The
most unforgettable fictional characters begin as a glimmer in the
author’s mind. Only in writing the novel does the character go on to
acquire the dimensions that will make him or her live in the imagination
of the reader years after the book has been read.
Sherlock Holmes, Captain Ahab, Huckleberry Finn, Jo March, Dorothea
Brooke linger in our memories as if they were real people we have known.
These examples are all from the English classics, but even the writer whose ambitions focus on something less monumental than Moby Dick or Middlemarch
needs to give adequate thought to the principal character/s who will
carry the story, whether it's a light mystery, a romance, or a middle
school adventure.
The place to begin is with the character’s name.
Some writers, in a hurry to start that first draft, will tack the
first name that comes to mind on the main character, intending to come
up with a better name “later on.”
Bad idea.
A purely practical objection is the danger that the substitute name
will creep into a few paragraphs in the completed draft, creating
embarrassment for the author and confusion in the reader.
A more important reason to begin with the most appropriate name is
that the name is part of the character’s persona and can inform the
developing action. The right name can also send a subliminal message to
the reader. Take the name Atticus Finch.
The antique Roman name Atticus suggests formality and is imbued with connotations of law and justice. Finch is the name of a harmless bird and, as such, reflects the title of the book, To Kill a Mocking Bird.
Harper Lee may or may not have been aware of the useful qualities of
the finch as a destroyer of weeds and harmful insects, but Atticus Finch
lives in our memories as a dignified representative of the law doing
what he can to protect the social garden from destructive influences.
The very letters in a name can connote characteristics. The k sound suggests strength and courage. Consider: James T. Kirk, Kinsey Millhone, Alex Cross, Brother Caedfal, Kate Beckett.
Other sounds, like those of h and r and the vowels, can suggest such characteristics as weakness, hypocrisy, and—sometimes—evil. Consider: Iago, Humbert Humbert, Professor Moriarty, Dorian Gray, Uriah Heep.
A combination of strong and weak sounds can produce a name that
suggests a multi-layered character who possesses strength and courage,
together with a willingness to use others to their advantage. Consider: Becky Sharp, Scarlett O’Hara.
The sounds of l and n may suggest sexiness or feminine weakness: Ulalume, Lolita, Annabelle Lee, Anna Karenina.
And, finally, it’s possible to incorporate a suggestive word in the
name of a character. Holly GoLightly’s name contains the sexy l
's, together with a word that conveys her unconscionable view of life.
Bigger Thomas, born in different circumstances, could have had a
bigger, better fate. Edward Murdstone has a heart of stone and a murky
disposition. Sam Spade digs ploddingly for information, while Mike
Hammer gets what he’s after by any means necessary.
Before you get too far into that first draft, take the time to give your protagonist the right name.
From: Daily Writing Tips
