Pay attention to the pronunciation of the name. I shudder to think anyone would name their hero Master Bonecrusher in a children's book, for example. ![]() Do some research to learn what kinds of names have succeeded in your genre in the past. The names fit Sandford's genre extremely well. In John Sandford's crime thriller, Neon Prey, Lucas Davenport (US Marshal) is hot on the trail of Louisiana-originated killer Clayton Deese. This is the area most character names either sink or swim. The name Mary fits in the American Midwest, but using a variation such as Maria could be better for a story based in Argentina. In that case, break the rules! Where does your story take place? Then again, maybe that's what you're going for - a protagonist who feels decades older than his peers. Your characters are all alive at the same time, but it might be weird to have an old character named Talon or a young character named Leonard. Keep in mind that different names are common in different generations. It may not seem as adventurous, but remember to write for your times. However, a name like Samuel would fit right in. If your story is based in the 1800's, a modern name such as Zayden will just be out of place. You need to consider what time period you are writing your story for. Consider your character against the time setting. Here are some tips and tricks you can use in order to make sure you get it right. You want the name to fit your style, genre, even appropriate age range. Selecting the right character name shares many of the same principles as choosing a pen name. As a matter of fact, the name Hannibal Lecter is more commonly known than the name of the book! How to Choose the Best Book Character Names When most people think of Thomas Harris's The Silence of the Lambs, the first thing that often comes to mind is Hannibal Lecter. Your character's name can also become synonymous with the book itself. But introduce the same character as Archie, and you have a more cool, laid back name - perhaps that of an All-American high school quarterback. A name such as Archibald may imply a sense of refinement and class. Names can also help you to establish a character's personality from the minute you introduce them. A book with Jim, John, James, Jules, and Jerry can easily make for a very confusing read. You may like the name Jim for one character, but be wary what you name the others. In most cases, each name should clearly represent only one character and keep them distinguished from the others. Click To TweetĬhoosing the right names actually helps to smooth out your stories too. irrelevant? Make sure you choose the right names for your story's leads. What's in a name? That which we assign a Main Character by any other name would be. Here you can choose personality traits, birth dates, and even parental nationalities! This generator may only have a portion of Reedsy's database (220,000 available), but they provide a much more in-depth filter selection. They've also got a fun and easy to use User Interface, so you won't be forgetting them anytime soon.
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