Names, it's hard to write fiction without them and oddly enough they seem to be something a lot of people have a problem with. Hopeful this tutorial will help iron out a few of the problems I see when it comes to names in writing.

The first thing I'd like to say about names is that they need to fit the setting. If you are writing a story set in modern times this is fairly straight forward. A little bit of research on the country in which the story is set and you will have a good idea what names are common.

If your story is set in a very multicultural locale you can use names coming from almost any culture. However it is not a good idea to populate an entire city with really unique names. Think about the name diversity around you. I am sure you know a few Kalexs and Tarkans but most people are boring old Wills, Davids, Katies and Sarahs.

If you feel you still need more name diversity it is worth remembering characters (and people) may be called by a nickname or their last name. But that can say a lot about a character.

I think a lot of people have trouble actually thinking up names. There is a very, very simple solution to this and it is Babynames.com. Any other baby naming site will do just as well. Or if you don't have the internet, your local library or bookstore will have ample baby naming books.

All that is very well assuming your story is based in reality, but what about when you are writing about a fantasy or sci fi setting? The answer is simple and only three words long; Fantasy Name Generator. Google.com will find you several hundred sites with Name Generators and I personally believe a good Fantasy Name Generator is as invaluable as a dictionary to a fantasy writer.

There are other things to keep in mind when using fantasy names. One is pronunciation. Often I find three people reading the same name will each pronounce it in a totally different way so always run a new name by a few test readers (or strangers sitting next to you on the bus).

The second thing to keep in mind is different races and different cultures should have different styles of name, just like in reality. Names should be consistent. Perhaps your elves have very long names like Eler’tisali Vijtda’bei Alfaso’ina. Perhaps your intergalactic alien overloads all have hyphenated names like Had-je, Wil-tor and Abe-las. Just make sure 'Bob' and 'Lucifeinca Of The Purple Flower At Dusk' didn’t grow up in the same village.


Copyright Talitha Kalago. 2003.