(Why won’t it let me post an image?)
Our “Name a Character” contest is off to a slow start. Oh, well.
Sometimes all you’ve got to start with is a name. A new character enters the story, looking for a role in the plot. A catchy name might clinch it for him. Or her. Queen Gurun’s name comes from an Icelandic saga. Ryons, from Arthurian legend. Ozias, from the Bible. And some just come out of the blue–like Uduqu.
God willing, I’ll soon finish Prince Enthroned and move on to King Betrayed. The field’s wide-open for new characters. Who knows? A name you dream up might lead to an epic.
(Now I’ll try one more time to post an image. Good luck with that, Leester.)
[The old laptop let me post an image.]
Bilgerine, Flubbermuck, Chantisy, Roobblejack.
Those sound like awful dishes at a trendy restaurant.
Mousekin – Oh, my Juniper name doesn’t cut it for a picture like that! How about Semusai?
Oh, the picture’s not important! It’s up to me to think up a character to fit the name. Coolest name still wins.
Does your world building include languages and foreign words? (Like going Tolkien and developing a whole new alphabet?)
(I really should read them and pass them on to the kids. I think it’s a safe bet to say there isn’t anything objectionable in them. I’m kinda broke though now—my own book sales dropped off a cliff). If you do like playing around with languages I’d recommend Holly Lisle’s Create a Language Clinic”.
I’ll throw some at you anyway. Here are some:
Tezericah. Phelthassar. Hilikai. Rulkan.
Once upon a time I wanted to do everything that Tolkien did. But that way madness lies.
Most of my proper nouns come from my reading: the Bible, the Mabinogion, assorted mythologies–and occasionally I just make them up.
I wish I could think of a name, but my imagination seems to be on hiatus, right about now.
What’s in a name. How about a bit different take on this. You have placed a few posts here on the government wants us to eat bugs. What I didn’t know until 10 minutes ago; many of us are already doing so, but didn’t know it!
What’s in a name, what is it – Acheta powder. Its crickets. What is Acheta powder used in?
Domesticus in frozen, dried, powdered and partially defatted form in the production of many food products, including cereal bars, breads and rolls, crackers, dry-pasta-based products, meat analogues, soups and soup concentrates, confectionery or processed meat products.
Better read the labels on the food you eat.
For them to get their full jollies out of it, we have to know we’re eating bugs, that we can’t get out of it, and that they’ll punish us if we try… and then ship us off to the gulag where you get nothing to eat but bugs.
Tolkien was for sure overkill if the intent is just to write a story. Don’t get me wrong—it’s an amazing accomplishment and body of work with all those maps and languages and histories, but even the most bare-bones worldbuilding can inform a well-written story. It can grow right along with any series if it needs to (as long as the author keeps it consistent).
Well, I’ve had 15 books’ worth of it so far. Things sort of “just grow” out of the plot.
Exactly! 😁
I have been thinking about a name, but nothing so far.
It’s not as easy as it looks.
Amalia-This might be a dumb question, but can I suggest as many names as I want or am I limited to just one?
As many as you like–no limit.
Rhea, Evelyn (Evie for short), Astor, Nora, Roland, Janna, Horeb, Soren, Leona, Huz, Eunice, Rosalyn, Bezer, Adina, Nestor, Phyllis, Ajax