names can come from everywhere!

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Horace is definitely another good one. I've gone from having no idea to having almost too much choice!

Oh yes, you really do see some fascinating names in credits, don't you? Let me know if you ever do start a file of them and I'll know where to go when I need another name in an emergency. :)

[vegetachik.livejournal.com]

Winston


:D

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Hehe! Thanks. :P

[blindmouse.livejournal.com]

Heh, I go the very predictable Baby Name Book route. I usually have an idea of what letter I think the name starts with - or maybe three possible letters - and I just read through that section writing each name that sounds vaguely right in a notebook. Then I circle my favourites and write them in another list and stare at it for a while until I've made up my mind.

Terribly scientific.

(Sometimes names just come, obviously.)

Names I might give an old Winston Churchill type!

Roland
Mathias
... I need a name book.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

I like your naming process, actually. Character names are all about feeling, anyway - so your process sounds like it should work beautifully.

Thanks for the name suggestions! I have so many to choose from now... and no idea how to make the right choice. Actually, that's not true - I could follow your process and see how it goes. :D

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

Well, I'd love to help, but I would have to know what he looks like, any character flaws, place of residence, what his favorite color is...

In other words, I don't have a clue. :)

Actually, I think that maybe Joseph or Jacob would be a good name for your character.

Usually for my fic, I just go with whatever name sounds good at the time. Sometimes I'll change it if I don't like my first choice, but it's normally not a hard thing for me to do. I mean, think about it. Your audience will accept whatever name you come up with because they don't have your first, second or third choice to compare it to.

And if all else fails, put yourself in the character's mother's shoes. What would she or the father name their kid?

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Oh, your idea about putting myself in his parents' shoes has made me wonder about his parents, now. He needs backstory. A lot of it. And as soon as possible.

Thanks for your name suggestions - I'll be adding those to my list and somehow making a choice very soon.