| Author |
Message |
    
Josh
Awareness Member
Post Number:
6
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 19, 2004 - 03:37 pm: |   |
I am writing a book or trying to, in-between sorting out all these poems for my Poetry book called "Anarchist" about a Serial Killer who slits people throat, drinks there blood and carves an Anarchy symbol on the people cheek with a razor blade. Yeah I know pretty graphical, but the Serial Killers name is Severius Mikhail. lol. Whatcha think? I feel that names tell the victims from the crazy people. My opinion anyway, the more mean sounding it is, the better you can say, yeah that person does connect and make a good Killer. |
kevin (Unregistered Guest)
Work-in-progress guest
Posted From: 24.171.65.80
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 20, 2004 - 07:22 am: | |
I like unique names for my stories. My book, The Fire Within, main character is Elysia Reeves. The antagonist is her mother and I named her Kacia Reeves. Kacia is a variation of Acacia, a tree that represents immortality and rebirth. Kind of fitting since Kacia is the Phoenix.
I like to match the characters name to the situation. In my book I'm writing now I have a demonic preist who is part vampire, part demon and he goes by the name of Judas. Not to mention the God under the ground, Zion
I try and stay away from common names, if they are in my story I usually kill them off.
Kevin |
Perry Comer
Unity Member
Post Number:
1220
Registered: 04-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 20, 2004 - 08:14 am: | |
as in most things - KISS - keep it simple stupid
Josh I think you are right about villians, give them a mean name
http://www.pacwriter.netfirms.com/ |
Steven Shrewsbury
Wisdom Member
Post Number:
610
Registered: 04-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 20, 2004 - 11:24 am: | |
An editor pal once asked me to name a bad guy after her ex-hubby. 
Heh. Would I do something like that? ;)
|
Donna Brown
Awareness Member
Post Number:
19
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 20, 2004 - 12:01 pm: | |
I think it depends on the book. For example, I was very careful about the selection of names for the characters in my latest ms. the protagonist is named Lila, which is a derivative of Lily, which means pure - it fits her. Another character is named Olivia, which means symbol of peace, and, again, that is what she is. Another is named, Sophie, which means first woman - fitting. A male character is named Joseph after the Biblical Joseph (deliberate) and another is named Judd, which is reminiscent of Judas (at least I hope it is), which fits him perfectly.
Other times, I just pick names I like - I don't do a deliberate search for the meanings of. So, I think it depends . . . |
Olen Armstrong
Wandering Member
Post Number:
157
Registered: 06-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 20, 2004 - 01:53 pm: | |
One solution that intrigues is the one used by Robert Heinlein in his later sci-fi work. He just took a first name from someone dead who couldn't complain and tacked on a simple ordinary last name.
Two that come right to mind are Lazarus Long and Woodrow Wilson Smith.
Simple and elegant and saves the brain-strain.
Just an observation.
One of my mottos: "Steal from the best, share with the rest."
Later,
Olen A. |
Steven Shrewsbury
Wisdom Member
Post Number:
612
Registered: 04-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 20, 2004 - 02:35 pm: | |
Sometimes in a fant book I get an obscure god for a name of a character.
Like Ugalla.
Or fallen angels from Enoch...like Amazerak.
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Dennis Collins
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
720
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 20, 2004 - 05:35 pm: | |
Back in the days when I had a REAL job, I used to threaten my co-workers that I would use their name in my next book if they displeased me in any way. Problem was, they all loved the idea. Every single one of them said, "Wouldja really do that? Really?"
One guy really bugged me about it. I was writing a scene about Florence Italy and that was where his family was from. He wanted his name in my book in the worst way. I told him that I already had all my characters named and all but one of them had a first and last name. That one guy was just called Louie. He was a hit man and I planned to blow him away at some point during the book.
The Guy says, "Perfect. My middle name is Luigi" So my killer became Luigi (AKA Louie) Iamurri... My friend was ecstatic. |
LaurieAnne
Unity Member
Post Number:
1271
Registered: 12-2001
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 21, 2004 - 11:05 am: | |
Back in high school, my classmates used to play a game trying to disprove that I had could actually write the things I signed my name to. I was accused of plagiarism nearly every day. So, some of them decided to give me two names, a situation, and told me to write something around it by the end of the school day, so that they could watch me to make sure I didn't go into the library or anywhere else were I could access someone else's work.
I succeeded every time, but they still spent hours trying to find where I had allegedly "copied" the work from. I still have most of those little exercises in my files, but I doubt I will ever do anything with them. I threw together things that to me were attrocious trying to prove myself, only to be discredited over and over again.
Anymore, I pick what I want, and to heck with anyone's opinion.
LA
LaurieAnne
|
Kevin R. Paglia
Awareness Member
Post Number:
35
Registered: 07-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 21, 2004 - 04:08 pm: | |
I was reminded today when someone came up to me to talk about Adam's Stone (plug, plug). In that story I have a dog (welsh corgi, my wife's favorite) named "Sparky". Sparky blows up. Did it just for my wife.
Kevin |
Dennis Collins
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
847
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 30, 2004 - 12:15 pm: | |
Speaking of dog's names, my first two books have dogs in them. There's a Brittany Spaniel named "Dopey" and a Llewelyn Setter named "Clancy." Both of them are dogs that I owned at some point in my life.
Names, like titles, are "Hooks." I've been giving that area a lot of thought lately as I put together pieces of book number four. I think I may even have a title. The current "working" title is simply "Poverty Island," but an inspiration came to me as I was making up old folk proverbs to use in the book. Here's an example of my sometimes wierd thinking.
"The best things in life aren't exactly free but they're only about the price of rain."
Hence; my new title... "The Price of Rain"
Another stroke of genius was the name of a company that specializes in emergency, on site repair services for the trucking industry... "Road Wrench" |
LaurieAnne
Unity Member
Post Number:
1395
Registered: 12-2001
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 30, 2004 - 12:49 pm: | |
Dennis,
Both of those are awesome. The Price of Rain has just enough "What?" thought to it to grab the reader's attention and make them take a 2nd look.
And I absolutely love Road Wrench. Makes me think of Rent-A-Wreck car rentals. LOL.
LA
LaurieAnne
|
Dennis Collins
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
849
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 30, 2004 - 01:03 pm: | |
How about a truck stop hooker called "Road Wench?" |
Gloria Marlow
Wisdom Member
Post Number:
899
Registered: 04-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 30, 2004 - 01:12 pm: | |
I did the same thing with Shades of Silence. For the two or three years I worked on it, it was always entitled Shades of Black. Then when I was done, I realized it had become much deeper than that, and Silence was the most perfect fit there was.
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LaurieAnne
Unity Member
Post Number:
1396
Registered: 12-2001
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 30, 2004 - 03:28 pm: | |
Oh, I can definitely say that Shades of Black would not have been right for this one. Shades of Silence is PERFECT.
LA
LaurieAnne
|
Joyce Scarbrough
Awareness Member
Post Number:
41
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 30, 2004 - 06:59 pm: | |
Like Perry, I choose the names for my main characters after getting a mental picture of them. The name has to fit. After I start writing and get to know them a little better, I'll often add a middle name or nickname.
In True Blue Forever, the heroine's name is Jeana Russell. (Jeana is pronounced just like Gina.) I thought I spelled it that way just because I liked the way it looked, then halfway through the book I realized I'd done it because my mama's name was Jean.
The hero's name is Mickey Royal. He was named after Mickey Mantle because his father was a big-time Yankee fan. His last name had to follow Jeana's alphabetically because they needed to sit by each other in English class. I liked Royal and it turned out to fit perfectly with the blue theme.
In my second book, the hero calls the heroine "Firecracker" (and believe me, she IS one) so when they get a dog later and she turns out to have a feisty side to her, he names her Sparky.
For peripheral characters, I look in the phone book.
Toyce
True Blue Forever
Read the first chapter at http://www.authorsden.com/joycelscarbrough1
See the hunk at http://www.southernbelleauthor.com/joycepersonalpage |
Paula Bartello Papapetrou
Awareness Member
Post Number:
1
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 01, 2004 - 03:49 am: | |
I wrote an autobiography, Fallen On My Knees. Oh course everyone already had their own name, but if I could not contact them to ask permission to use their name, or if I did not want to, I simply made one up. Needless to say there were certainly a couple of big "Dicks" in my story! lol No offense to any Richard's out there! lol
Hello everyone! My name is Paula. I am known on the Publish America message board as Paulapb. I can not get my picture to load here! They say that it is too large! Guess I'll try again later after a few more cups of coffee!
Paula B Papapetrou
Fallen On My Knees |
Perry Comer
Unity Member
Post Number:
1331
Registered: 04-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 01, 2004 - 05:59 am: | |
Welcome Paula
enjoy the cup.
http://www.pacwriter.netfirms.com/ |
Laurel Johnson
Unity Member
Post Number:
2925
Registered: 01-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 01, 2004 - 08:05 am: | |
Welcome, Paula. Nice to meet you. |
Bill Nelson
Hunger Member
Post Number:
99
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 01, 2004 - 08:13 am: | |
Hi, Paula,
Enjoyed your wit on the other board before the inmates began to
run the asylum.
Bill Nelson |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1143
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 01, 2004 - 11:20 am: | |
hi Paula,
welcome and hope you enjoy this place. We are very friendly natives here.
Claudia
|
LaurieAnne
Unity Member
Post Number:
1399
Registered: 12-2001
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 01, 2004 - 11:41 pm: | |
WooHoo! Another caffeine addict.
LOL
Joyce,
Maybe it's just my eyes, but I can't manage to read much of your posts without getting headaches. That blue makes it nearly impossible to focus and discern any letters. I can manage about 2-3 sentences, then it all fuzzes together.
(And yes, I am saving up to get my eyes lasered. But I don't think it will help me focus on blue any better. LOL )
LA
LaurieAnne
|
Paula Bartello Papapetrou
Awareness Member
Post Number:
4
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 04:33 am: | |
Thanks for the warm welcome all!
Bill, do ya think they'll let me talk "dirty" on here? lol
LA... Gotta have my java! :0)
Paula B Papapetrou
Fallen On My Knees |
Dennis Collins
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
855
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 07:52 am: | |
Paula...
Go ahead, Claudia and Nancy do it all the time... Just watch out for Jenn and LA, they'll admonish you for it. |
Joyce Scarbrough
Hunger Member
Post Number:
52
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 08:46 am: | |
Hey, Paula! If they let Kev-the-Peeping-Tom hang out here, I'm sure anything you say will be all right!
LA, Since I posted that about my characters, I've discovered and corrected my font problem, so here it is again in case you're interested.
Like Perry, I choose the names for my main characters after getting a mental picture of them. The name has to fit. After I start writing and get to know them a little better, I'll often add a middle name or nickname.
In True Blue Forever, the heroine's name is Jeana Russell. (Jeana is pronounced just like Gina.) I thought I spelled it that way just because I liked the way it looked, then halfway through the book I realized I'd done it because my mama's name was Jean.
The hero's name is Mickey Royal. He was named after Mickey Mantle because his father was a big-time Yankee fan. His last name had to follow Jeana's alphabetically because they needed to sit by each other in English class. I liked Royal and it turned out to fit perfectly with the blue theme.
In my second book, the hero calls the heroine "Firecracker" (and believe me, she IS one) so when they get a dog later and she turns out to have a feisty side to her, he names her Sparky.
For peripheral characters, I look in the phone book.
Toyce
True Blue Forever
Read the first chapter at http://www.authorsden.com/joycelscarbrough1
See the hunk at http://www.southernbelleauthor.com/joycepersonalpage
|
Bill Nelson
Wandering Member
Post Number:
102
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 09:42 am: | |
Paula,
If they won't let you talk dirt, you an E-mail me, late at night.
Mmhhaaaaaa!
bn |
Joyce Scarbrough
Hunger Member
Post Number:
54
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 09:51 am: | |
Bill, you should have told me you wanted to do that! I'll email you tonight about potting soil and red clay.
Toyce
True Blue Forever
Read the first chapter at http://www.authorsden.com/joycelscarbrough1
See the hunk at http://www.southernbelleauthor.com/joycepersonalpage
|
Kevin Yarbrough
Hunger Member
Post Number:
87
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 01:03 pm: | |
You wanted me to peep Toyce, otherwise you wouldn't have left the curtains open. Danced in front of them, waved at me, and then pointed at the cop car behind me ten minutes later as you drank your wine on the couch reading a horror story called "Bone Gap". Next time I will just knock.
Hey Paula, how you doing?
Kevin |
Nancy Mehl
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1689
Registered: 08-2001
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 02:17 pm: | |
Hey, when do I talk dirty? LOL!
Welcome, Paula!
Actually, Dennis is the one you have to watch out for...
Nancy |
Paula Bartello Papapetrou
Awareness Member
Post Number:
5
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 03:22 pm: | |
hehehehe!! Looks like this might be a fun place to hang!
Paula B Papapetrou
Fallen On My Knees |
Nancy Mehl
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1693
Registered: 08-2001
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 08:24 pm: | |
Usually, it is. As long as the trolls stay under their bridges. 
Nancy |
LaurieAnne
Unity Member
Post Number:
1402
Registered: 12-2001
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 03, 2004 - 09:06 am: | |
Been so busy with the day job-night job crap (though the night-job stuff isn't crap---that's what I actually ENJOY doing) that I missed the whole reference above. Me? Admonish someone for talking dirty? LOL Try again! I'd encourage it. After all, I'm just the local heathen. ;)
LA
LaurieAnne
|
LaurieAnne
Unity Member
Post Number:
1405
Registered: 12-2001
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 03, 2004 - 09:09 pm: | |
Back to the topic of names...
What about leaving the lead character without a name? I just finished a short piece in which the lead character is never named. The reader knows who she is in relation to the rest, but the name is never given. It just seemed wrong to put a name to such a possessed creature...
LA
LaurieAnne
|
Joyce Scarbrough
Hunger Member
Post Number:
66
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 04, 2004 - 01:50 pm: | |
LA, I did the same thing with a short story I submitted to an anthology of Alabama writers. (It's also posted at my AD site--"Midsummer Shower) because no other character speaks in the whole story but the main character, and the nameless quality seemed to lend to the mystery surrounding her from the beginning of the story.
Toyce
True Blue Forever
Read the first chapter at http://www.authorsden.com/joycelscarbrough1
See the hunk at http://www.southernbelleauthor.com/joycepersonalpage
|
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