How to name your characters.

How to name your characters.

It is always fun naming characters. You create a new identity when you name them. But how to make the name stand out or be unique?

Make a list – Always a good way to start. Jot down all those names you are partial to and see if the name works well for your character. Does it fit your character? I’m not talking about the name meaning. Just how it sounds when you call that person with that name. If the character is a pretty and soft girl naming her Flora will do wonders to the character's image.

Friends can help too – I do this when I am not able to find a good name. I ask my best friends to give me a list of names. A good one might just pop out of it. Or better, you could take a name and make a version of it. Smash two names to get one of your liking. Say, there are two names Aayan and Han. Aahan is created out of it. Fun, yes?

Get rid of favoritism – One of my stories had four of the ten round character’s names beginning with the letter J. And my other story had two Js. Break out of the preference and look for names starting from different letters. 

Meaning – I like to name my characters with that name whose meaning I feel does justice to the character. We know Harry means ruler. Imagine naming Filch that. However, you DON’T have to follow this at all! Sometimes the irony is great too. And really, most of the times readers don't look for this detail.

Last names – Last names can be hard to create. Steal last names from real people you know or you can make up your own. However, in realistic fiction think twice before you do that. In India, it so happens that different sects of people share a particular last name. It sometimes identifies the state they are from. Or the religion. Do some research when it comes to names in realistic fiction or any genre for the matter. 

Ethnicity – The same thing I mentioned in last names. Decide on your character’s background and name him/her so. If it is a Russian character you could name him something like Vladimir; the name must indicate the ethnicity.

Originality – Kick convention aside. Names can have a lot of impact on the reader. So impress them with your creativity. Bring out some original names.

Unique doesn’t mean weird – Now, Voldemort is quite unique. But it doesn’t come across as weird. In the name of being creative, don’t generate names that are hard to pronounce or read. You don’t want the reader to find it a mouthful that they just skim over the word. Simple isn’t a crime.

Common names are also not a crime – Don’t hesitate to use popular names. You want to name your protagonist Tom? It is better than something like Kiloushjt.

What is the internet for? – Google ‘Baby boy names starting with the letter A’ and you find yourself looking at many sites that offer you long lists of some great names.  The internet is your largest resource of information. Exploit it.

Don’t forget the time – Yes. This is very crucial. You cannot name a 16^th century knight with a modern day punk name. Choose names that indicate the time period your story is set in.

Nicknames - Do you want your character to have a nickname? Choose a name that can be shortened to a good nick name. Foe example - Elizebeth to Lizzie or Sushanna to Suze.

Things - Yes, you can use things to name your character. Wood can be an excellent last name.

Do you like the name? – If you aren’t comfortable with the name, your character isn’t comfortable too. Make sure you are ok with it.

Happy naming!

What are the methods you use?

Manisha Mahalingam.

100HappyDays

 

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Being sad is easy. Try Happy. 

The 100 days of happiness is a project that challenges you to be happy for a stretch of 100 days finding new ways to be happy. A walk with your dog, baking a cake! You name what makes you happy.
Easy? Tough? Why don't you try it out yourself and find out!
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100happydays

My day one starts tomorrow - March 1st. This is going to be fun (:

#28. a photograph a day for a month

Final picture for the month of February!
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How do I research for a story?

How do I research for a story?

 

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Research is of utmost importance when you are writing a novel. Even when the setting of the story is a place you are born and brought up in you need to research about the place. There will always be a story or an incident you aren’t aware of and that incident could be significant for your story. Never ever make your facts superficial. Dig deep and nail the details. 

Now, how do you go about researching for a story?

1.  Firstly, know what you have to research. You can know that only when you know what your story is all about. Map out all that you have to find out before the actual researching. Otherwise, you will end up wasting time and resources researching about unnecessary things. Update your list of all the things you need to research as you learn new things and go about with the story.

2. Details matter -Are you writing a sci fi set in space? Your research shouldn’t stop when you find out all about gravity, the space equipment or the astronomer’s suit. You also need to know what actually happens to a human body when they are in space. Some real life comments on how one feels in space. What happens when one returns to earth after the travel? How do they feel mentally? Or physically? DO NOT BE SUPERFICIALL IN YOUR FACTS. It doesn’t do any good. If you are hoping for a solid story then get those facts right. Now, how do you verify the facts? Look for different sources of knowledge. Has Google told you the egg comes before the chicken? Then find out how many sites say so. What is the authenticity of those sites? What do the experts say? Yes, it is a lot of work. I never said research was easy.

3. Internet is your best friend, Wikipedia isn’t – Yes, Wikipedia has helped you complete many of your school assignments but it isn’t going to help you to get your facts correct. Always browse more and read from other sites too. Compare the facts to find out the most precise one. Actually, stay away from Wikipedia until the end. That way any influences will be under check.

4. Travel guide book all the way- Writing about a place you haven’t been to before? Travel guides – book and person- are your best friends. The internet is an ocean of resource and you can find almost everything there. But the actual travel guides will tell you what are those things you need to look up on the net. You will be able to find many guide profiles on the net. Ask them if they are willing to help you out with a doubt. Many will be enthusiastic about it. Use ‘I’m a writer’ card whenever you can. People get excited and talk more. Travel guides act like the starting guide, the internet being the more detailed and elaborate channel.  

5. Google all combinations – Type out all combinations of words in the search bar when you are looking up something on the net. Different links come up each time and one might just be the one you are really looking for. Sometimes try out yahoo answers. Say, you are writing a medical thriller and you want some info on doctor’s lingo search for ‘what is the lingo used by doctors + yahoo answers’. You will be surprised how helpful those things are. 

6. Library is a magical place- Take a leaf from Hermoine’s book.  The resources of a library are there to be exploited. There could be one book on some shelf that will open up new vistas for your writing. Head to a library when it is research time. Internet isn’t the only Know-It-All. 

7. Practical work – if you think research can be limited to the internet and books you are wrong. Sometimes, they don’t tell you everything. For instance, you are writing about a place where a particular food is famous and you plan to include that in the story. You can’t just put in the name of the dish and talk about how hot the eats is (if it is a spicy one, that is). What do you do? Taste the food! Go ahead and cook it yourself to find out everything about it. You could just ask someone who tasted it before. But I believe that people miss out the finer things that writers can pick out. The smell, the memories the smell/taste brings, all those things which will bring the particular dish to life.

8. Be a nuisance -  Yes, you read that right. What I mean is that ask ask ask people who you think might know the answer to a question you have. Be nosy. Want to know the perfect weapon to kill a person? Who else better to ask than a doctor. Hassel them until you find out. Surgeons, policemen, whoever you need are people you can find around you. Go to them for help. Now, don’t go harassing them so much that they get a restraining order against you. 

9. Find a person – What job does your protagonist do?  Or any character for the matter? Is one of them a spy? Go find a real spy to pick up some tricks from. Maybe the internet or a book will tell you how it is to be a bus driver but only a real bus driver will be able to give you those juicy bits our dear Google cannot. Find a person.

10. Lastly, experience everything – Research has no start or end. You are always looking for information. Experience new things, try out adventures, and do all those crazy stuffs. It gives you firsthand knowledge when you talk about a particular thing in your story. I, for instance, know tarot card reading. If I were ever to include tarot cards in my story, I will know exactly what I’m talking about. Next time you are traveling by train, make notes about your experience. You have no idea how helpful they are. Better still, take videos. 

Research is an amazing part of writing a story. You learn, read, see so many new things you wouldn’t have known otherwise. Embrace the hard work that goes into research. It will pay off. 

Have any points of your own? Tell me!

Manisha Mahalingam