Can the name of a character make or break how we react to or even write them? We all know the Rose reference in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, but do names have an effect on how we see people, read characters or even write them?
In a recent post, a well known author mentioned that she now had the name of her character; she could begin to write her on the page. She was now real to her.
This struck a chord with me, or more correctly jolted a light bulb moment. I am in the process of editing my WIP but during the actual writing process up to and including this point I have not felt I know my protagonist well. As well as I should; I mean I know her story and her emotional journey, I know what she looks like and I can hear the sound of her voice, but I don’t feel a closeness that I experience with the other characters. Now I feel I know why. I haven’t chosen her forever name.
My protagonist’s name is Victoria. Before that she was Kate. But she isn’t either one of those and in the back of my mind I have known that I will change her name. When the time comes. I realise now that time was at the beginning. The relationship between myself and this character is crucial to her story and I have been keeping her at bay, at arms length by not giving her her ‘real’ name.
Not to get all Shakespearian but a rose by any other name is still a rose, right? Still as beautiful and fragrant? This might be true for the rose but to hark back to my original question – do names have an effect on how we see people, read characters or even write them? I believe so.
Look at the names of past fictional heroines – Emma, Elizabeth, Jane, Anna…these names still invoke ideas of old fashioned feminine strength and at least internal beauty. So how to choose the right name for my character? A baby name book? Go through the alphabet? Is she like someone I know? I haven’t had this problem in the past but I know that this time round I have to get it right.
Let me know if you suffer the same problem, or maybe you find it easy? Well, I am off to find my protagonist’s forever name. Wish me luck.
Pauline Rutherford: Writer 
I’ve heard the phrase ‘a forever home’, but I like how you tied the concept to a character’s name so that it becomes a ‘forever name’.
I didn’t start out worrying too much about names for my characters – I started the search on an official birth registry site to match the years they were born, then considered how the name could become shortened into a nickname etc. The names have now grown on me, so I’m hoping that means I’ve chosen the right ones!
Good luck in finding your protagonist’s ‘forever name’!
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Thanks Marie! I have always had fun choosing names and I too do the nickname thing. I am trying not to overthink it now 🙂
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