Names of characters

Good morning, Self!

If you are like me, and I know you are since you are me, then you sometimes have trouble finding names for your characters. I was advised to get myself a book of baby names and use that. However, picking a name for a character is as difficult as picking a name for a baby. You want just the right name that will hopefully project the qualities and flaws you want to inject into your characterization. I imagine what I want the character to be like, then find a name, male or female, that rings true. But then I've got the problem of selecting a surname to go with this perfect given name for my character. I have bookcases ranged around my office with the names of the authors prominently displayed, and if I need a name quickly for a minor, throwaway character, I select from them. A phonebook also comes in handy, but you have to keep in mind the locale you are using for the book's action. Does this place have a strong German community? Or, maybe you are putting your action in the Southwest. You need to use the surnames that are most likely to be found in the area, no matter where the action takes place.

Maybe this is an attention to detail that is unnecessary, but for me, it gives the story flavor, a sense of authenticity that, I hope, lends credibility to my efforts as a writer. If I accomplish this, then the reader closes my book at the end and immediately goes in search for another of my works. Isn't that what any writer hopes will happen?

So, to sum up: Envision your character, select a given name that strikes the emotional chord you want to play, find a surname that is in concert with both the given name and the locale. These are my simple steps to finding just the right names for my characters. I'm sure I'm not the first to use them, just as I will not be the last.

Oh, and one last thought; I have found that burying myself in the minutiae of writing helps take my mind off the fact that writers also sometimes suffer from a form of stage-fright. It's just not as immediate. Then when I am finished, and am sure that there is nothing else I can do to make it a better story, I set about copyrighting, formatting and publishing.

Goodbye, Self. Have a nice day.
Derek A. Murphy
Author of Taken Apart, Eggs of Empire and others.
Available on Kindle