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Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » Creativity » Page 8

Creativity

Any Name Will Do?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon April 5, 2012
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Have you ever been asked by an editor to change a character’s name in your novel? If so, I promise you are not alone. It happened to me too. One thing I used to like about writing books is that I could christen my characters with names I thought whimsical but my husband would have never let us call our children. But a writer still has to be careful.

Same Syllables

Awhile back, I ran into an issue with names bearing the same number of syllables. I once named the sisters in my novel Norma and Mabel. I was able to distinguish between them in my mind, but my critique partners got them mixed up. And they were nothing alike! But based on their advice, I changed their names and am so glad I did.

Alliteration

Sometimes it’s hard to resist naming characters with the same letter of the alphabet, especially siblings. But three brothers named Zach, Zed, and Zeke, for example, can confuse your audience. It is easy to throw off your reader by minor characters sharing too many name similarities. If Barney is your main character, and then you have a minor character named Barnabas with one speaking line readers may wonder if Barnabas and Barney are related.

But It Works in Real Life!

In real life, Justin, Jason, and Jesse may be easy to distinguish because they are three-dimensional. You have visual and auditory cues to set them in your mind. But a printed page or ereader screen is two-dimensional, and the reader must form opinions based on whatever information the author provides. Most authors focus on the main character, then offer sketches of secondary characters. So while the reader may have a clear picture of Justin, poor Jason and Jesse may be more blurred and easy to confuse. Granted, many authors have the skill, desire, and need to set all three brothers so vigorously in readers’ minds that no one would confuse them. But today’s readers are impatient and few titles are character studies, so varied names do help readers.

Pronunciation

Some names can have more than one pronunciation, and this can be aggravating to readers. For instance, my name isn’t great for a heroine because few people get it right the first time. I am called Tamella, Tamelia, Tamula, Tamera – just about anything but Tamela, which rhymes with Pamela, but is indeed not Pamela, which I am also often called. I can defend myself in real life, but your hapless character on a page cannot. Our president, Steve Laube, has had his last name mispronounced his whole life as well (by the way, it is pronounced “lobby”).

May I Take Your Bag?

Some names have too much association with a famous character to work well if you want your character to be fresh and inviting. For instance, who can compete with Scarlett O’Hara? And when the TV show Dynasty was popular, the name Alexis carried the weight of a conniving character. That baggage has been left curbside since, but naming your protagonists after major stars, notorious or not, will unfairly burden your good-natured characters. (Obviously, names like Benedict, Ringo, Madonna, Bono, Cher, Judas, and Beyonce should be avoided.)

What Year Is It?

Naming conventions evolve over time. A name such as Midge or Eunice conveys a certain era. Therefore be careful to choose names that work with the book’s time period. When naming characters, go back to the names that were popular when they were born, not at the time your book is set. Here are some sites that can help with historically popular names:

Top 1000 names in the 1920s .

Popular names from 1801-1999

Baby Names

Have fun!

Your turn:

What is your favorite character’s name? Least favorite?
What is the most creative name you have seen?
What character do you think has a terrible name?

Leave a Comment
Category: Craft, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: Craft, Creativity, fiction, Names, Writing Craft

Reader Expectations

By Steve Laubeon April 4, 2012
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Guest blog by Robin Lee Hatcher

Robin Lee Hatcher and I (Karen Ball) have been friends for a lot of years. One of the things I most respect about her is the respect and love she has for her readers. She doesn't write just for the sake of telling a good story. She writes to uplift and encourage her readers, to remind them they're not alone in their struggles and challenges. Robin tells …

Read moreReader Expectations
Category: Genre, Guest PostTag: Creativity, Genre Fiction, Writing Craft

News You Can Use – Mar. 6, 2012

By Steve Laubeon March 6, 2012
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Your Average Facebook Post Only Reaches 12% of Your Friends - Exposing yet another challenge to the world of marketing, either through traditional means or through social media.

New French Law Seizes Digital Rights - "Any book published in France--which would include translated foreign-language books--that went out of print in France--not necessarily elsewhere--before 2001, can be scanned into …

Read moreNews You Can Use – Mar. 6, 2012
Category: News You Can Use, SteveTag: Copyright, Creativity, Curation, Facebook, Marketing, novels, press releases, Writing Craft, Writing tools

A Gathering of Twitches

By Karen Ballon February 22, 2012
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This blog is from one twitch to another. Let me explain…

My husband loves that I’m a writer. He loves my creativity and passion. And he loves how happy I am when I’m writing. He knows when I’m writing because I get “twitchy.” Translation: Distracted. Otherwise occupied. Caught up in scenes and conversations no one but I—and that multitude in my mind--can see or hear. He knows that when the …

Read moreA Gathering of Twitches
Category: Conferences, Craft, Creativity, Get Published, Karen, Writing CraftTag: Creativity, Karen, writers conferences, Writing Craft

Let Creativity Flow (Part Five)

By Karen Ballon February 8, 2012
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As promised last week, when all else fails to spark your creativity, give one of these a try. They almost always work!

1. Do something relaxing. Take a pad and pencil or a mini-recorder along to capture ideas when they spark. Some relaxation ideas:

A nice, long bath
Play with your pet. If you don’t have one, go to the dog park and borrow one!
Go to a movie
Cook something you …

Read moreLet Creativity Flow (Part Five)
Category: Creativity, Karen, Writing CraftTag: Creativity, Karen, Writing Craft

Let Creativity Flow (Part Four)

By Karen Ballon February 1, 2012
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Great discussions on creativity, everyone. Just reading your comments is sparking my creativity! So here are the last of my thoughts on what you can do when that well of ideas seems to have run dry:

Take a Time Out. Remember how that works? Time outs? When you were a kid and got a little out of control, Mom sent you to the Time Out chair to cool off. Well, this is a similar principle. Too often …

Read moreLet Creativity Flow (Part Four)
Category: Creativity, Karen, Writing CraftTag: Creativity, Karen, Proposals, Writing Craft

Let Creativity Flow (Part Three)

By Karen Ballon January 25, 2012
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We all know how elusive creative can be at times. You’ve shared some great ways to get those juices flowing. Here are a few more ideas.

Keep an Evidence Journal. Write down your God Stories. The times you saw God act. The times you felt His touch and presence. Do it with story or just key words. But get it down on paper. When God moves in your day, write it down. When someone speaks truth to …

Read moreLet Creativity Flow (Part Three)
Category: Creativity, Karen, Writing CraftTag: Creativity, Karen, Writing Craft

Let Creativity Flow (Part Two)

By Karen Ballon January 18, 2012
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I love the ideas you all shared about finding and sparking creavity. It’s fascinating to see how we’re all wired different. My next few blogs will share some additional things you can do to refill the wells of creavity. Have fun!
1. Disconnect from technology. Okay, don't hyperventilate. But think about it. We have to be the most connected, available, interruptable people ever! Give yourself a …

Read moreLet Creativity Flow (Part Two)
Category: Creativity, Karen, Writing CraftTag: Creativity, Karen, Writing Craft

Let Creativity Flow (Part One)

By Karen Ballon January 11, 2012
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Creativity.

There are days when it flows as free as the Rogue River (and anyone who’s ever been to Oregon knows that’s free indeed!) When ideas come so hard and fast you can scarcely keep up. When the words fly from your fingers, through the keyboard, and onto the page. When creativity happens, it’s electric, exciting, energizing.

And then there are other days.

Days when you sit at the …

Read moreLet Creativity Flow (Part One)
Category: Creativity, Karen, Writing CraftTag: Creativity, Karen, Writing Craft

Ready, Set…WAIT!

By Karen Ballon January 4, 2012
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Ah, New Year’s. When hearts soar with best intentions and resolutions tumble around us like snow-melt waterfalls. Our hearts and minds surge with all we want to be, all we hope to accomplish, all we regret and want to change…

Okay, now, show of hands: How many of you make New Year’s Resolutions?

Again, show of hands: How many of you KEEP them??

If you were here, watching me, you’d notice …

Read moreReady, Set…WAIT!
Category: Christian, Faith, Karen, Personal, TheologyTag: Christian, Creativity, Faith, Karen, Personal, Theology
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