Try to say that title three times.  I tried and messed up. Which really is the point of this blog, in my opinion at least.  Names. Even seasoned writers miss the mark when it comes to naming characters.

Here’s the deal:  As a writer, you alone determine the like-ability or dislike-ability by the names you give characters.

Remember say 30 years ago Tiffany and Brittany were popular girls.  If you were to write a YA novel (young adult) set in the 1990s, either of those names would work.  David, John and Mike, as names for characters, never go out of style; Gertrude, Clarence, and Horace have, but would be excellent choices if your story is set in the early 1900s.

In the online class I teach called How to Make Money from Your Writing, there’s an assignment in the novel-writing lesson about “interviewing” characters.  It sounds psychotic but it works. If you want to know, please ask me about it. The point here? Ask your characters what they want to be named. You will be surprised, I assure you.

When selecting names, choose them to further the plot or bring your characters to life.  Many writers use one of those “Baby Names” sites and never run out of possibilities. Consider too finding the root origin of the name so that there’s another twist to the character’s personality.  You can also keep a list of the names of your friends, family and coworkers that strike a chord or tickle your funny bone.

As you select names, triple check that each has a distinct sound from your other character.  It’s hard for readers, especially younger ones, when characters’ names all start with “N” or “T.”  This is true, too, for characters with one-syllable names, such as Ted, Ned, Fred, and Jed, and okay let’s add Ed.  You get the picture or did I lose you at Fred?

Naming characters help readers to related to age, cultural identification, ethnicity and personality.  Let’s say you’re writing a story about a 13-year old who only knows life as part of the Navajo Nation. Suddenly, her widowed mother dies and the girl is forced to move in with an aunt in Miami.  You could name the teenager Susan Smith. It could still be a great story.

Now step back a bit.  Picture the girl as Starlight Little Tree and just look at what happens when she’s transplanted to the cultural and political center of Little Havana?  See her? She’s a character who is going to face challenges. And writers and readers love to have characters struggle, right?

Want to gather more naming tips?  Check out this article by Elizabeth Sims, http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/the-7-rules-of-picking-names-for-fictional-characters called 7 Rules of Picking Names for Fictional Characters

Finally take this advice from a pro.  Lucy Maud Montgomery, famous for so many novels including Anne of Green Gables, said, “I read in a book once that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but I’ve never been able to believe it. I don’t believe a rose WOULD be as nice if it was called a thistle or a skunk cabbage.”