Naming Characters in Peril: Fast Track Thriller #1

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Have you ever wondered where authors come up with names for their characters? 
Suzanne Hartmann never really thought about it until she started writing fiction and had to name her own characters. Since her debut novel just released, and my daughter got us thinking about names on Monday, I invited Suzanne to share how she came up with the ones for her characters.

Before she does, let me tell you a little about Suzanne.
She’s a homeschool mom of three who lives in the St. Louis area. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Composition & Linguistics from Western Illinois University. To relax, she enjoys scrapbooking, reading, and Bible study. She began writing fiction when her children were young, and four of her short stories were published in a Milliken Publishing reading workbook. PERIL: Fast Track Thriller Bk. #1 is her debut novel.
On the editorial side, Suzanne is a contributing editor with Port Yonder Press and operates the Write This WayCritique Service. Through her blog, Write This Way, she has become known as an author who can explain writing rules and techniques in easy-to-understand terms. Her popular Top 10 series of articles formed the basis for her e-book on the craft of writing, Write This Way: Take Your Writing to a New Level
Take it away Suzanne…
Thanks for having me Sandra. First let me give you some background about the book so you can see how the characters fit in.
PERIL: Fast Track Thriller #1
A top secret agent with enhanced strength must use her extraordinary abilities during several high-profile assignments, from the White House to NASCAR tracks, while escorting the first Muslim king to convert to Christianity. When unwanted publicity threatens to expose her, she herself becomes a terrorist target, with danger surrounding her on all sides.
VIEW THE BOOK TRAILER 
And now, how I created their names:
MAIN CHARACTERS
Lady Anne – For some reason, I just always knew what this character’s name was. I never really had to think about it.

Stuart Jackson – Like the character himself, his name is a compilation. I wanted the character to be an average NASCAR driver, so I gave him characteristics similar to a number of well-known drivers. I continued that by giving him first and last names that are similar to well-known drivers.

Joanne Van der Haas – When I first created the stories I eventually combined together to create The Race that Lies Before Us, they were “what if” stories about me. What if I were in this situation? What if I could do this? What if I had this type of job? So I came up with a name that is similar to my own name.

King Ahmad – I wanted a common Arabic name, one that wouldn’t necessarily be associated with a particular country since I made up a fictional postage-stamp country for him. So I did an on-line search for Arabic names and picked one.
OTHER CHARACTERS
Neil Van der Haas – I envisioned blue-eyed, blond-headed Neil to be of Dutch descent, so I gave him parents who came to the U.S. from the Netherlands. For his given name, I came up with a Dutch name, Nels, that could be easily converted to an English name. For his last name, I came up with a Dutch-sounding name that is similar to the Dutch last name of a penpal I wrote to for years.

Troy Collins – I combined the name of two towns I’ve lived in: Troy and Collinsville.
Ambassador Bainsworth – The ambassador is a self-centered person, so I wanted to give him a name that seemed like it needed “the third” or something like that added afterwards.
John Blaszczyk (blaschik) – John is Stuart’s pilot, and always good for a little humor. Since he has such a generic first name, I thought it would be funny to give him a last name that no one can pronounce. So I did a search for Slavic surnames

Stuart’s sister – Although she’s not a character in this book, when I needed to mention Stuart’s sister, I wanted to give her a name. So I came up with a name that starts with “st” like Stuart’s does.
Please take a short hop to visit with the main characters from PERIL and see if their names fit them. I have created fictional interviews for each to introduce you to the characters and the brand new novel they star in. Click this link: CHARACTER INTERVIEWS
Your Turn: Writers, what techniques do you use to name your characters? Do you have any funny stories about how a character came to be named or “told” you what his or her name was?

 

To celebrate the release of her debut novel, Suzanne is giving away a Kindle to one lucky winner!
The contest runs through the end of her blog tour (Dec. 16). She will announce the winner on Sat. Dec. 17.

To enter, click here: WIN A KINDLE

What’s in a Name?

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

I’m delighted to share a guest post (geared to writers) from my youngest daughter Jennifer. She is a college-student, freelance writer, and aspiring novelist.

Whether it’s a person, place, thing or the title of your story, don’t underestimate the power of the name. The name can reveal.

Candy, the prostitute, is just that, a prostitute. Ashley is the young girl torn from innocence, forced into prostitution, and in search of true love.

A name can foreshadow. When your hero enters the city Sheol, translated to mean grave or hell, we know danger waits.

A well thought-out name rounds the hero and reveals something of their character or purpose.

Borrowing from an example in my screenwriting class, in the Hitchcock film Psycho, the sign of Bate’s Motel draws the heroine toward her murder. Likewise kind motel owner, Norman Bates is the worm on the hook – the bait.

Take a second look at your character and place names. What can they reveal about your hero? Can they up the suspense through foreshadowing? Trigger a reaction in your heroine? Or sign the death certificate of your villain? Show us your world through names.

Thank you, Jennifer. You’ve given the writers here lots to consider. 

I spend a lot of time trying to get my characters’ names just right. I try not to have them start with the same letter to avoid confusing the reader. I try not to have them all sound the same like Hayley, Bailey and Kayley, because, well, it’s just too funny. I favor single syllable names for my heroes with G or K sounds. Not sure why!

I often look up the meanings of names. But I never thought of using a play on words such as Bate-bait. Although readers have pointed out some unintentional connections. Such as laud meaning to praise, and how Emile Laud is all about being esteemed.

Your Turn: Readers, what’s the most memorable name you’ve come across in a story or movie and why? Writers, how do you choose names for your characters? Share your favorite and why.