July 16th, 2009 / 2:44 pm
Snippets
Snippets
Adam Robinson—
Wait, how do you come up with names for characters?
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Meta
i really have a hard time naming characters. usually i dont name characters. i dunno.
i really have a hard time naming characters. usually i dont name characters. i dunno.
i named two characters “ezzard” and “fanon” once, because there was an ezzard charles fight on tv, and i saw a book by frantz fanon on the ground. other than that i just wait from a message from the lord above.
i named two characters “ezzard” and “fanon” once, because there was an ezzard charles fight on tv, and i saw a book by frantz fanon on the ground. other than that i just wait from a message from the lord above.
Unless there is some reason for the character to have an odd name (I named a character Sindee once, because she had named herself and chosen it as a play on the word ‘sin’ and sandra Dee) I just use standard sorts of names chosen largely at random. A lot of Jacks show up in my work.
Unless there is some reason for the character to have an odd name (I named a character Sindee once, because she had named herself and chosen it as a play on the word ‘sin’ and sandra Dee) I just use standard sorts of names chosen largely at random. A lot of Jacks show up in my work.
I have a running list of names of real people that I like. These people are only vaguely connected to my life. They are usually people I wasn’t friends with in high school or college but was aware of or maybe an old coworker or one of my parents’ cousins or something like that. This could end up going wrong, but if I use a pseudonym it might not be so bad.
I have a running list of names of real people that I like. These people are only vaguely connected to my life. They are usually people I wasn’t friends with in high school or college but was aware of or maybe an old coworker or one of my parents’ cousins or something like that. This could end up going wrong, but if I use a pseudonym it might not be so bad.
a good number of my characters are based (loosely) on people i know– so most of the names i give them are ones i could see those real life people being called if i had the power to rename them. :)
a good number of my characters are based (loosely) on people i know– so most of the names i give them are ones i could see those real life people being called if i had the power to rename them. :)
Me too. I mean, me neither. Depends what you’re writing, but sometimes names don’t add anything or date a story or worse. Sometimes they are good, though. Like I’m reading 60 stories by Donald Barthelme and some characters in different stories have the same name and sometimes I can’t decide if it’s a recurring character or just someone else with the same name. It makes me feel like he’s one of those directors that works with the same actors again and again. But also his names are interesting, like Clem and Hubert. Actually, now that I think about it, it’s cool when he names the ‘seven dwarfs’ one after the other in Snow White. So um, maybe names aren’t that bad. I don’t know. This comment isn’t really helping, huh?
Me too. I mean, me neither. Depends what you’re writing, but sometimes names don’t add anything or date a story or worse. Sometimes they are good, though. Like I’m reading 60 stories by Donald Barthelme and some characters in different stories have the same name and sometimes I can’t decide if it’s a recurring character or just someone else with the same name. It makes me feel like he’s one of those directors that works with the same actors again and again. But also his names are interesting, like Clem and Hubert. Actually, now that I think about it, it’s cool when he names the ‘seven dwarfs’ one after the other in Snow White. So um, maybe names aren’t that bad. I don’t know. This comment isn’t really helping, huh?
behindthename.com is a great database of first names. I can imagine using the phone book too.
behindthename.com is a great database of first names. I can imagine using the phone book too.
i dont think names are bad necessarily. i just have trouble committing to a name i think. i like the william gass essay from fiction and figures on life that talks about naming characters.
some of us had been threatingin our freidn colby. i like colby as a name
i dont think names are bad necessarily. i just have trouble committing to a name i think. i like the william gass essay from fiction and figures on life that talks about naming characters.
some of us had been threatingin our freidn colby. i like colby as a name
Oddly, I named a character Sam Pink once
Oddly, I named a character Sam Pink once
The last time I tried naming a character ended in tragedy. I’d seen the name ‘Traudl’ and thought it was pretty except in my mind it stayed as ‘Trudl’ which sounds like strudel and looks too much like Trudi.
The last time I tried naming a character ended in tragedy. I’d seen the name ‘Traudl’ and thought it was pretty except in my mind it stayed as ‘Trudl’ which sounds like strudel and looks too much like Trudi.
I’m reading the collected Paris Review interviews, and quite a few of the writers said they went with the phone book (somebody, I forget who, had piles of phones books from around the world).
My own system is a bit more complicated and involves the matriarchal, matrilineal herstory of GC — that probably doesn’t make any sense now, but maybe one day it will.
I’m reading the collected Paris Review interviews, and quite a few of the writers said they went with the phone book (somebody, I forget who, had piles of phones books from around the world).
My own system is a bit more complicated and involves the matriarchal, matrilineal herstory of GC — that probably doesn’t make any sense now, but maybe one day it will.
you’re dead dude
you’re dead dude
i read once that nabokov took three weeks to write all the names of lolita’s classmates–when humbert humbert looks at her class photo. that’s pretty intense. if anyone can find more information on this, it might be interesting to study his process.
i read once that nabokov took three weeks to write all the names of lolita’s classmates–when humbert humbert looks at her class photo. that’s pretty intense. if anyone can find more information on this, it might be interesting to study his process.
I love you like llamas love each other
I love you like llamas love each other
my characters come with their own names and I can’t change them even if I want to. same with pets from the shelter.
my characters come with their own names and I can’t change them even if I want to. same with pets from the shelter.
i stopped naming characters.
jesse ball took names from tombstones.
i stopped naming characters.
jesse ball took names from tombstones.
I use old yearbooks, a first name from one person and a last name from another person.
I use old yearbooks, a first name from one person and a last name from another person.
I’ve thought about going up to strangers, asking them what they think my full name should be, and then using that as a characters name. If I needed a woman’s name I’d just ask what they thought my name would be if I were a woman.
I’ve thought about going up to strangers, asking them what they think my full name should be, and then using that as a characters name. If I needed a woman’s name I’d just ask what they thought my name would be if I were a woman.
that is an inspired idea
that is an inspired idea
I use real people’s names, too. I used my dead dog’s name in a story published in TRY. And I used my ex-girlfriend’s name in a story published in Instant City. And in OCHO 25 I used Ellen Kennedy’s name even though I don’t know anything about her. What’s nice is that I have actually seen these people somewhere before. Like on the internet or in person. And so it make it easier for me to visualize the character. Then I just make stuff up. In the porno book I am writing, there is a necrophile scene with Molly Gaudry and a love-letter scene on a pink bed with editor Gravity Goldberg.
All my friends names appear in what I write, too.
Real name + ‘picture’ of person = character.
I am gay.
I use real people’s names, too. I used my dead dog’s name in a story published in TRY. And I used my ex-girlfriend’s name in a story published in Instant City. And in OCHO 25 I used Ellen Kennedy’s name even though I don’t know anything about her. What’s nice is that I have actually seen these people somewhere before. Like on the internet or in person. And so it make it easier for me to visualize the character. Then I just make stuff up. In the porno book I am writing, there is a necrophile scene with Molly Gaudry and a love-letter scene on a pink bed with editor Gravity Goldberg.
All my friends names appear in what I write, too.
Real name + ‘picture’ of person = character.
I am gay.
When I’m teachin’ the kids I sometimes get onto them about naming. Usually when they give every character really boring names. And similar sounding names! Like a story will have Jim, Jon, Kim and Joe. Very needlessly confusing.
I mean, I guess I don’t want to necessarily advocate giving all the characters crazy, Hollywood-baby names, like Apple or whatever. But put a little effort into it, right? It’s a choice you can make — so, you know, make it, right? Giving all your characters dull names is like titling all your stories “What Went Wrong” or “A Very Interesting Day.”
Then again, I grew up in South Carolina and Florida, among lots of very interesting names, and also my name is Mike, which is pretty boring, so maybe I’m just projecting my own weird-name fantasies on other people.
When I’m teachin’ the kids I sometimes get onto them about naming. Usually when they give every character really boring names. And similar sounding names! Like a story will have Jim, Jon, Kim and Joe. Very needlessly confusing.
I mean, I guess I don’t want to necessarily advocate giving all the characters crazy, Hollywood-baby names, like Apple or whatever. But put a little effort into it, right? It’s a choice you can make — so, you know, make it, right? Giving all your characters dull names is like titling all your stories “What Went Wrong” or “A Very Interesting Day.”
Then again, I grew up in South Carolina and Florida, among lots of very interesting names, and also my name is Mike, which is pretty boring, so maybe I’m just projecting my own weird-name fantasies on other people.
i participated in a fiction battle many years ago, it was dumb. A guy and i wrote stories at each other using each others names as characters and humiliating them somehow, writing stories back and forth at each other and some entity would decide a winner. i think i lost because i was too nice.
i participated in a fiction battle many years ago, it was dumb. A guy and i wrote stories at each other using each others names as characters and humiliating them somehow, writing stories back and forth at each other and some entity would decide a winner. i think i lost because i was too nice.
I’m okay. You’re okay. We’re okay.
I’m okay. You’re okay. We’re okay.
i name all asshole assistant managers after my friend Scott Robertson. I’ve done that 3 times so far, and would encourage everybody here to do the same. The real Scott Robertson, strangely, likes this, and would thank you for the effort.
i name all asshole assistant managers after my friend Scott Robertson. I’ve done that 3 times so far, and would encourage everybody here to do the same. The real Scott Robertson, strangely, likes this, and would thank you for the effort.
I just wrote a story with a character named Roderick Swarts, which is a name I found in my spam box.
I just wrote a story with a character named Roderick Swarts, which is a name I found in my spam box.
cool
cool
I want to read a story called “A Very Interesting Day” featuring people with those names. What would the setting be? Like maybe a state park.
I want to read a story called “A Very Interesting Day” featuring people with those names. What would the setting be? Like maybe a state park.
I named a cat in a story “George-or-Giorgio” and in a story I wrote last week I named a person “Heidi-and-Carl.” Is this acceptable?
I named a cat in a story “George-or-Giorgio” and in a story I wrote last week I named a person “Heidi-and-Carl.” Is this acceptable?
i named a character in a metamorphosis parody “Greg-or-Gregor”
i named a character in a metamorphosis parody “Greg-or-Gregor”
I tend to use the name Carl now in as many stories as I can. A friend of mine thinks my writing is so “jacked up” so I told him I’d start using his name everywhere. I don’t think he cares or finds it remotely funny but I still enjoy doing it.
Generally, I just go with obvious names like Mark or Alison, unless (as Nate alluded to), there’s a deeper reason to make the name special/unique.
I tend to use the name Carl now in as many stories as I can. A friend of mine thinks my writing is so “jacked up” so I told him I’d start using his name everywhere. I don’t think he cares or finds it remotely funny but I still enjoy doing it.
Generally, I just go with obvious names like Mark or Alison, unless (as Nate alluded to), there’s a deeper reason to make the name special/unique.
It’s not only acceptable, it’s laudable.
It’s not only acceptable, it’s laudable.