tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7267702661377367990.post3876774820520757643..comments2023-07-09T01:22:18.928-07:00Comments on Ink from an Earthen Vessel: Stick-to-Your Soul Encouragement: Author James R. Callan: THE NAME GAME--SOME WIN; SOME LOSEAda Brownell, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02338718323371783296noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7267702661377367990.post-60938415300269764212013-09-16T20:19:36.688-07:002013-09-16T20:19:36.688-07:00I love this blog, Jim. The name game. Remember the...I love this blog, Jim. The name game. Remember the song of that title back in the 1960s? I have a new carpenter working for me, a Ecuadorian whose first name is Edison. I couldn't make that one up. This is still another facet of characterization and,because we need names for places, plotting is part of it. Thanks for this -- and for including those links. I may use this in my classes, giving you credit, of course. Eileen Obserhttp://www.eileenobser.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7267702661377367990.post-5178803174269810892013-09-15T19:27:46.535-07:002013-09-15T19:27:46.535-07:00Thanks for the information, James, especially the ...Thanks for the information, James, especially the links.<br /><br />Sometimes I use a thesaurus to look up a certain quirk or characteristic to see if there's a word that would sound right when used as a name.<br /><br />(BTW - the body of the post was repeated twice.)Kathy Steinemannhttp://kathysteinemann.com/Musings/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7267702661377367990.post-82642814583660106902013-09-15T07:59:07.336-07:002013-09-15T07:59:07.336-07:00Thought provoking. Names do evoke images of the ch...Thought provoking. Names do evoke images of the character. For my inspiration Western historical I go to the U.S. Census list for that year and state.<br />For example, what were common names in Texas in 1885. <br /><br />A J Hawkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04648994755202423226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7267702661377367990.post-17627698367089672242013-09-14T15:39:38.321-07:002013-09-14T15:39:38.321-07:00Know what you mean, Lesley. Not that it happened t...Know what you mean, Lesley. Not that it happened to me, but I had a friend whose parents gave him a name that gave him lots of problems. And that very thing might be a good ploy in a novel. Thanks for the comment.James Callanhttp://www.jamesrcallan.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7267702661377367990.post-81138751465014144562013-09-14T15:36:12.519-07:002013-09-14T15:36:12.519-07:00"Sounds good and fits." You've said..."Sounds good and fits." You've said it right there. I wish the "right" names would pop into my head. I'm jealous. Thanks, Stephen, for the comment.James Callanhttp://www.jamesrcallan.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7267702661377367990.post-59547364436574717642013-09-14T15:34:09.672-07:002013-09-14T15:34:09.672-07:00The good things is, you are thinking about names. ...The good things is, you are thinking about names. Some writers really do just grad any old name and go with it. Thanks for the comment, Marta.James Callanhttp://www.jamesrcallan.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7267702661377367990.post-69219552656217000712013-09-14T15:32:09.877-07:002013-09-14T15:32:09.877-07:00Another good choice - if one has old newspapers. ...Another good choice - if one has old newspapers. I'm amazed, though, that some of the old Christian names seem to be making a comeback. Maybe it's because they read your stories and like the names. Thanks for the comment, John.James Callanhttp://www.jamesrcallan.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7267702661377367990.post-79591211759654275292013-09-14T15:30:22.664-07:002013-09-14T15:30:22.664-07:00Excellent point, Holli. You want names that are a...Excellent point, Holli. You want names that are appropriate for the location of your story. Thanks for pointing that out.James Callanhttp://www.jamesrcallan.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7267702661377367990.post-22498572162951447402013-09-14T15:27:56.665-07:002013-09-14T15:27:56.665-07:00Thanks, Nike. Glad we agree.Thanks, Nike. Glad we agree.James Callanhttp://www.jamesrcallan.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7267702661377367990.post-44918648815570037712013-09-14T15:26:37.101-07:002013-09-14T15:26:37.101-07:00Thanks, Caroline. Sure helped when I lost that te...Thanks, Caroline. Sure helped when I lost that telephone book.James Callanhttp://www.jamesrcallan.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7267702661377367990.post-34418576762877846012013-09-14T14:11:44.775-07:002013-09-14T14:11:44.775-07:00Names are important to writers and to people in ge...Names are important to writers and to people in general. Take mine, for example. Mom chose to name me what was at the time I was born a boy's name, and then she chose to spell it in an odd manner. The problems I had with my name would fill a book. The boys' gym class in junior high, would you believe? <br /><br />I was forced to rename a character in one of my books. I did it, but I still think of that character by his original name.Lesley Diehlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10552765934908042306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7267702661377367990.post-62946657831622112352013-09-14T13:41:15.302-07:002013-09-14T13:41:15.302-07:00I agree that character names must be chosen carefu...I agree that character names must be chosen carefully. When I chose Mallory Petersen for my main heroine, her name pretty much popped into my head. Same with Detective Harry Reznik's. However, I use one source for nearly all of my other character and business names. I read through the list until I find one that sounds good and fits.Stephen L. Braytonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14575880529198211433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7267702661377367990.post-30004087271821083852013-09-14T12:12:51.329-07:002013-09-14T12:12:51.329-07:00Nice post, Jim, and thank you for the links to bab...Nice post, Jim, and thank you for the links to baby names. Names are SO important, and the more I think about them, the more intimidated I feel by the subtleties needed for correct selection of same.<br /><br />marta chauséehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03220377163454979720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7267702661377367990.post-4198333516212656622013-09-14T11:21:00.700-07:002013-09-14T11:21:00.700-07:00One of my favorite places for character names is o...One of my favorite places for character names is old newspapers. Some of the Christian names have grown out of favor today but often seem appropriate for the characters I write about.jrlindermuthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09204855909246670628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7267702661377367990.post-57780560554389180182013-09-14T11:15:42.006-07:002013-09-14T11:15:42.006-07:00I agree names are so important to a work. I look t...I agree names are so important to a work. I look through the obits to find the names of older, minor characters in my novels because I want authentic New Orleans names, especially Creole. I also do searches of name meanings to find names for characters. My protag in my novel series and my antagonist in my most recent screenplay both have their mothers' maiden names as their first names, which is common with the upper class in New Orleans. <br /><br />In my New Orleans works, I stick to real streets and parts of town, mostly because there is so much identifiable about the city. If I visit a real city I've read about in a novel, I'll try to find the landmarks or streets, unless it's too dangerous.Holli Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15976235735822063166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7267702661377367990.post-86939792074007681032013-09-14T07:39:55.597-07:002013-09-14T07:39:55.597-07:00James, Enjoyed the article and I agree on all poin...James, Enjoyed the article and I agree on all points.Nike Chillemihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13840406107033413597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7267702661377367990.post-14703889961182994732013-09-14T07:26:29.328-07:002013-09-14T07:26:29.328-07:00Great post and enjoyed reading how you get your na...Great post and enjoyed reading how you get your names, James! Carolinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08765332646987825952noreply@blogger.com