Congratulations! Your mind has just handed you a bouncing baby world to build for your story. You're all set, you have all of these cool characters, cool monsters, creative villains, but you have no idea what to name them. It's a difficult thing to master, especially in High Fantasy. The names Zach, Brittany, and Taylor will be of little help when it comes to crafting a distinct world made up of elves, dwarves--- or whatever it is your mind came up with.

There are so many things that need naming: money, magic, landmarks, countries, people, customs, languages, even entire worlds. It may amaze you to know that this list is only scratching the surface. See, it would take me forever to walk you through each and every thing that needs a name.

So, today, we're simply going to learn the art of name calling.

No, I'm not going to teach you how to curse and bully each other. We'll save that for a special segment: the process of creating insults. Today, though, we're going to answer SovaZen's question:

How do you choose names for your characters and places (We'll save places for another piece)?

First, let's establish rule numero uno:

Almost every name you come up with will have probably been used by someone else. Does this mean that you shouldn't use it? Of course not, you silly nittlebug. If you're doing it right you will love the final names you come up with, so who cares if it's similar to another name out there? The important thing is that it represents your character how YOU want it to.

You'll also probably meet this reader, who innocently says, "Oh, I love that name, it reminds me of this famous character from this new series. Did you get your character's name from that?"

Let's face it; you'll feel unoriginal at some point, but we all know that taking inspiration from other works is fine!

And it may even turn out that you have no idea what they're talking about as I did when I found out that I am the only person on the face of the earth that hasn't read Throne of Glass. Apparently, there's some small, unnoticeable character named Rowan?

*Wink, wink* No hate, please, that was total sarcasm. Please don't kill me, Viya.

This, "I'm so unoriginal, someone please burn my manuscript," psychodrama, is something that I am going through right now because my character is named Rowan too. He's completely different, and, spoilers, Rowan isn't even his real name. Still, I'm going through an early mid-life crisis, and I am considering giving him a biker makeover and new moniker.

What I want you to get from this is that you're the author. You can create, keep, destroy, and change anything you want. If you figure out that maybe that once special name doesn't fit your character anymore, find a new one! Rowan still fits my tall, dark, and handsome hunk of a man at the moment, so I'll probably be keeping it.

Do what you want, the haters will get over it.

What you need to know first:

Is your character male or female?

What is their class? (Are they poor or rich?).

Cultural background? Some ethnic names will use certain consonant sounds.

What world are they from? (Medieval, modern, futuristic).

Optional: What's their personality? This one works for some and for others it has no impact.

You need to know at least this much about your character before you really set out naming them. You should have an idea of what (race) your character is, who they are, their personality and their culture. You wouldn't name the princess of a medieval, English-inspired country, Zendaya. Likewise, you probably wouldn't name an Asian-inspired empress, Margaret.

Technique #1: Feel the Force around you, young padawan...

In other words, look to your environment for inspiration. It's amazing the amount of things you can find for inspiration. Some of them are wonderful, and some of them are just...

I literally made these names up two seconds ago: Karmonius, Ferith, and Thomuell.

To be able to make names like this you have to have a mind that is everywhere and nowhere, all at once. Take the name Karmonius for instance. It could work for a sorcerer, a wise man, shade, or an advisor. Here's how I came up with it.

Time spent: 30 seconds.

Process:

Sitting on my lap is a long haired, English Cream dachshund named Carson. On the television, an EHarmony advertisement just came on. Harmony... Harmonious... Car---Kar, because k's are cooler. Karmony? Karmon? Karmonius!

I swear I'm not on drugs. It's just that simple. Ferith and Thomuell were easy too:

On our movie shelf is a copy of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. For high fantasy, Ferris might work, but it makes me think of sniveling ferret characters. This is where knowing your blends comes in handy. Th, ch, sh, and etc.. You can quickly make a new name by replacing syllables and end sounds with new ones.
I removed the second r and went through this process:
Ferish?-- saying it aloud sounds like a lisp, so no.
Feriche?-- might work. It sounds really German, though.
Ferith?-- sounds better to my ear.

In the end, it was just a personal preference that made me choose that name.

Thomuell: the song "Oh, come, oh, come Emmanuel" is in my head. There's the second half. I honestly have now idea where Thom came from, but sometimes you just have things that pop into your head. I simply omitted the second "m" and added a second "l."

This technique takes practice and time in getting to know your world. The more developed it is, the more familiar you are with it, the easier it will be to get the same style of names.

FYI, I call Karmonius, but the other two are fair game!

Technique #2: The baby lists that never end...

This way is longer and, in my opinion, not nearly as fun. The idea behind this one is that you look up names on a baby list, and sometimes you get lucky enough to find one that has a fantasy sound to it. Another way to use it is to find two names you like and mash them together, or find one you like and spell it in a way that's new and fresh.

Ie. Joffrey from Game of Thrones. Now I'm not saying the holy one, George R.R. Martin, followed this method, but it's a good example of taking a common name and changing the spelling.

Joffrey is actually a Scottish variation of Jeffrey or Geoffry. <-- See that ending there, though?
You can get this name from Google Gaelic name lists, or scramble up the spelling.

The trouble with baby lists is that they're almost always modern names. At some point, you might get a Gwyn or a Rhys, and maybe even a Tristan. Usually, though, they go by the latest names that are trending for new parents, like North (*Shudders*).

So, while this is good if you're in a bind and need a quick new name that authentic, original sound can be hard to find.

Technique #3: Generate, oh generate, make me a name better than Kate...

Then, of course, we have the name generator, that plucky little angel sent from above to help you in your time of need. It's usually pretty simple, and they have generators for everything! Dragon Age, LOTR, Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Hunger Games, Mario Brothers (okay maybe not that one) and the list goes on. Go ahead, google one, I dare you. 

Technique #4: Look up the meaning...

Many authors want a name that is reminiscent of a character's past or foreshadows their role in the story. Basically, they want it to have a meaning. They want it to have substance.

For example, one of my characters is named Kayden Nefario. He may or may not end up being a character that is ---

And omg I just realized that's the same name of Gru's evil doctor friend in Despicable Me. Well, shoot... I guess I'll work on the name a bit more I guess. >.>

Well, I guess now we'll talk about how Despicable Me came up with the name---> Nefario is just a cut off of the word "nefarious." For those of you who don't know what it means, let me whip up my trusty Google sidekick.

Flagrantly or impious/evil. 

Pretty obvious right?

EDIT: Kayden's new surname is Nefair. See? All it takes is a little trust and pixie dust. XD

How to check if your name is right:

Is it age appropriate? This mainly goes for anyone doing realistic fantasy. So, say you have a character from 13th century Ireland, do some research and see if anyone back then could have been named that. Quick note, most names from long ago have been changed to something new, as seen with the name Ciarán and Kieran (we call this anglicisation). So, if you find a name see if it has a different origin.

Does it fit the region and culture?   Remember Princess Zendaya from medieval England? Make sure your name is believable.

Google it! This will help you keep it original. Also, make sure you do a deeper search! I googled the name Rowan when I first named my character, but all I got for results were name origins, and pictures of Rowan trees. -_- Now look at the mess I'm in.

Practice:

Build a Character Workshop: Take the primary questions (Male/Female? Rich/poor? Culture? Medieval, modern or futuristic?), answer them, and try to use techniques #1, #2, #3, or #4 to build a name. Share it in the comments! Don't forget to check if it's right!

If you need help with anything, don't be shy, hit me up!

Old crones

We see them all the time: Snow White, that weird lady in The Princess Bride, your grandmother...

That was a joke, I swear.

They're overly evil, they cackle and shriek their heads off like a banshee, and almost always, they have moles and warts in all the worst places. Aaaaand let's not forget the old story of them coveting the beautiful looks of their young wards---seriously you'd think they'd just go to Sephora already, though I don't believe the store accepts poison apples over debit cards...

Anyway, past all of that, I think there might actually be a sweet old woman under there. Maybe she's just misunderstood or needs help to find a dermatologist.

Let's rejuvenate the old crones of the world! Give them a reason to hate the MC for something other than jealousy of their perfect skin, although honestly, I'd hate them too. What if the MC killed their lover (maybe they dropped a house on them?) or stole their most prized possession? In a world of evolving villains, where readers are always questioning your bad guy's motives, and are on the hunt for grey characters, we should probably address these to grumpy old women as well.

This question was posed by superwera:

How do you make the person the MC ultimately falls in love with, an unobvious love interest? (In other words): How do you keep the readers shipping the MC with more than one person without making a love triangle out of it?

Element_Time asked:

When using fictional terminology that the author created in their fantasy novel, what would be a good way to inform the reader of those words?

LunarsFantasies answered:

Either have a secondary character who is not sure of this terminology, and has to have it explained to them, or have your main character be the one who is confused. Either way make it subtle when it's explained, and keep it simple to understand.

AnnabethC answered:

I think a great way to do this is by playing the ignorant or new-person-in-a-strange-place card. This way both the MC and the reader learn without having an information dump, as Nora so splendidly put in a previous article. However, if you're MC is already part of this world (Oh yeah, Little Mermaid. Nora got me going- thanks a lot ;)), then if you have some terminology that are curse words, for example, use dialogue to tell your readers that that's what it is. For example, if you use the word "flibber" (just a word off the top of my head) as a curse word, you could have one character use it and another one telling them to watch their language.

Aeviya answered:

In answer to the question, I have some stuff written out:

Fictional terminology is very hard to include, but if done right, can immerse your audience right in the center of your book. It depends on the POV of your story, but usually, the person narrating already is familiar with all of this language. So if you use the language enough, eventually through context and subtle hints, your reader will get it.

Take dialogue, for example (it really comes in handy in this situation). If one character asks another a question regarding a certain word used commonly, the other can respond while rephrasing the question in a way that gives a definition. Take this, for example:

"Will the Aihnra be in attendance today?" Hala asked, leaning against the side of the building.

Koln shook his head. "No magicians tonight."

See what I did there? Anyway, it all comes down to your writing style in the end. Every author is different, however much you hear that. You may be tired of hearing it, but it just means that you have the freedom to experiment!

Your character is dying, pick your poison, who is the last person they would want to see?

You'll notice I tend to ask the morbid questions around here. Tis a gift.

Does your character go for the obvious, wishing to see their love interest throughout the story? Would they rather see their parents, grandmother, son, or daughter? Tell us all about it in the comments below.

As for my dare this week:

What if your character pursues their love interest from the get go, but instead they're the one who is spurned?

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Whew! What a first week! I hope this was helpful for anyone who might be struggling to find their name soulmate. If this article helped you, or if you at least found my floundering attempt at giving advice entertaining, remember to hit that little star!

See you next week,

Hannah

*All comments within this article are merely the suggestions, mad ravings, and opinions of the author. They should be taken with a grain of salt and understanding that she may just be a well worded lunatic and not a literary expert. *