tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407732416371535218.post1073981257454133979..comments2023-10-08T20:49:42.822-07:00Comments on Fear of the Dark: Guest Blog: Susan GourleyJon Sprunkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087486378680251640noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407732416371535218.post-9466149330242663922011-01-12T20:44:01.857-08:002011-01-12T20:44:01.857-08:00I'll be honest. I get most of my names for cha...I'll be honest. I get most of my names for characters off books. I'll take an author's first name, another author.s last name, a characters first name, a friend's last name. I keep it simple. My protagonist, Chase Manhattan, does have a story. Originally, the story took place in Manhattan. The word has MAN in it. And HAT. John Wayne wore a hat. So did Indiana Jones and other tough guys. And since he was always chasing down something or someone was chasing him, Chase just seemed like a logical first name.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407732416371535218.post-44974577171139886912011-01-12T19:49:16.047-08:002011-01-12T19:49:16.047-08:00Lots of times I'll use rolling credits in movi...Lots of times I'll use rolling credits in movies and T.V. programs to look for different or appealing names for my characters. <br /><br />Unpronounceable names don't usually bother me very much. I'll usually just call them Bill or Jane instead and move on. Yet what will jar me out of a story are certain pet names that annoy me- especially if they're overused. <br /><br />Great post, Sue!Ava Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09404716744982870650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407732416371535218.post-59071704448038233842011-01-12T19:45:36.355-08:002011-01-12T19:45:36.355-08:00I want to thank Susan for this post, and encourage...I want to thank Susan for this post, and encourage everyone to check out her books.Jon Sprunkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18087486378680251640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407732416371535218.post-78944360627965042682011-01-12T18:23:29.118-08:002011-01-12T18:23:29.118-08:00I'm stopped and taken out of the story if I ca...I'm stopped and taken out of the story if I can't pronounce the name and I have to stop and try to sound it out.Helen Gingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09794759602654727110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407732416371535218.post-16246019409836907272011-01-12T17:24:43.337-08:002011-01-12T17:24:43.337-08:00Excellent post. I agree names are crucial. I have ...Excellent post. I agree names are crucial. I have a book I use called, The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook by Sherrilyn Kenyon. It's huge, it gives the meaning and origin. I used to have a good dictionary that is now lost that I used to name one of the characters in my fantasy.<br />Nancy<br /><a href="http://nrwilliams.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">N. R. Williams, fantasy author</a>N. R. Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02174506528962095858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407732416371535218.post-43354358673993437052011-01-12T15:58:55.680-08:002011-01-12T15:58:55.680-08:00Hey Susan! I didn't even think about using nam...Hey Susan! I didn't even think about using names that would turn up in Google searches. Mine were choosen very randomly. Although I did stick to short and simple!Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407732416371535218.post-46723919585799261532011-01-12T09:21:56.817-08:002011-01-12T09:21:56.817-08:00Great post Susan. I appreciate an author who uses ...Great post Susan. I appreciate an author who uses names authentic to the story line.<br />Sometimes I use the good old phone book to peruse possible names. Not much hangs me up while writing, but names, believe it or not, can stop me cold if they don't fit the character.Cate Mastershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01371792447604980848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407732416371535218.post-84545881188622611742011-01-12T08:04:02.602-08:002011-01-12T08:04:02.602-08:00Hey, cool, Bayard is the name of our street. Thank...Hey, cool, Bayard is the name of our street. Thanks for the advice. I'd suggest another place to shop for names is a big dictionary with obscure or common words or a combination thereof.Hilrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02985023518107864750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407732416371535218.post-27948525018484370672011-01-12T07:41:59.182-08:002011-01-12T07:41:59.182-08:00Thanks for the blog, Susan. I just wanted to jump...Thanks for the blog, Susan. I just wanted to jump in and say I have been distracted many times by character names, specifically radical pronunciations and crazy accenting. <br /><br />You want a good book to be a smooth read and when a name requires looking it up in an appendix or something (or keeping lists...sheesh), it takes your head out of the story. Sometimes it's only for a few seconds, but sometimes that's long enough. <br /><br />It doesn't mean authors can't use their imaginations to make up unusal names (please do!), but keeping them in the flow of the story and accessible to us as readers is always a plus for me. :)Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08456928071007971580noreply@blogger.com