Character Names

Names, names, names ... such important little things, especially when describing an imaginary character to an unknown person.

I have some favourite names. Falkayn is one. Drake is another. Both have been used by authors I like to describe characters I enjoyed. Both could be re-used, but that takes some of the fun out of the creative act.

Hermes is an interesting name, currently used for branding feminine accessories, yet a male name from Greek myth. Even then, the name is one from a story, one already tied up with an interesting character. Of course, many interesting names do have stories attached to them (often more than one) and that shouldn't stop us using a name that is a good fit with a character idea.

Sometimes a common name is good, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sir Nigel Loring merges a common name with a more interesting one. His Sherlock Holmes merges two interesting names, and the way it felt when spoken was surely part of his reason for choosing them (Sir Nigel was from his more serious historical fiction).

For me, finding good names is always a difficult task. Most parents have wrestled with this problem, there are so many name books, and so many names to choose from. As parents you usually are restricted by your family name, which can be helpful. Although the advantage of a work of fiction is that you don't need to agree on the name with your spouse!

The other problem is the old chicken and the egg paradox. Do you start with the character or the name? For me it is a mix of both, a character idea will spark a name, which will help mold the character idea, which may end up requiring a different name.

I was planning on putting some sample names up here, but now I think of it, I want to explore some character, story and world ideas a bit more first.

What's Infininut about?

For a while now, I've wanted a blog that allows me to post some more personal stuff than my main blog can really cater for (seeing as it's on my resumes, email signature etc).

I plan on posting some of my own creative writing here (bad poetry and short stories :-) ) as well as gaming material (RPG stuff for Traveller and D&D).

Unfortunately Blogger does not yet give me the ability to categorise my posts, so I'll use the post title to indicate when a post is part of an ongoing story.

Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright ...

Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright
In the forest of the night
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And What shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? And what dread feet?

What the hammer? What the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the lamb make thee?

Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

- William Blake