What's in a Name? By Dan Cooke

How much difference does a name make?

This relates to so many aspects of our writing, from what to name the story itself, either before or after completion, what to name the characters, right from the protagonist to the antagonist, and even the names of other, smaller details that might not even seem important from the off, but actually help to further cement the world you are creating.

Your protagonist and Antagonist of course both need to have names that are memorable and unique, ones that won't get lost in a crowd, which is of course especially important if there are a lot of supporting characters (of which I am guilty.)

Some people say that the name of the character should match what they do, or represent them in some way, and though I do not do this myself, I can see the merit. "Here comes the esteemed veterinarian Doctor Katherine 'Kat' Nineives and her nemesis, big game hunter Pelter 'Pelt' Mounter." Obviously I'm not every good at this, though if done properly this can work really well.

I think that memorability in the case of names is especially important in written works like we create, things that are visual, films, series, offer other ways to remember them, even in a crowd, but while we can give descriptions, and us and the reader build up a visual image in our minds, it is the names that grab us truly.

So a suggestion is to try to avoid ones that are too similar, unless they have to be for character or plot purposes, and, unless including a pronunciation guide, try to make them at least semi-pronounceable to the average person, or at least offer a nickname.

Acronyms are also a personal favourite of mine when naming businesses, or in some cases even people, because you can do so much with it. For example, I have a character with the name: Edward-James Nathaniel Odessa Zoltan, which is quite a mouthful, so he is just referred to as 'ENOZ' much simpler to say, type and remember. (This might actually stem from the fact that I myself was for years known by most people by my initials, DAC.)

Of course the name for the finished work also needs to be one that reaches out and grabs at its audience, maybe something sort and snappy that will stand out, but of course, relate in some way to the plot, the characters, the style of writing. This is something I have little experience in, but hopefully, with time, will grow in.

So good luck to you all with the creation of your names.