When writing a story, how do you choose a name for your hero? At times this is an abvious, natural choice; other times you struggle with it, and have doubts about your choice. Recently I came across an article by Thomas A Knight about this subject. He is an author who writes stories set in a fantasy world of his own design. The name of the article is Writer's Den #5 - What's In A Name. This is how it starts:
"'A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.' Or so wrote the great William Shakespeare. But would it really? Name's are important in fiction. It's hard to identify with a character that has a long or difficult to pronounce name, and names that are too common or overused can have the same effect. So how do we come up with the winner?"
Love it!
ReplyDeleteThank you Lydia!
DeleteInteresting, thought provoking!My younger one always quarrels with me over the names of characters in the stories I cook up for her so much so often we end up with no stories but just naming the characters. LOL
ReplyDeleteShyam, your younger son takes after you then: he has the making of a creator, and the yearning for perfection!
DeleteI chose my main characters surnames a long while before I started writing them. It was the first names, in both cases, that gave my trouble, but I rarely use those names anyway.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, William--with my characters it's just the opposite...
DeleteI find I keep reusing the same names, but once the characters become real I have to go back and change them.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sheila! I'm thinking, maybe the names you reuse are meant to be there, then...
DeleteUvi,
ReplyDeleteI'm flattered that you enjoyed my article enough to share it like this. :)
This is the highest form of compliment to me, and I truly appreciate it. Thank you.
Thomas
I definitely did, and I'm quick to share valuable information! From now on I'll visit your place from time to time, and I hope you will visit mine, too
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