Oh, the naming process. I love it and hate it at the same time. There is something immensely satisfying about finding the right name for a character in a book. But getting there can be quite a challenge. Part of the challenge is that I love giving characters names that reflect who they are or who they will become. To me, a name speaks to who a person is. However, when dealing with made-up languages, creating a new name sometimes becomes necessary! In that case, there is a whole new collection of hurdles to get over.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I do love the creative process of coming up with names. But for me, it is one of the hardest parts of writing characters. So, I am here to ask for your help! I am going to build a special document filled with name ideas, what I call a Name Bank, and your suggestions will be the heart and soul of it! I am doing this because many times, when creating a name inspired by my fictional language, I combine names or translate a name into my fictional language before putting it on the page. For example, there is a character in The Mission whose name is Eyethanoff. That is a strange name, but it is actually a real name translated into my fictional language. Can you guess what the name is? Post your guess in the comments!
Okay, back to this list I am making. Basically, what I need y’all to do is comment with some names that you really like. Occasionally, I will repost this blog post when I need some fresh ideas or just want to add to my list. But for now, hop into the comments and share your ideas!
Photo Credit: Unsplash - Jon Tyson
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