Coming Up With Character Names

Coming Up With Character Names

This is going to be a fairly short post, so if you guys want more information or for me to go into more depth, totally send me an ask and I’d be happy to. 

Method 1: Building a name

This is can be a little difficult, but consider what traits your character has, and what sounds you associate with said traits. For example, if xe’s more blunt, maybe xir name has one or two syllables. If xe’s quieter, maybe softer sounds. If xe’s a fighter, maybe harsher sounds like k and t. It’s really up to you, but thinking about what sounds go with your character can be a great place to start.

Method 2: The keysmash

This is something that works better in fantasy and similar genres, but do a short keysmash-and-simplify. For example, “awerinaewoirp” might become Awryn, or Neywoir. Basically, it’s about finding patterns in random letters and cutting the rest out. You can use letters that aren’t actually there, or you can cut letters if you don’t want to use them.

Method 3: Historical/regional names

Think of what type of culture your characters live in or come from. Even if that’s in fantasy or some other planet in a sci-fi, what cultures does your character’s resemble. Then look up names from said culture. You can also mess with the spelling to make them fit the vibe of your story better.

Method 4: Baby name websites

Nameberry is my go-to. Basically, think of traits you want your name to have, or think of names that are similar to the one you’re going for, and browse through suggestions. You don’t have to keep any of them. but it can be good inspiration. Plus, appearing as a pregnant mom in your search history is a good way to spice up your searches of “how to gut someone with a knife.”

Method 5: Mess with the spelling

Note: do not go overboard with this. Basically the idea is to take a relatively normal name, and screw with the spelling. This is common especially in various YA genres such as postapocalyptic, or fantasy. You can add letters in, change letters to other letters, or take letters out. 

writing tip #2980:

get more time to write by neglecting everything else in your life

Lovely words to keep close to you:

Quiescent- a quiet, soft spoken soul.

Raconteur- someone who excels at story telling

Ephemeral- lasting only a very short time

Redamancy- the act of loving in return

Solivagant- wandering alone

Exulansis- giving up on trying to speak about an experience or feeling because others are unable to relate

Hiraeth- homesickness for a home you can’t return to, or never was

Onism- the awareness of how little of the world you’ll experience

Fanaa- the destruction of self, destroyed in love

Metanoia- the journey of changing one’s mind, heart, self, or way of life

Aesthete- someone with deep sensitivity to the beauty of art and nature

me as a writer: Oh no I can’t write that, somebody else already has

me as a reader: hell yes give me all the fics about this one scenario. The more the merrier

Quick and easy way to establish rules in your fantasy/scifi universe!

This can apply both to magic and fictional science, because it’s essentially just a magic system in disguise!

There is a whole spectrum from hard systems (with a very particular set of rules that can’t be broken) to soft systems (characters don’t know everything about the rules and the workings or the rules are flexible). Where on this spectrum your system falls depends on you and your story.

A good way to start out is by asking three questions:

What is possible? What is impossible? What is the price?

Two stupid examples:

Fantasy: With this magic shoes you can fly ten feet above the ground. But you can only fly up, not forward. And your feet will hurt like hell for the next three days after you’ve used them.

Scifi: With this laser gun you can shoot people to stun them. But you can’t kill them with it. And to power it you need to buy a bunch of those little button batteries you never seem to get anywhere.

Try starting with those questions and work from there.

If you want to learn more about building a magic system and scifi/fantasy writing in general, check out these free lectures on youtube by author Brandon Sanderson, I learned a lot!