How To Name Your Character Mechanicsburg PA

Provided by: 
Click here for more content from HowToDoThings.com

Whether you're writing a sprawling novel with scores of characters who travel the globe, or a short stage play about two guys sitting in a bar, you will, at some point or another, have to give those characters names. Or you will at least have to make the conscious decision not to name them. Sometimes the naming process can be simple. Other times, it's possible to get stuck. Sometimes a writer may fall prey, as Laura San Giancomo says in Pretty Woman, to "the pressure...of a name!" Here are some ways to kick start the name-giving process.

1. Decide how important names are to your story. It's easy to get caught up in finding just the right name for a character. (It's especially easy to get caught up when a tougher part of the writing process -- say, outlining the second act of script -- is your other alternative.) True, a name can help you clarify a character's personality. It can have symbolic meaning. It can add depth to your story. But sometimes, a name is not as important as you think. For instance, I love plays of August Wilson, and I remember what a lot of the characters do and say and fight for. But I remember very few of their names. Some of the names probably had a great deal of significance - but I remember the character's importance without remembering those significant names.
   
   The same is true with popular movies. I love the movie Crimson Tide, but when I think of the main characters, I refer to them as Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman - I couldn't remember their names on a bet. The bottom line is, sometimes a name can be very important, sometimes semi-important, and other times not important at all. So think about how important names will be to your story, and if turns out they're not all the crucial, don't spend weeks and weeks looking for that "perfect" name. Also, realize there may be many "perfect" names for a character. You may have five names on a short list for your main character. It may be that any of the five would work and all you need to do is pick your favorite.
   
   ...

Click here to read the rest of the article at HowToDoThings.com

Author: B. Danesco