Absolute Chaos Discussion Boards
Fic Talk => General Discussion => Topic started by: rebellious_one on May 16, 2008, 11:44:40 PM
-
Just wondering how you guys come up with the names of your characters, or names of your stories.
-
Well, I am only focusing on pretty much one story right now and that is "If Tomorrow Never Comes". I came up with the idea for the story back in early '07, before Brian and I moved back to Branson from J-ville, Illinois. I honestly don't remember if I had the title chosen from the beginning, but I remember sitting in the recliner once we had moved back and I was finishing up the first chapter and listening to Garth Brooks' - "If Tomorrow Never Comes". So that song has been the main inspiration for the story.
-
I pick names I like. lol I used to have them descirbe the characters, but then the names come out as awkward or not common names... Stories, it's usually based on what the story is about. Pandora's Box... It's a pretty simple name. lol
-
I guess I'll start with Life According to Baylee. I happen to have a 12 yr old step daughter and she thinks she is ALWAYS right! when she argues that she is right about something that she is way off on (like when she argues that women are only pregnant for 8 months) I shake my head, roll my eyes and say, "AH! Life according to Kirsten." ::)
So when I started writting the story, it seemed to fit because of Baylee's attitude issues and the way he argued about EVERYTHING. And I thought it had a nice 'ring' to it. :)
Protection was named becuase NIck is in the WPP...THAT wasn't brain surgery, lol.
As for characters...i t depends. Sometimes, if the character reminds me a lot of someone I know, I will name the character after that person. Other times, I just look in my baby names book.(I knew I kept it for a reason) roflmao. Lame, I know. but I try to stay away from the names that I think are over used or ones I have used in other stories.
-
Sad to say but I pick names I love otherwise i'll forget everyone's names lol
-
I don't know how I come up with the story names. It's been quite a while since I've titled a story, I don't have any titles for any of the new projects I am currently procrastinatin g. I believe for one of my stories (that is not yet posted, it's my next big re-write if I ever finish this one) got it's title because it was something that the two main characters said to each other. I'm not so great at giving stories titles.
As for my characters...s ome characters I just get a name that pops into my head, and it sticks. I have a baby name book as well. When I'm bored I will go through and list names that I like or that pop out to me, and if I need a character name I will often pull from the list, fitting the name to the character.
-
Ooh I never answered the story names. Sometimes a name will pop into my head and then i'll create a story around it. That's what I did for Thirteenth Step and Shadow Woods lol
-
Sometimes names just come to me, and sometimes I spend forever agonizing over them. With Broken, for example, the title was always there... it was just perfect... but I debated over Claire's name for days. I had a short list of names for her that I eventually weeded down and settled on Claire.
-
How about last names?!
-
I don't usually put as much thought into last names; I just pick something that sounds good or fits the character.
-
Well.... In Pieces was named because that's the song I was listening to when I came up with the idea, and it actually ended up fitting really well! Ashleigh Dane got her name because I needed her to have some sort of preppy girly cheerleader sterotype name.. and her first name just popped into my head. Dane was because I was listening to Dane Cook (Love him!) and I thought, hey, good last name! Ashleigh's friend Joey is actually named after someone I know in real life, who I see once a year and is super sweet. :) I thought My Happy Ending was a good sounded title just because it was Ashleigh's dream when she was a teenager was to live happily ever after with Nick, so I thought that was fitting. Also, again the song was very fitting for the story.
Left and Leaving is an AWESOME song by the Weakerthans about new beginnings and having trouble leaving things behind. Also, it's got a couple of Backstreet anecdotes so yeah. It seemed like a good choice hehe. Camille got her name from a girl I know (who has the exact opposite personality as Camille in the story) and she got her last name (Northam) from another girl I know. I just thought it sounded good *shrugs*
-
I usually come up with my story titles from songs or parts of songs. I like using obscure parts of song lyrics for example Under My Skin, A Little Taste of Sin, Quarter Life Crisis... My next story is going to be When My World Is Crashing. So that's what I do.
As far as naming characters it depends. I pick names like... Names of friends... Names that just fit the character. Sometimes they just come to me. Last names are more difficult. I try to fit something that sounds good together. I try to use pretty generic names too. I mean the only real last name stories I have is Alyssa's maiden name is Martinelli. I wanted something Italian sounding that wasn't too common. Yes, she's named after the sparkling cider lol. Her married name Robinson was kind of a joke because Sean is two years younger than her so she's like a cougar. Get it? Mrs. Robinson? Lol Maybe its not that funny... But whatever works!
-
Admitedly mine typically come from song lyrics...altho ugh Born To Be lmao comes from a TV show BSB did, but it fits...cause no matter what reality..Nick is born to be what he was meant to...which will eventually come to light. Just Another Day is from a Jesse McCartney song, Glitz & Glamour is cause thats what Hollywood is... Rehab is from the Rhianna song. So songs very much inspire my titles but I try to make mine more subtle. Divisions of Reality comes from the prophecy that defines that story. It's one of the titles that didn't come from some other source lol.
Character names I really think about. I develop the personality first and then pick a first name to fit. Cally from JAD...plain wrapper girl, so she got a Mary Sue-ish name lol as a joke to myself...since I have a Mary Sue name too lol. Plus it's to contradict it since she's flawed yet not anti-sue. Kayden from rehab, I wanted something semi-tomboyish but not completely. Tawny...well she's in this surreal world so I wanted a more...nature oriented sounding name but nothing too crazy. Last names are usually whatever sounds good...though in Tawny's case...her name is of gypsy origin to suit her clothing style.
-
I usually pick names I just like - some are of people I actually know, some aren't.
Quinn is one of my favorite girl names, too bad my husband hates it. One of my best friends has a little boy named Mason and I love that name too. Courtney was one of my best friends from childhood, Oliver was one of my best friend's from high school's last name. I like the names Lauren and Kate. Jake was my high school sweetheart, Jack is one of my favorite boy names..the list goes on!
What I am saying is it is random...there is no method to my madness!
-
aww jack is one of my faves too. but my little girl is Jack. not my boy.
-
I love the name Jack too.
-
^You would. ;)
-
Well, for Every Breath You Take... I created that in high school, so names weren't as forthcoming. I thought of the name Alicia and Melissa... so you combine them and bang! Melicia!
-
I like the name Jack as well, but if I ever watch Titanic I hear Kate Winslet say "Jack? Jack? Jack, there's a boat! Jack!" and then she loosens his grip on her hands, saying "I'll never let go. I promise" and as he drifts under water, she says again, "I'll never let go."
I just saw this movie a week or so ago, so give me a break, haha.
-
I could quote Titanic all day long; it never gets old. :D
-
Well, for Every Breath You Take... I created that in high school, so names weren't as forthcoming. I thought of the name Alicia and Melissa... so you combine them and bang! Melicia!
Or Alissa... which, in fanfics, is usually spelled Alyssa cause that y is so much kewler. But Melicia is unique.
-
Or Alissa... which, in fanfics, is usually spelled Alyssa cause that y is so much kewler. But Melicia is unique.
The y can be a kewl word, however, sometimes it's taken too far. A friend of mine used to make the most outlandish names. A y would most certainly be in it!
Thanks. Sometimes I want to go back and change it, but that is just way too much work, LOL.
-
The y can be a kewl word, however, sometimes it's taken too far. A friend of mine used to make the most outlandish names. A y would most certainly be in it!
Thanks. Sometimes I want to go back and change it, but that is just way too much work, LOL.
LOL I agree. We used to joke about what the teenybopper Mary-Sue spellings of our names would be. Mine was Joolee. Not much you can do with Julie LOL.
-
Or Alissa... which, in fanfics, is usually spelled Alyssa cause that y is so much kewler. But Melicia is unique.
I'm one of ALYssa girls *blushes* But actually I dunno maybe its a regional thing, but I always thought Alyssa was a more common spelling than Alissa. Most Alyssa's I know spell it with a y. *shrugs*
Melicia is kind of cool....
-
LOL It could be; I have no idea. I think I "know" more Alyssas in fanfic than I do in real life. I can only think of one I know in real life, and I'm not even sure how she spells her name.
-
lol I thought the same thing too Mel. I just know the name is used in a ton of stories, but I know a lot of alyssa's in real life too and they are all with a Y my niece is AlYssa, too. *shrugs with you*
-
LOL I agree. We used to joke about what the teenybopper Mary-Sue spellings of our names would be. Mine was Joolee. Not much you can do with Julie LOL.
Haha now it WOULD be Mary Sue to spell Melissa as Melyssa. I think I actually knew another Melissa in high schol who spelled her name that way. But then again I live in a strange town. You should see the names of my students. So many times i misprounounce names because they are totally spelled wrong. My students have the most Mary SUe spellings. lots of Lesly's, Jinnifer's, Jessyca's, Jailen (but pronnounced Jailene) It drives me crazy. I think it's a Hispanic thing though.
-
When I was a child (okay.. and maybe still now..) I was really jealous of my sister because her name was spelled all mary sueish (Lyndsi) and I got plain old boring Stephanie. Why couldn't I be Stefani? lol
-
lol I thought the same thing too Mel. I just know the name is used in a ton of stories, but I know a lot of alyssa's in real life too and they are all with a Y my niece is AlYssa, too. *shrugs with you*
Ok good so I'm not being hideously teeny am I? :-[ LOl Not like it's practical to change a characters name over one and a half stories now.
-
When I was a child (okay.. and maybe still now..) I was really jealous of my sister because her name was spelled all mary sueish (Lyndsi) and I got plain old boring Stephanie. Why couldn't I be Stefani? lol
How about Stehfynni?
-
Ok good so I'm not being hideously teeny am I? :-[ LOl Not like it's practical to change a characters name over one and a half stories now.
If Alyssa is hideously teeny, then Ashleigh is too because it's just as common (at least in my area)
-
How about Stehfynni?
LOL Julie I'm going to change my MSN name to that.
-
Ok good so I'm not being hideously teeny am I? :-[ LOl Not like it's practical to change a characters name over one and a half stories now.
agreed. which is why Kelly is still the lead in Welcome To My Heart.
and I've seen Kelly spelled Kellee before, but I'd have to say the teeny version is probably either Kelli or Kellie?
-
LOL Julie I'm going to change my MSN name to that.
LMAO yessss. See, you have more syllables to work with in your name - the possibilities are endless!
-
When I was a child (okay.. and maybe still now..) I was really jealous of my sister because her name was spelled all mary sueish (Lyndsi) and I got plain old boring Stephanie. Why couldn't I be Stefani? lol
LOl I don't like Lyndsi with an I. It just looks strange. LOl My sister spells her name the same way though Steph.
A month or two ago I had a Moises but his name wasn't Moys-is like you'd expect, but Mo-ee-sis. I screwed that up ALL day long ???
-
agreed. which is why Kelly is still the lead in Welcome To My Heart.
and I've seen Kelly spelled Kellee before, but I'd have to say the teeny version is probably either Kelli or Kellie?
How about Kehleigh?
-
If Alyssa is hideously teeny, then Ashleigh is too because it's just as common (at least in my area)
Very true... Ashleigh is the teenyfied spelling of Ashley. But Ashleigh IS a teeny so I guess it makes sense lol :P
I LOVE the new spelling of Stephanie LOL
-
A month or two ago I had a Moises but his name wasn't Moys-is like you'd expect, but Mo-ee-sis. I screwed that up ALL day long ???
Wow. I had a Nikkiya in my class this year. Wanna take bets on the gender and pronunciation of that name?
-
How about Kehleigh?
oh god. my big sister almost named her baby Kimberleigh.
It was going to be after my parents. Jeffrey Kim and Stacey Leigh... But we all had an intervention and talked her out if it!
-
Very true... Ashleigh is the teenyfied spelling of Ashley. But Ashleigh IS a teeny so I guess it makes sense lol :P
Which was my exact reason in choosing that name.. lol it should have been like.. Ashleiah.. haha
-
LOL! Well, at least there was a reason behind the teeny spelling there, not just because it looked kewl. But yeah... what a nightmare for the kid to have to learn how to write her name LOL.
-
Wow. I had a Nikkiya in my class this year. Wanna take bets on the gender and pronunciation of that name?
I would think Nik - ki- a. Almost wanted to say Nik-kia but experience has taught me better lol. LMAO when you say it fast it almost sounds like Nick Carter in like a weird accent :D Yes... Bear with me lol I'm having one of those days, so I'm punchy!
I had a Nakiocha when I student taught. Bets on how to prounounce that?
-
See you can't do much with Rose, but my last name isn't spelt the way it's pronounced as smiley, so I always had teachers have issues with my name.
I did know a boy at one point who's name was Justin Time. I felt so bad for the kid lmao.
-
My favorite Mary Sue name is "Luvleigh" - saw that on a website of horrible baby names once LOL.
-
My favorite Mary Sue name is "Luvleigh" - saw that on a website of horrible baby names once LOL.
OMG that is so going to be the name of my next female lead!
-
I would think Nik - ki- a. Almost wanted to say Nik-kia but experience has taught me better lol. LMAO when you say it fast it almost sounds like Nick Carter in like a weird accent :D Yes... Bear with me lol I'm having one of those days, so I'm punchy!
I had a Nakiocha when I student taught. Bets on how to prounounce that?
Yep, it's Nik-ki-a. Long I sound. I figured it had to be either Nik-kia or Nik-ki-a so that part wasn't bad, but until I actually met the kid, it kept throwing me off that he was a boy! I kept looking at the name on my class list and picturing a girl.
Hm, Nakiocha... I'd say Na-kee-o-ka or Na-kee-o-sha.
-
OMG that is so going to be the name of my next female lead!
LMAO it's so worthy of a Mary Sue fic.
-
I did know a boy at one point who's name was Justin Time. I felt so bad for the kid lmao.
OMG that is just cruel! What some parents do to their kids... I can't think of any examples of the top off my head right now, but I've definitely seen kids with horrible first and last name combinations.
-
my sister's best friend in high school was Mike Hawk. You'd think he would go by Michael, but he didn't...
-
my sister's best friend in high school was Mike Hawk. You'd think he would go by Michael, but he didn't...
LMFAO omg!! It doesn't look bad... until you actually say it out loud!
-
LOL If I ever fall with a guy with the last name Bush, Bud...I will make the man take on my last name lmao
and lmfao at LuvLeigh
-
OMG that is just cruel! What some parents do to their kids... I can't think of any examples of the top off my head right now, but I've definitely seen kids with horrible first and last name combinations.
There was another fourth-grader at my school named Tacoma Beach. As in, "To comb a beach." And that's why her parents named her that. Her teacher said she had a sibling with a name that also went along with "beach," but I don't remember what it was...
-
LOL If I ever fall with a guy with the last name Bush, Bud...I will make the man take on my last name lmao
and lmfao at LuvLeigh
LMAO just avoid those Bush and Bud men.
My last name of my first "boyfriend" was Funk.
-
LOL If I ever fall with a guy with the last name Bush, Bud...I will make the man take on my last name lmao
and lmfao at LuvLeigh
LMAO what's wrong with being Rose Bush?
-
Yep, it's Nik-ki-a. Long I sound. I figured it had to be either Nik-kia or Nik-ki-a so that part wasn't bad, but until I actually met the kid, it kept throwing me off that he was a boy! I kept looking at the name on my class list and picturing a girl.
Hm, Nakiocha... I'd say Na-kee-o-ka or Na-kee-o-sha.
Yay! LOL I knew I was right on the pronunciation, but I don't blame you on thinking it was a girl. That's totally what I thought too! That must be so hard to get.
Nakiocha actually is pronounced Nakeesha. I have no idea WHY the mother decided to add that och in there. Sometimes I wonder...
-
LMAO just avoid those Bush and Bud men.
My last name of my first "boyfriend" was Funk.
I knew a Funk in high school...
-
Yay! LOL I knew I was right on the pronunciation, but I don't blame you on thinking it was a girl. That's totally what I thought too! That must be so hard to get.
Nakiocha actually is pronounced Nakeesha. I have no idea WHY the mother decided to add that och in there. Sometimes I wonder...
Wow, that's... interesting LOL. Let's ignore the rules of phonics, yay!!
-
LMAO what's wrong with being Rose Bush?
Rose Bush is cute...at least, I think so. Is there something wrong with it?
I think it was someone famous who named their kid MoonUnit. And then, there was some woman who named her kids Lemonjello and Orangejello. No, I'm not joking lol
I just worked with a girl named Alex Funk last semester. She was nice, but I always felt bad for her with that last name...
-
LMAO what's wrong with being Rose Bush?
:P :P :P :P
-
I know a girl who is named "Chelsie," only her mom must be dyslexic or something and spelled it wrong on her birth certificate, so it's spelled "Chlesie." Sad...
-
Wow, that's... interesting LOL. Let's ignore the rules of phonics, yay!!
Sometimes, i think parents go out of their way to have their children's named spelled differently just so their kid can be "unique". I think they forget that their kid has to be able to spell the name and everyone else should be able to pronounce it, too
-
Wow, that's... interesting LOL. Let's ignore the rules of phonics, yay!!
Sometimes I really think the reasons these names come up spelled all funny is that the parents name the students without knowing how to spell the name first.
-
Rose Bush is cute...at least, I think so. Is there something wrong with it?
I think it was someone famous who named their kid MoonUnit. And then, there was some woman who named her kids Lemonjello and Orangejello. No, I'm not joking lol
I just worked with a girl named Alex Funk last semester. She was nice, but I always felt bad for her with that last name...
Matthew McConaughey's brother named his kid Miller Lyte, after the beer... :(
-
Rose Bush is cute...at least, I think so. Is there something wrong with it?
I think it was someone famous who named their kid MoonUnit. And then, there was some woman who named her kids Lemonjello and Orangejello. No, I'm not joking lol
I just worked with a girl named Alex Funk last semester. She was nice, but I always felt bad for her with that last name...
LOL I already get comments everywhere I go about my last name. Last thing I want is to be called "Rose Bush" all the time lol.
Lemonjello and Orangejello? LMFAO! What the heck are those parents thinking?!
-
Sometimes, i think parents go out of their way to have their children's named spelled differently just so their kid can be "unique". I think they forget that their kid has to be able to spell the name and everyone else should be able to pronounce it, too
Oh yeah, I think that's totally the reason. Some people take it to the extreme of stupidity though.
-
Matthew McConaughey's brother named his kid Miller Lyte, after the beer... :(
Yeah, but isn't his brother's name Rooster, too? lol I think there's just something wrong all around with that man...
-
LOL I already get comments everywhere I go about my last name. Last thing I want is to be called "Rose Bush" all the time lol.
Lemonjello and Orangejello? LMFAO! What the heck are those parents thinking?!
Don't marry a guy named Petal either.
-
Matthew McConaughey's brother named his kid Miller Lyte, after the beer... :(
Yea I heard about that! I mean I like a nice cold Miller Lite too... Would I name my kid that? No way LOL
-
Yeah, but isn't his brother's name Rooster, too? lol I think there's just something wrong all around with that man...
LOL yes! Rooster. Cock-a-doodle-doo.
-
Oh, I thought of another one. This year I taught next to the CBI room, which stands for Community-Based Instruction, which is for the kids with Down Syndrome or autism who are just there to learn life skills so that hopefully they can function with some level of independence as adults.
Well anyway, there was this one kid in there named Cody who resembled a turtle in every way. He kinda looked like a turtle, and he walked like a turtle... kind of hunched over and very, very slowly.
Turns out, "Cody" was just a nickname. His real name? Panther!
We laughed so hard in the teacher's room when his teacher told us that. :P Panther... rawr!
-
Oh my..no. That's so terrible! What were THOSE parent's thinking? Were they thinking?
-
When I was a child (okay.. and maybe still now..) I was really jealous of my sister because her name was spelled all mary sueish (Lyndsi) and I got plain old boring Stephanie. Why couldn't I be Stefani? lol
Don't feel bad. My parents named me Stephanie and my younger sister Natalie. Very boring names! And my sister from my mom and step-dad is named Brooke. No Mary Sue names in this family!
Though in high school, I did graduate with seven other Stephanie's...
-
Melicia is kind of cool....
That's because it was thought up by the awesome writer. :D
-
Panther? And he moves like a turtle? Lol So typical!
In my school in the third grade we have a boy named Sincere and I've worked w/ him when I subbed in resource room... Sincere does not fit this boy at all LOL
-
and everyone else should be able to pronounce it, too
You forget that my name is pronounced exactly how its spelt, so how the hell do people get it wrong? lol
-
Panther? And he moves like a turtle? Lol So typical!
In my school in the third grade we have a boy named Sincere and I've worked w/ him when I subbed in resource room... Sincere does not fit this boy at all LOL
Yep! And then we were like, where the hell did they get CODY from?? Too funny.
Sincere, huh? Wow. And of course he wasn't sincere! LOL
-
Back in elementary school, I knew a kid named Prechez. Pre-chez. Yeah. Take a guess whether it was a boy or a girl.
-
Ooh, that's a toughie... girl?
-
I was just thinking Boy...
-
I know I should be thinking whoa that's like a totally gangsta name but instead all that pops in my head is pre cheese lol
-
'Twas a girl. LOL. In high school there was Akia and Akeema (something like that), they were twins. Freaking weird chicks. They started a fight during our Pep Rally senior year and almost got pep ralley's banned.
-
I know I should be thinking whoa that's like a totally gangsta name but instead all that pops in my head is pre cheese lol
I was thinking "precious"... or "preciouzzzz" LOL.
-
I was thinking "precious"... or "preciouzzzz" LOL.
LOL, sometimes I don't put it past cultures, Julie.
-
honestly I tend to pick names that I like. I have used Presley, Audrey, Blake (for a girl), Natalie, and Desiree. These are all names that I like. I find them very pretty with out being to unusual or to common.
as for the title of a story. Most of the time it just comes to me. I try not to use names of songs though. I find that a little to cliche. I also like to have a title that is in the form of a question.
-
well since i like to write myself in my stories (lol) i try to think of a name that is close to mine or a derivative of my name. i sometimes get names from games, movies, celebs or i pick names that i like...
For example in my APO story(ies), the name of the character Mia Blade is a derivative of my name: MIshA, Abalde (my last name's been mispronounced as "ABLADE" so that's where i got it from). in the same story(ies), i picked the names Ken and Ryu from the videogame Street Fighter (haha i know kinda lame but i gave them different last names from the game). For "Aundrea" who is Mia's sister in APO, i asked my sister what she wanted to be called and that's what she came up with.
As for my story EMPIRE (aka "Backstreet Mafia"), which features the Boys with Justin, JC and Joey from Nsync, i thought of the Italian versions of their names: Nick=Nico, Brian or B-Rok=Rocky, AJ=Alex (that one was easy :D). For Howie i used his old stage name Tony Donetti (lol) and for Kevin, i took "Rico" from Richardson. For Justin i used "Tino", for Joey i used "Guiseppi" (Italian version of "Joseph" haha) and JC was the hardest one and i came up with Sergio...haha. as for the last names for the guys from Nsync i took "Timberlake" and made Berlacchi. (also because Justin seemed to rule Nsync ::)...)
i like the first names (for boys): Michael or Micah, Chris, Angel, James, Austin, Jaylin, Emile. and for girls: Aurora, Amelia, Michelle, Marianna, Angel, Maya, Jaquelyn.
-
I just use names that A) I like and B) Fits the character. Story titles, though... that's hard to explain. A lot of the time, they just come to me and it works!
-
I know I should be thinking whoa that's like a totally gangsta name but instead all that pops in my head is pre cheese lol
I know I'm late in replying back to this, but Mare, I was thinking the same thing. LMAO!