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Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) Choosing the Perfect Name (Read 8735 times)
Neesierie
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Re: Choosing the Perfect Name
Reply #15 - Mar 6th, 2011 at 1:35pm
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MkIXHawk wrote on Mar 6th, 2011 at 9:51am:
For Edge of Armageddon, quite a few of the incidental characters were based on real people


Thanks for sharing that info!  I did that myself for a few of the characters in my novel.  In fact, I made a good friend into the mayor!  The only thing is that now she constantly bugs me to finish it so that she can read about herself as a mayor!!!  Grin
  

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Neesierie
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Re: Choosing the Perfect Name
Reply #16 - Mar 11th, 2011 at 9:45pm
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I like the sound of Boris!  My favorite name for an eccentric character is Xander, but so far I've managed not to use him in a story.  Mostly because once I do, I can't use him anywhere else.  See how demented I am?  Cheesy
  

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Re: Choosing the Perfect Name
Reply #17 - Mar 11th, 2011 at 9:52pm
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Well, I cheerfully admit I created the Random Character Creator because I had way too many similarly named people running around Metropolis. Now, for more important characters, I'll design the name. For them I have a copy of The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook. If you don't have it I sincerely suggest you get a copy. It gives the general naming rules for a number of different ethnic groups, not just Anglo-American. I'll also check out the various on-line baby-name sites, especially if I need a more ethnic name.

But the beat cop, the mugging victim, the random dead body in the alley - they don't need much more than a name and maybe a description.

If I can find equivalent data for Great Britain, I'll make a generator for the SHADO Library. Metropolis/New York is not London. :Smiley
  

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Neesierie
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Re: Choosing the Perfect Name
Reply #18 - Mar 11th, 2011 at 10:12pm
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Librarian wrote on Mar 11th, 2011 at 9:52pm:
If I can find equivalent data for Great Britain, I'll make a generator for the SHADO Library.


I like the sound of Reginald Grimbottom for a GB database.  What do you think?
  

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Neesierie
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Re: Choosing the Perfect Name
Reply #19 - Mar 11th, 2011 at 10:54pm
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Actually, most of the British names I use I steal from my favorite British authors' novels. Usually a first name from one and a surname from another.  It keeps it truer to the country's people that way.  At least, it seems so to me.  But what do I know?  I'm American!   We get a real hodge-podge here!
  

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Matt
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Re: Choosing the Perfect Name
Reply #20 - Mar 11th, 2011 at 11:40pm
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In Heartbreak on the Moskva I created Sir Byron Sinclair, the British Ambassador to the Soviet Union. The last name came from Babylon Five's Commander Sinclair who stated that the Sinclairs' had been fighter pilots all the way back to the Battle of Britain. Smiley

He's going to reappear in both For Better or For Worse and The Omega Conundrum. Wink
  

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Neesierie
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Re: Choosing the Perfect Name
Reply #21 - Mar 12th, 2011 at 12:02am
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Byron.

Enough said.
  

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Matt
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Re: Choosing the Perfect Name
Reply #22 - Mar 12th, 2011 at 1:37am
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He turned into a pretty cool character. He's a good friend of Alec's, but very duty bound. Wink
  

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Neesierie
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Re: Choosing the Perfect Name
Reply #23 - Mar 12th, 2011 at 2:52pm
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If I did what I wanted to do, all my characters would have the names of my favorite poets.  But after six or so Wordsworths, my readers might get a bit bored.  :Smiley  But maybe I should allow myself to use them every once in a while.  The thing is, I don't want to get carried away!
  

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Matt
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Re: Choosing the Perfect Name
Reply #24 - Mar 12th, 2011 at 5:17pm
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Oh, you were referring to the Byron that Mr. Spock quoted in the TOS episode, Is There in Truth No Beauty. Wink
  

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Re: Choosing the Perfect Name
Reply #25 - Mar 12th, 2011 at 8:47pm
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Finally found a source for British surnames so I should be able to get the database worked up within a week or so - I hope. Cool
  

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Write Rat
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Re: Choosing the Perfect Name
Reply #26 - Mar 12th, 2011 at 10:00pm
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Quote:
If I did what I wanted to do, all my characters would have the names of my favorite poets.

 Denise, Straker needs to meet Oscar Wilde.  Wink


As for names, some names practically define the character. Alec Freeman Free man, professional bachelor ?  Grin
English names, goodie, I have the entire staff of Silk Wood Manor to name! Here's a name and a half: Benedict Cumberbund

I didn't think I'd like the new Sherlock but it was marvelous. I was watching it with my husband, it was a repeat on PBS. They said someone is going to do a new Sherlock story. rite-new-sherlock-holmes-novel/203/
« Last Edit: Sep 16th, 2011 at 10:40pm by SHADO Librarian »  
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Neesierie
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Re: Choosing the Perfect Name
Reply #27 - Mar 13th, 2011 at 5:29am
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Really?  I didn't know that.  Which season?  I think I only watched through the 3rd season, so I know I've missed a lot.  But it got a bit too predictable for me and I wanted to try other shows.  Yeah, I'm a tv junkie!  Cheesy
  

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Neesierie
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Re: Choosing the Perfect Name
Reply #28 - Mar 14th, 2011 at 12:56am
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Hmmm.  Nope. No bells ringing here.  Was he seriously incidental or something?  The only guy I'm remembering is the dweeb who hung around Buffy and tried to help her.  Well, and Angel of course.
  

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Neesierie
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Re: Choosing the Perfect Name
Reply #29 - Mar 14th, 2011 at 6:06pm
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No, I remember Giles.  I checked out the wikipedia reference and was very surprised to find that the dweeb I was referring to was Xander!  I never even remembered his name!!!  So, okay.  I never saw him as important enough to pay attention to.  He reminded me too much of a few of the guys in my physics classes. *snicker*

To me Xander (yes, I did know about the full name and its connotations, but Xander is a cooler version) is a man, not a boy.  Although the only Xan I've ever loved was two when I met him.  Go figure!  But he's my Xander man forever!  Grin  His mother used to loan him to me for long walks in his stroller.  He had the best smile, an adorable lisp, and big blue eyes!  :Smiley
  

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