Character Names

      When writing fantasy, names are particularly important as they reflect the unique characteristics of your imaginary world. There is a lot of meaning in a name. Sometimes you want your characters’ names to match their personality or profession, and other times you want it the opposite, to surprise the reader and let your character break out of a stereotype.

      Names are important, but don’t lose too much sleep over choosing a name. There’s always time to change it later, while you’re writing the rest of the story and even while your editor/agent is going over your manuscript. Just pick any name when you begin writing so that you can get writing and worry about the details later.

      For the meaning in a name when you are writing fantasy, you could give a character with fire magic, for example, a name that loosely means heat or flame. Alternatively, you could give him a name meaning cold or ice to create some irony. It could be he believes fiercely in fate and rejects his gift because of the meaning of his name, of his life.

      A lot of my names, especially for medieval fantasy or partially human creatures, I make up entirely myself. Its fun to try: take two or three names you like and try combining them in different ways, using parts or even one letter from each of them. Your names would be totally unique to your story, and that way say a lot about your character’s personality as the reader would likely not find another character in someone else’s book with the same name to confuse yours with. This also adds some authenticity if your story is set in a completely fantastical world – if all your characters have original names it gives the story a tone that the reader can pick up on, and will, in the future, associate with the same moods and setting that are in your story while reading other novels.

      Another thing to think about when you are naming your characters is what role they will play in the story. Again, you could use their name to fit their character, or use it as a foil to contrast with what the character’s real role is. For example, an incredibly smart and talented man named something bland like Bob, or a dunce who’s named Balthazar. Writing fantasy can be very rewarding in respect to naming characters, because really, it’s your world, and who’s to say what names you can and cannot use?

Happy Writing!

Stephanie Hurd