tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602571838684092188.post8138867704872631601..comments2024-02-23T19:28:12.169+11:00Comments on Publish or Perish: What’s in a Name?Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625543235578144620noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602571838684092188.post-62372694872432945182010-04-06T13:57:22.046+10:002010-04-06T13:57:22.046+10:00Hi Yvonne,
Many characters pop out ready made with...Hi Yvonne,<br />Many characters pop out ready made with names.<br />But for me there are some...<br />It is amazing how much characters feel independent of me as an author. I suppose a psychologist would say it says a lot about how people think, either that or I am barking...<br /><br />Five? Wow.<br />Well it took me so long to settle on <i>Veiled in Shadows</i> I may have well had four names before hand.<br /><br />Thank you! I am only to happy to find new blogs to lurk around :)Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15625543235578144620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602571838684092188.post-6536391612159377852010-04-05T21:03:22.809+10:002010-04-05T21:03:22.809+10:00I find it easy to name characters. They just pop o...I find it easy to name characters. They just pop out and only rarely do I end up changing them. Though I like what you said..."I knew them intimately, but it was almost as if they hadn’t yet trusted me with their names." That's exactly the way it feels at first. I do like the idea of stalking cemeteries for names.<br /><br />Now, titles are a different matter. I've changed the one on the novel I'm currently querying five times! Five, I say. <br /><br />Congratulations on your near publishing date! Oh, and thanks for joining my blog. It's always exciting to see a new face.Yvonne Osbornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18212188414972694795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602571838684092188.post-16920342013988056432010-04-04T08:14:48.147+10:002010-04-04T08:14:48.147+10:00Hi Kyna,
Pleased to meet you as well!
My problem ...Hi Kyna,<br />Pleased to meet you as well!<br /><br />My problem is I have too many novels hiding inside and not enough time to write. Hopefully you'll get the door to the novel closet open someday.<br /><br />Then all those characters in your brain can find another home.<br /><br />Thanks for popping by.Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15625543235578144620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602571838684092188.post-48771708978000090462010-04-03T22:42:34.008+11:002010-04-03T22:42:34.008+11:00Hi Al :) I'm very glad you stopped by my blog ...Hi Al :) I'm very glad you stopped by my blog and left a comment, or I probably wouldn't have found yours. These days I'm mostly on garden blogs...<br /><br />Very interesting subject. I've always been the opposite way. I like to fancy myself a writer, with a novel hiding inside of me somewhere waiting to jump out. Alas, it never seems to want to come out of the closet :(<br /><br />I have a lot of character names inside my brain...whole characters really. They just haven't given me more than a few pieces of story at a time ;)<br /><br />Nice to meet you, I'll be back :)Kynahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13222304237028745181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602571838684092188.post-28660989634818780442010-04-03T10:49:21.248+11:002010-04-03T10:49:21.248+11:00Hi Rebecca,
I agree names don’t like me either! I ...Hi Rebecca,<br />I agree names don’t like me either! I don’t usually have a problem with minor characters, but major ones? Sheesh! Isn’t it funny how characters names get stuck to them. I had one in particular whose name was I happy with. Then the plot called for her to get married and the combination of names was just dismal. But both she and her husband steadfastly refused to be known by any other name!<br />Nice to find out your name too!<br /><br />Hi Cynthia,<br />Electoral roles and similar resources can useful too. The thing with a cemetery is that a community needs to be identifiable. Lutherans in Oz a hundred years ago were almost all born in Germany.<br /> <br />Hi Elaine, <br />Yes names are either right or …<br />I do know of the Brotherhood of Saint Lawrence in Frankston.<br />In fact my Grandparents used to live in a BSL retirement village just near there. <br />The world is indeed ridiculously small!<br /><br />Hi Tasha,<br />I could be accused of giving my children “terrible names”. One of mine didn’t like hers because it was “different”.<br />Inventing novel names is associated with premature greyness!<br /><br />Hi Hazel,<br />Good point. You can pick a name that would stand out that way.<br /><br />Hi Kathleen,<br />Thanks for the links.<br />Naming sites never seem to help at all. <br />I sympathise, titles are terrifyingly difficult.<br /><br />Hi Elspeth,<br />Baby name lists have been of some assistance.<br />Isn’t it interesting how “right” things have to be before a character will flow.<br />Literature has always been a popular source for titles, you’re in great company there.<br />You are most welcome for the piccies. Ah, the good old Empire. We all seemed to fall over ourselves to see who could be more British than the British.<br /><br />Hi Ann,<br />Names are as hard as… <br />I love cemeteries, at least the old headstone type. Modern Lawn cemeteries leave a lot to be desired.<br />I’m pleased you enjoyed the piccies.<br /><br />Hi rtfg…<br />Thank you.<br /><br />Hi Alyssa,<br />Finding a name is a pain!<br />But yes, the right one does simply click into place.31 March, 2010 <br /><br />Hi Ben,<br />Hours is right! For some characters I find it can take months to get the right name!<br />Best of luck with your own literary endeavours!Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15625543235578144620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602571838684092188.post-15199177396130568872010-04-02T01:33:44.677+11:002010-04-02T01:33:44.677+11:00I spend hours trolling through various name web si...I spend hours trolling through various name web sites. For my fantasy book, I tried to choose names that that have meaning or significance. For example, my main character, Howard Adelmar, his name means to be noble and famous. And although he goes by Howie, his grandpa can be heard frequently saying, "We live noble, and we die famous--that's what it means to be an Adelmar."<br /><br />By the way - congrats on getting your first novel published. I hope my turn is not too far away.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03209949145997932361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602571838684092188.post-67307688426883836822010-04-01T14:56:10.646+11:002010-04-01T14:56:10.646+11:00I'm like you--I struggle with names. It's...I'm like you--I struggle with names. It's funny though, once you hit on the right one, it just clicks.Alyssa Goodnighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12563271888054706202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602571838684092188.post-9940571739846317912010-03-31T06:24:42.402+11:002010-03-31T06:24:42.402+11:00Names are hard. Sometimes they just come and then...Names are hard. Sometimes they just come and then others the right name is as elusive as a butterfly. Very good idea the cemetery. I must wander the cemeteries when I am home this summer. Loved the photos.Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07524878248746427258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602571838684092188.post-81205316921018910992010-03-31T03:54:09.225+11:002010-03-31T03:54:09.225+11:00I get my names from lists of baby names from the y...I get my names from lists of baby names from the year the character is born. I usually get the right one - but occasionally I'm wrong. I know I'm wrong when I can't write the character. As for titles - I go to Shakespeare. SPY MY SHADOW is from a line in Richard III - a figure who is very important to one of my characters. Luckily, the phrase has a great many other meanings as well.<br /><br />Thanks for the pictures - that type of architecture is very familiar. I suspect all the countries that used to be coloured pink on the maps have rather similar pieces.Elspeth Futcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10330102545384369360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602571838684092188.post-32364560489775397942010-03-30T19:59:29.733+11:002010-03-30T19:59:29.733+11:00Hi Al, there's a very good (if a bit literary...Hi Al, there's a very good (if a bit literary) article on characters here http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,2246855,00.html#article_continue<br />and there are some good character naming resource sites at www.writing-world.com<br />There are also some novel title sites, but I hate them all. Titles are my big bug-bear!Kathleen Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07645566938871914385noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602571838684092188.post-78236641431217052842010-03-30T16:27:30.917+11:002010-03-30T16:27:30.917+11:00You name a novel by something people won't exp...You name a novel by something people won't expect.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602571838684092188.post-79371091559594532202010-03-30T11:26:44.766+11:002010-03-30T11:26:44.766+11:00I always joke that I should never have children be...I always joke that I should never have children because I'd give them terrible names. I can't imagine trying to come up with a name for a novel!Heidenkindhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09494625457587427781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602571838684092188.post-83919589322335279322010-03-30T05:14:09.893+11:002010-03-30T05:14:09.893+11:00Names are crucial - I'm with you there.
Census...Names are crucial - I'm with you there.<br />Census rolls and the cemetries - I Google search Most Popular Names with a year and country.<br />Speaking of names - do you know Brotherhood CC in Frankstone? My sister manages there. Melbourne is large but the world is small ;)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15459671422564355990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602571838684092188.post-73813198018221926992010-03-30T03:29:03.496+11:002010-03-30T03:29:03.496+11:00Names ARE hard, truly bug-a-boos. For American nam...Names ARE hard, truly bug-a-boos. For American names, I just check the Social Security Administration's list of names for the year my character was supposedly born, and pick a name from there.<br /><br />But foreign names? Sheesh. I'd never thought about a cemetery. Great idea!Cynthia Reesehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128418037470085123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602571838684092188.post-51665029878371061252010-03-30T01:43:24.599+11:002010-03-30T01:43:24.599+11:00Names can be SO difficult! I can never come up wit...Names can be SO difficult! I can never come up with good titles for my novels or stories. yech. They just don't like me. Character names I don't usually have a problem with. They usually come to me with the character and sometimes I am dying to change the name, but they just WILL not be anything else.Rebecca T.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11994380364321336824noreply@blogger.com