tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post6353943756248803921..comments2024-03-19T03:21:49.937-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: What's In a NameLeigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-40690035134372873822017-03-13T22:09:32.383-04:002017-03-13T22:09:32.383-04:00I use so many naming methods. I often will name ch...I use so many naming methods. I often will name characters after TV or movie characters I loved--not the exact name, but a take off. For instance I've two stories in which nearly all the characters had a first name or a last name of a character or actor from the TV show Veronica Mars (in one) and the movie Romancing the Stone (in the other). At other times, I've named characters in tribute to friends (first or last name or something that rhymes the person's name or is a take-off of the person's name). It's fun. Though I keep thinking someone will notice and ask me about it, but no one ever does. (And I love that PS about Clark Howard.)Barb Goffmanhttp://www.barbgoffman.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-78607449412779061172017-03-13T22:07:48.379-04:002017-03-13T22:07:48.379-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Barb Goffmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02172124872936856806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-12114142968495153422017-03-13T16:18:05.717-04:002017-03-13T16:18:05.717-04:00A lot of great ideas here, Jan. Some of them I'...A lot of great ideas here, Jan. Some of them I've used myself, but others are on tap for the future.Paul D. Markshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15466234708772287399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-40619699682045291972017-03-13T14:47:06.045-04:002017-03-13T14:47:06.045-04:00Great post. Short story writers need a huge amoun...Great post. Short story writers need a huge amount of character names. Most of my characters arrive in my head with names, if not I have a few sources. My favorite is a huge list I’ve compiled from my spam file. If those crazy spammers take the time to make a name that sound good, I’m going to steal it. Each time I use a name in a short story, I check it off so I don’t use it again to soon. I also read TV and movie credits…been doing it for years, no clue why. I’ve also tried the phone book when we had them. I do have to be careful as I tend to use J names often for some reason.<br /><br />Loved the last comment. So nice to know.<br />Pat Marinellinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-31329062341756524332017-03-13T14:24:24.365-04:002017-03-13T14:24:24.365-04:00Thanks again to everyone for comments about naming...Thanks again to everyone for comments about naming characters.<br />All the ideas were great. <br />Jan Grapehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13323910083703514953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-20180291240911387942017-03-13T14:21:04.331-04:002017-03-13T14:21:04.331-04:00Wow, Elizabeth, I've never heard of wordsmith ...Wow, Elizabeth, I've never heard of wordsmith anagram and that's fascinating, I love anagrams. I will check it out.Jan Grapehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13323910083703514953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-65996052783199238302017-03-13T09:52:10.097-04:002017-03-13T09:52:10.097-04:00I use names of people I've known or read about...I use names of people I've known or read about, slightly altered. Then I check to see what the name anagrams to at wordsmith.org/anagram ... sometimes I change the character's name based on what the anagram reveals.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00239163766419735693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-59794335955333421402017-03-13T09:46:20.725-04:002017-03-13T09:46:20.725-04:00I enjoyed reading about all the different approach...I enjoyed reading about all the different approaches people use--glad you were able to include mine. And the postscript about Clark Howard was touching. I never met him, but one of his EQMM stories made me decide to try writing mystery stories.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17673578800047888317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-71659632360499225982017-03-13T09:38:40.195-04:002017-03-13T09:38:40.195-04:00Enjoyed this discussion of naming characters--but ...Enjoyed this discussion of naming characters--but really want to comment more on the postscript here about Clark Howard, which was a touching coda to your earlier post on Clark. Thank you for sharing. Art Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02409008167752619352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-69358817606276154162017-03-13T09:22:41.945-04:002017-03-13T09:22:41.945-04:00Jan, I saw your request on Facebook this morning, ...Jan, I saw your request on Facebook this morning, but it was too late to contribute. This was interesting and gave me some ideas. Personally, my main characters seem to name themselves. Like Donnie's daughter suggested, I've been known to name minor characters by flipping through the phone book, too. That doesn't work anymore because I no longer receive them. Another resource is to Google popular names for the year in which the character would have been born.Fran Rizerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08655783035179620991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-83750558473316459022017-03-13T09:22:27.345-04:002017-03-13T09:22:27.345-04:00I use many different methods for naming characters...I use many different methods for naming characters, including looking at the spines of all the books surrounding me in my office. Long ago, I had a habit of naming secondary characters after old blues singers. One of my editors noticed and suggested I stop because he felt I was overdoing it.Michael Brackenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01072019804281421944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-19996928422534527342017-03-13T08:33:41.367-04:002017-03-13T08:33:41.367-04:00I check obituaries for names now and then.
Great ...I check obituaries for names now and then.<br /><br />Great story about Clark Howard. I knew him when he was in Houston, too, through the MWA meetings, and what a great guy and writer he was.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02350478005243505108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-52526367570497137852017-03-13T01:44:39.098-04:002017-03-13T01:44:39.098-04:00Yes, Leigh, I agree with you! I enjoyed all the co...Yes, Leigh, I agree with you! I enjoyed all the comments (mine included!) and your wrap-up of the whole thing. And the last comment about Clark Howard's granddaughter was just wonderful! :) Jeff Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00316081079528920123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-72161939811205207922017-03-13T00:22:18.210-04:002017-03-13T00:22:18.210-04:00By the way, I love your last comment. You and 15 o...By the way, I love your last comment. You and 15 others make a great team!Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-43360230831078409132017-03-13T00:14:37.556-04:002017-03-13T00:14:37.556-04:00Jan, thanks for allowing me to contribute. I love ...Jan, thanks for allowing me to contribute. I love the ideas. Besides the above (going by sound and meaning), I confess one of my bad guys is named after a back-stabbing office worker, his first and last names reversed. But don’t tell anyone.Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.com