Naming characters is not easy. Sometimes a name’s just there and sometimes I name them something but it doesn’t feel right. I often check the meaning of the name, not always, but if you ever google the meaning of a name, you’ll see that it sometimes fits well with the character and/or the story.
Sometimes I just pick a name because I think it’s cool or funny – like Eldred Henstare (though Eldred means red and he had red hair) or Captain Elazar Steel. You have to love those guys LOL
Sometimes if I’m writing paranormal, I check random name generators for inspiration – Thaddeus Ezax is one of those. I doubt a name like Thaddeus would’ve popped up in my mind unless I saw it or something similar somewhere. I seldom borrow names exactly as they are, I usually change something, but Thaddeus definitely comes from a random name site.
Sometimes I give a character an ‘ordinary’ name because they want to hide – like John Welsh in Once in May. He does not want to be noticed, and who remembers a John?
And sometimes I google what names topped the lists a certain decade – like Larry in Falling Through. I wanted him to have a name from the time when he lived. Same with Charles and William in Remember Us (formely named Trapped) – not that you can’t be called Charles or William in any decade, but I wanted ‘old’ names.
So, mostly to amuse myself, to be honest, I grabbed a pen and a paper, and I started to write down my character names. I need to write stories with someone whose name starts with an I, U, X, and Y. That’s not easy.
I mean, I’m a bit surprised I don’t have one beginning with I. I think I have an Igor in an old story that I haven’t published, but U, X, and Y… Actually, Ulfgangur Hunter is gonna get his story soon.
This is what we have (I hope I forgotten anyone):
A
Abe in Crazy Joe, Ace in Acronym, Aiden in Aiden and Tristan, Alex in Knickers in a Twist, Anders in Silent Woods, Archie in Jaeger’s Lost and Found, and Arlo in Black Blird
B
Bjorn in Elevator Pitch
C
Cecil in Elevator Pitch, Charlie in Remember Us, Chris in Per Delivery, and Creed in The Maddest of Men
D
Daniel in Silent Woods, David in Deadly Sugar, Delron in He Melted Us, and Dylan in The Snowflake
E
Elazar in Eight Feet of Magic, Eldred in Worth His Salt, and Elijah in Mind Scrambler
F
Felix in Nine Stones, and Fred in Banger Challenge
G
Gael in Jarger’s Lost and Found, Gary in Scary Gary, Gabriel in Pet Delivery, and Grayham in The Maddest of Men
H
Hank in Eight Feet of Magic, Hannes in From All of Us to All of You, and Hush in Pine Tree Mary
I
None
J
Jason in The Egg Hunt, Jett in Deadly Sugar, Jian in 24 Dates, Jonas in Crazy Joe, John in Once in May, Josh in Deadly Lies, Joshua in Around Seven, and Jules in #PictaBook
K
Kace in Kisses and Cabins, Kirk in Nine Stones, and Kol in Mind Scrambler
L
Larry in Falling Through, Lars in Acronym, Levi in When Skies Are Gray, and Lukas in Kisses and Cabins
M
Madoc in When Skies Are Gray, Mason in Turning Wood, Max in It Doesn’t Translate, Micah in Scary Gary, and Mo in Worth His Salt
N
Nash in Black Bird, and Noir in It Doesn’t Translate
O
Oswald in Around Seven, and Otho in Turning Wood
P
Peter in Knickers in a Twist, Phillipe in He Melted Us, and Phoenix in #PictaBook
Q
Quincy in Quinny, Focus! and Quinn in Pine Tree Mary
R
Roarak in Cup o’ Sugar
S
Sam in Cup o’ Sugar, Sandulf in Soul Eater, Santino in Dazzle Me, and Simon in From All of Us to All of You
T
Thaddeus in Soul Eater, Theophile in The Snowflake, Tom in Dazzle Me, and Tom in The Egg Hunt (two Toms, FFS?!), Travis in Falling Through, and Tristan in Aiden and Tristan
U
None
V
Victor in 24 Dates
W
William in Quinny, Focus! and William in Remember Us (Two Williams?!!! I wonder if writer have story bibles to avoid this from happening) and Wojtek in Blood on Sand
X
None
Y
None
Z
Zach from Once in May, Zeppelin from Banger Challenge, and Zoe from Blood on Sand
Oswald Sattle has been sleeping in his Toyota Camry for the last 273 days, the exact number of days since he discovered his fiancé cheating on him. Now, out of money and out of options, he’s on his way to Nortown. Aiden, an acquaintance from his past, has offered him a job opportunity he can’t turn down, no matter how much he’d like to.
Nico Allegretti has been best friends with Matt Barnes since kindergarten. There is no one more important to Nico than Matt, and while he’s known for years Matt is the one for him, he’ll never tell him. He won’t risk ruining their friendship.
Ofelia Grand 