Hey -- this is a good article -- but I don't have time to proofread it -- and it looks like it's full of graphic mistakes -- like runon sentences and words and no paragraphs.
That's the thing I dislike about blogger. Oftentimes, when I write something and then public it, the blogger just runs everything together and doesn't leave any spaces.
We need spaces, too, in order to comprehend our writing. Remember that.
Anyway, here's Scott's article.
___________________________________
hauntedcomputer@yahoo.com
Here's the latest free writinga rticle for your unlimited use and publication, provided you run my name and the bio at the bottom.
Thanks and good luck with your writing!--------------------
What's In A Name?
By Scott Nicholson
Shakespeare said, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by anyother name would smell as sweet."
Gertrude Stein said, "A rose is arose is a rose. "
John Davidson said, "O which is the last rose? Ablossom of no name."
An adolescent Scott Nicholson once wrote a snarkyline in a wretched poem that went "A rose is a rose is a risen."
So we could assume we could name every character "Rose" and it would make no difference. Tokyo Rose would be the same as Emily Rose, andRose Red and Rose Madder could be interchangeable titles in works byStephen King. The character of "Rose" in the world's most popularmovie, "Titanic," could have been "Sue," and Johnny Cash's song "A BoyNamed Sue" could have been called "A Boy Named Rose" and theoreticallythe universe would have continued expanding intact. But naming acharacter "Rose" doesn't connote blandness or homogeneity. The word comes loaded with a number of associations: a flower notoriouslychallenging for the home gardener; a pinkish-red color in the box ofCrayolas; a food source rich in Vitamin C; Shakespeare's quote; anoft-used symbol for the fleeting and ephemeral nature of love; and all theRoses you have personally known, as well as all the fictional Roses weencounter, whether the name is first or last.Names do matter, and one of the quickest ways that fiction spoilsitself is by having an unbelievable character. You don't want the nameto throw up a speed bump for the reader. The name should fit, gounnoticed and therefore easily accepted, or else be an intentionalploy to draw attention. These last can be tiresome: the big bikernamed "Tiny," the pathetic loser called "Romeo," etc. The name doesn'thave to do all of the work of character building, but it's animportant part of the package deal.Uncommon names are fairly common, as evidenced by a quick thumbingthrough your local phone book. A thirty-second scan of mine revealsRollin Weary, Edward Wax, Oletta Waycaster, Webb Weatherman, andForest Weaver. These real names would probably cause your reader topause upon initial encounter. This isn't necessarily bad, but evenreal names can be loaded. If your fictional Edward Wax is a candlemaker or your Webb Weatherman is a meteorologist, you'd better bewriting comedy or satire.One of the most common mistakes is making your character name soundtoo "namey." In other words, the name sounds like that of a fictionalcharacter instead of a real person. For all my admiration of DeanKoontz, I feel his character names sometimes sound artificial, as ifchurned out by some "random character generator" (Jimmy Tock, JuniorCain, Aelfric Manheim, Martin Stillwater, Harry Lyon, Joanna Rand).However, he is the only writer skilled enough to name a seriouscharacter "Odd Thomas" and get away with it.A fanciful name, even if memorable, can turn your readers away. Myfirst encounter with Kurt Vonnegut was through his short story"Harrison Bergeron," in which the "bad guy" is a woman named DianaMoon Glampers. I was a little too young to grasp the subtleties ofVonnegut's satire, and the name annoyed me so much that I put offreading his work again for years. Now I understand what he was doing,and I still remember that name though I haven't read the story since.The sound of the name adds tone to the character. While a stone-facedcharacter might well be called Stony, he's probably more interestingif he's a Chuck or Dirk, which are both punchy, "hard" names (MysteryScience Theater fans may remember "Biff McLargehuge"). A Richard isdifferent from a Dick is different from a Richie is different from aRicardo. Sue is not Suzannah, Suzie, or Susan. We expect an appliancerepairman to be named Danny, not Danforth, or Fred instead ofFrederick. An attorney or stockbroker will more likely be Charles thanCharlie, or Lawrence instead of Larry. We'd probably be more comfortedto have a doctor named Eleanor instead of Muffy, or an airline pilotnamed Virginia rather than Brittany.A character's name is often the first and most vital clue to acharacter's ethnicity, which may or may not be important to the story.Vinnie, Su, Ian, Darshan, Mohammed, Yoruba, Yasmine, and Felicia areprobably going to create reader expectations. Names also carrygenerational weight: we envision Blanche and Vivian as older, moreserious people than we do Dakota, Madison, or Mackenzie.On the other hand, just as stereotypes are often full of holes in reallife, you can use expectations in a delightful turn of the tables.Instead of a truck driver named Mac, he can be Milton, a sociologistwho enjoys traveling. Your New York cabbie doesn't have to be Armaan,who may or may not be a terrorist; he can be Orlando, studying actingin night school. Just make sure the people, and the motivations thatpropel them through the plot, are valid.Villains are in their own special nominal class. Dracula is probablythe perfect example. It's practically impossible to pronounce withoutsinister implications. Freddie Krueger, Darth Vader, and Gollum arefraught with darkness. Stephen King shines at this: Leland Gaunt,Randall Flagg, George Stark (actually a pseudonym for writer DonaldWestlake), Percy Wetmore, and probably the best one of all, "It."Of course, King also gets away with a character having the ubiquitousmoniker "John Smith," but even this name choice serves a purpose,because King's protagonist in "The Dead Zone" is an everyman Christfigure. You probably don't want to call your soul-stealing,heart-munching bad guy "Bradley Flowers," though you might sneak thatin as a mild-mannered, Walter Mitty-type serial killer. Real-lifekillers like Charles Starkweather and Richard Speck sound ominous,while other killers like Albert Fish and Ted Bundy sound likesomebody's kindly uncle, so your character names, like all otherelements of your fiction, have to be more real than reality.Female names offer their own opportunities for striking gold orstriking out. "Thelma and Louise" are two names that, to me, conjureup images of rough, trailer-trash women (I have an aunt named Louise,so that obviously colors my association). In the movie, they becomeself-reliant while simultaneously depending on each other. Though theyare doomed, they are also strong survivors. I don't think it wouldhave worked if the characters were "Cissie and Amber." Save that forthe Cameron Diaz and Reese Witherspoon road movie.In the 1950's James Bond world, you could get away with naming acharacter "Pussy Galore," a lesbian who can be "cured" intoheterosexuality by the right hired gun. That won't work today, noteven in genre fiction. Aside from the fact that the great majority ofbook purchasers are female, you don't want to look stupid. JanetEvanovich's cute, perky, yet often hapless bounty hunter is namedStephanie Plum, while Kathy Reich's tougher and darker-edged forensicanthropologist is called Temperance (Tempe) Brennan. You can tell justby the protagonists' names that the two series will have different tones.A recent trend in genre novels is the name-dropping of other writers.This immediately pulls me out of the story, reminds me I am staring atthe fabricated sentences of an actual human being, and I have to fightpast the "Nudge, nudge, wink, wink" if I bother continuing at all. Amanuscript I recently read had a pair of juvenile delinquents named"Anthony Bates" and "Norman Perkins." As if this wasn't painfullyobvious enough, after the introduction the characters repeatedly referto one another as Norm and Tony. I don't think the association isworth the cost. If it's plainly an homage or tribute, then it's fine,but it's already hard enough to keep the reader in a state ofsuspended disbelief. Save that kind of thing for the acknowledgements.So where do you get names? You can turn to the phone book, but you'llwant to mix and match first and last names so you don't inadvertentlycreate a character that's too close to home for some real personyou've never met and who might be litigious. I once encountered a realperson who had the same two names as one of my fictional characters,and it gave me pause. Using local surnames can add authenticity ifyour fiction is set in the area where you live. I often scour theobituaries because I use a lot of rural characters with long locallineages. "Baby name" books are great resources, especially if youhave multicultural characters, though you won't always find help withsurnames. The Internet is an obvious and easy tool, and don't forgetyour own imagination.Once you decide on a name, you can always change it later, thoughhaving the name will help you start building the character in yourmind. Whichever name you choose, sound it out, and make sure you wantit in your story. See if it matches the character and his or herpersonality and, more importantly, actions. Especially if it's theprotagonist, choose a name that can hold up for an entire story, book,or even a series.While the name you bestow on your character may not be as important asthe name you give your child, in some ways your fiction is just asmuch an offspring of your life as is your genetic contribution. Take it seriously, and make it matter.
-----------Scott Nicholson is the author of They Hunger, The Farm, and four othernovels, as well as numerous short stories and articles. He runs afreelance editing business through his web site http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/editing.htm
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