Name Hunting
Names are tricky buggers. Before any description is given usually, a name gives the reader his/her first glimpse at a character, town, or country. For some writers, coming up with names is easy; for the rest of us, it is a torturous endeavor similar to being thrown on the rack and stretched.
I received this question today:
I embellished a bit in this post's opening. I don't think finding a name is torturous at all. Usually, it is the easiest part of the writing for me. I don't know why. I pick up names from anywhere and everywhere. Sometimes I use them, sometimes I don't. It all depends on their cadence and the character they are meant for.
Mostly, however, I take a flip through baby name books or baby name lists online. If I need an exotic woman's name, I go through the girl baby names until I find one that I think is right. Sometimes I think a name is right due to what its ancient world meaning is; sometimes I just like the name. There is no rhyme or reason to it. I just see the name and instantly I know I want to use it.
As an example, I'll use Bran's girlfriend's name. She isn't flashy or interesting. She is quite normal. To give the reader that sense through her name, I chose a name that is quite common. Heather. To me, Heather is almost as used as Elizabeth or Jane, and evokes a sense of normalcy that I liked.
On the flip side, I have a fiery, exotic woman in Avalon. She has red hair—which is a rarity in that world and a mark of power—and she has striking features. I needed a different name for her, a strong, powerful name that was unlike any of the normal names given. Her name is Dierdre.
Dierdre and Heather. See the difference there?
When it comes to titles, I look at what the book's about. With Song of the Fell Hammer, that title came about due to me wanting to use the hammer in the title. Originally, it was titled just The Fell Hammer, but I wanted to give it a literary quality. Since the people in my book sing, Song of fit the bill. But it took an unexpected literary turn when I thought about it, and it turns out the Fell Hammer isn't the physical hammer but Sorin Westfall, my story's main protagonist. So that title worked and it stayed the same for about a year.
With The Dagda King, I knew I wanted the titles simple. The reason the book exists at all is the Dagda king in Avalon, who sets in motion events to regain what he believes to be his in this world. I liked the idea of the villain's name being the book title, so I kept it.
The other two books follow similar paths. The Shadow King could easily be called The Lazarus King, since the book deals with ancient Lazarus and that man's rise from the dead at the behest of Jesus. But The Shadow King gives a different literary twist to the book's story, so I went with that one instead.
The Forever King, of course, is a reference to Arthur. And I'll leave that one alone right there.
To name people and books, I look closely at who and what they are. That who and what drives my search for something that fits. And just like a puzzle piece when it has found its home, it clicks right into place when it is found.
I received this question today:
The titles of your books, the one you are currently writing, the ones you are going to write and the ones you were going to write for SONG. How did you come up with them? Do most authors come up with a name before they even begin writing? I ask because I am finding just coming up with appropriate names of people and places difficult, let alone a name for the book. It's not that I lack the creativity rather I feel names can really make the character and place and book in this case. |
I embellished a bit in this post's opening. I don't think finding a name is torturous at all. Usually, it is the easiest part of the writing for me. I don't know why. I pick up names from anywhere and everywhere. Sometimes I use them, sometimes I don't. It all depends on their cadence and the character they are meant for.
Mostly, however, I take a flip through baby name books or baby name lists online. If I need an exotic woman's name, I go through the girl baby names until I find one that I think is right. Sometimes I think a name is right due to what its ancient world meaning is; sometimes I just like the name. There is no rhyme or reason to it. I just see the name and instantly I know I want to use it.
As an example, I'll use Bran's girlfriend's name. She isn't flashy or interesting. She is quite normal. To give the reader that sense through her name, I chose a name that is quite common. Heather. To me, Heather is almost as used as Elizabeth or Jane, and evokes a sense of normalcy that I liked.
On the flip side, I have a fiery, exotic woman in Avalon. She has red hair—which is a rarity in that world and a mark of power—and she has striking features. I needed a different name for her, a strong, powerful name that was unlike any of the normal names given. Her name is Dierdre.
Dierdre and Heather. See the difference there?
When it comes to titles, I look at what the book's about. With Song of the Fell Hammer, that title came about due to me wanting to use the hammer in the title. Originally, it was titled just The Fell Hammer, but I wanted to give it a literary quality. Since the people in my book sing, Song of fit the bill. But it took an unexpected literary turn when I thought about it, and it turns out the Fell Hammer isn't the physical hammer but Sorin Westfall, my story's main protagonist. So that title worked and it stayed the same for about a year.
With The Dagda King, I knew I wanted the titles simple. The reason the book exists at all is the Dagda king in Avalon, who sets in motion events to regain what he believes to be his in this world. I liked the idea of the villain's name being the book title, so I kept it.
The other two books follow similar paths. The Shadow King could easily be called The Lazarus King, since the book deals with ancient Lazarus and that man's rise from the dead at the behest of Jesus. But The Shadow King gives a different literary twist to the book's story, so I went with that one instead.
The Forever King, of course, is a reference to Arthur. And I'll leave that one alone right there.
To name people and books, I look closely at who and what they are. That who and what drives my search for something that fits. And just like a puzzle piece when it has found its home, it clicks right into place when it is found.
Labels: Craft
posted by Shawn C. Speakman | 8:35 PM
7 Comments:
Sean:
How do you feel about the publishing industry changing the names of your books? Would you be okay with it b/c you are being published? Or would you accept it with a grimace, b/c they are changing the name that you have grown so accustomed to?
p.s. Interesting take on the Shadow King, would be interesting to see how you've wokred Lazarus into the story. I think I, personnally, might like the Lazarus King better, but then again I might like the Shadow King better . . . hard to say. They both hold interest, so you won't go wrong either way . . . besides, who knows what they will/would be changed to once published :)
Sean: 90% of the time, the marketing team at a publishing house is responsible for wanting a change in title.
Marketers get paid to know what trends are going on in the industry and how best to take advantage of those trends. They know whether or not green books are outselling blue books in a season. The same is true, supposedly, with titles. They can look at a title and say it wont' sell copies because of X X X. And of course the name of the game is selling books.
But from what I can tell, this is all superstition and hogwash. The people who know their work best and their fans best are the writers. The editors come in a close second, since they talk to the writers as well as visit conventions. Marketing people do neither. So it gives me great consternation that these people wield as much power as they do.
And they never suffer a consequence if a book doesn't sell.
I believe very strongly that a title change should come from an editor and only an editor. It should be a discussion period where both writer and editor try to find a better title if the one given is not used. If my editor can persuade me, then I don't care if my title is changed. But if there is no better reason than, "Some marketing people feel it doesn't work," then my editor had better tell me why it doesn't work. Otherwise, the fight is coming.
The same goes with publicity and cover artwork. I have seen too many publishers accidentally stab their growing writers in the back with their marketing and publicity attempts and art department.
I think Greg Keyes is a perfect example of this; Robert Newcomb is another example. With Greg, his publisher put a terrible cover on his first book that they quickly removed when the paperback came out. And then the paperback was boring and generic and everything a fantasy cover shouldn't be -- mannequin-esque figures not doing anything. When The Briar King didn't sell, the publisher then gave up and blamed it on the series. But I'd argue it was the art department that screwed one of the best series I have ever read.
Marketing is responsible for a majority of what ails Robert Newcomb. Sure, his first novel is filled with women-hating ideas. But that's not what killed it. What killed that series for Robert was the marketing team at his publisher: They decided to place on the hardcover's front "EPIC FANTASY OF THE YEAR."
That's right: "EPIC FANTASY OF THE YEAR."
Do you know what kind of comparisons that draws to. The likes of George R. R. Martin's fans who were clamoring for a new epic fantasy to read while they waited.
And what happened? A few of these people read it and immediately saw it was not the epic fantasy of the year. It was a mediocre epic fantasy at best, and those readers were then pissed off about being lied to. And who did they take their frustrations out on? Robert Newcomb, who had nothing to do with that slogan being put on his book.
If I am picked up and published, I don't ask for much. I'll give my everything to have a great book launch and produce the best book possible. But I will not let my hard work be butchered by the elements of a publisher who do not know of what they speak.
For them, they keep their job and go on to the next writer; for me, I'm out of my dream.
And that won't happen.
Thanks for the insight Shawn, it is much appreciated.
I think the pressure I feel about giving a name is directly linked to its permanency. Once the name is given and used it's stuck regardless of whether others feel the same way you do about it or understand it's meaning.
Not to say that every name has to have a hidden literary meaning or that the reader will even grasp the reason why you named something the way you did. But it still matters.
For example I named a small fishing village that is utterly wiped out in the beginning "Chath Alba" which is a chopped down version of Chatham Albatross; a sea bird of the Albatross family. Why? I wanted to draw a parallel with "The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" to show from the very beginning of the story that the Antagonists hold nothing sacred.
Will anyone else understand that? Probably not - unless I tell them so. But it adds meaning to the story for me and that helps me understand what needs to happen.
-Rambling over-
Thanks Josh
I was watching a movie once and the scene in "Two for the Money" where Pachino says "You have to rip it from my Talons" came one and sat there rolling the way he said that word over in my mind.
I had a story, about a boy, who needed to be named and I was getting killed trying to find his name. Nothing just fit.
So I'm think of this "Talon" over and over and then it went into "Talon Hawk" which felt good, but not right. Over the next few days I kept trying to think of the boy in my mind as "Talon Hawk" but something bugged -
The Hawk part stuck but Talon sounded too much lick "Hawk Talon" to me. So one night I changed it to "Taylon" and it was gravy baby.
So now my guy has a name, Taylon, and he's his own dude. His friends call him "Tay" and gets top marks in school.
I'm so proud of him.
Anyway, sometimes it's really easy, sometimes it just clicks.
sorry about all the typo's in my previous post! o.O
sean:
Good call on not going with Talon Hawk . . . its close but to cliche. Taylon Hawk is definitely better, and having his frineds call him Tay is one of the little touches that adds so much depth to a charactar without most readers even being cognizent of whats going on.
Anonymous:
Thanks for the feedback on that. I could really feel the bad vibe with "Talon Hawk" it was just... irksome. And cliche. I think you hit the nail on the head right there.
I like his friends calling him "Tay" because that's what I call him. :)
I marvel at how much I come to think of my characters as their own people - it's one of the special things that makes me love writing so much.
But the truth is that when I'm reading a book (or series) I think of the characters as their own people as well. ;)
Anyway, Thanks!
-Mark
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