Character names :
Don't give your character a name they'll regret.
It's true - a horrible name in real life can emotionally scarring, and an awful character name will just as much scar your character. Ah, another piece of advice : don't give a male character a female name. I've seen it done before where a male is named something like Triss - it's just not becoming.
You have every possible bit of information on your character - hair colour, eye colour, skin tone, body-type, emotional state - so use that to your advantage. Haven't you ever looked at someone and thought, "... she looks like a [fill in the blank with name]." Well think of the first name that comes to mind when you think of your character, and eventually that name will be the only one that fits the character itself.
If that doesn't work then try these few tips :
- Circle : take a walk down the street, stroll through the park and do a slow circle, look at different people and think of names that could fit how they act - see if they act like your character and try it out.
- Website : try looking through baby name website [http://www.babynames.com/], if you take a look at the website previous mentioned you can find an array of names that just might fit your character. [Tip : if you click on the button that says "advanced search" you have a chance to choose how many syllables you want, what gender and much more.]
- Flip the pages : if all else fails try flipping open the phonebook to just about any page and scan through the names until one stands out to you.
Some things to keep in mind :
- Rhymes : beware of names that rhyme such as Sari, Sheri, Lary, or Kali.
- Beginning : names that begin with the same letter are something to avoid such as Kelley, Karen, or Kristin.
- Endings: try avoiding those names that have the same endings.
- Alikes and Clapping : beware as well of those names that sound alike, and of those that have the same number of syllables.
