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/lit/ - Literature

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14538057 No.14538057 [Reply] [Original]

What is the optimal way to name characters?

>> No.14538075

>>14538057
I prefer to make up names instead of using shitty common names in real life.

>> No.14538081

Depends on the story and themes
But personally I'm really bad at it so bump

>> No.14538089

>>14538057
Random name generator

>> No.14538094

Your and your family members names in reverse Alucard style.

>> No.14538101

choose names that sound good to say out loud but not good enough to where it's overt that that's what you're going for.
that's literally it, dog

>> No.14538119

>>14538057
Random keystrokes, then add some vowels or consonants where necessary.
Sodifed Oilukadif
See, works perfectly.

>> No.14538134

http://www.behindthename.com/random/

consider the culture / ethnicity of your characters and generate a table of first names, middle names, and last names then pick which ever ones seem to work together best and fit the character that you've got.

>> No.14538135

>>14538057
Give them meaning.
Most characters should have names that their parents would choose for them. You know your characters, so you should know what names their parents would choose.
For tertiary (and further) characters you can go with random names, as long as they are plausible.
Throw something wild if you want to, weird names happen.
And of course you can always give one of your main characters a name that seems random, but becomes very meaningful when they are faced with the Choice during the Climax, or some other shit.

>> No.14538141

>>14538057
The Lovecraftian Way

>> No.14538177

>>14538141
You can't just call every character Niggerman. Would get too confusing, my niggerman

>> No.14538200

>>14538057
choose names that are related to the personality of the character in an obscure, almost inside joke kind of way.

Scorses named his character in taxi driver Travis(travel, taxi) Bickle(sounds like a joke, a mess)

>> No.14538247

>>14538119
kek based

>> No.14538258

I believe that the best names have some sort of symbolism behind, for instance, in Houellebecq's Submission the protagonist is named Francois (for France), which is interesting if you consider how Muslims and Jews suddenly appear in the novel, leaving the French perspective to him. And in Pynchon's V. the main guy is Benny Profane, who is kind of autistic, hence his surname.

>> No.14538264

The optimal way to do it is to be a talented author who instinctively knows how to do it well.

>> No.14538275

>>14538177
Yog-Sothoth, Shub-Niggurath, Yog-Niggeroth, Nyarlathotep, Shub-Sonigoth

>> No.14538293

>>14538135
>Most characters should have names that their parents would choose for them.
Very HOT tip, here's your (You).

>> No.14538294

>>14538258
I don't think there's a single Pynchon character without a linguistic joke in their name. It's a very postmodern method, and I don't know if it's necessary for every type of story.

>> No.14539843

>>14538057
It all depends, themes, style, even inspirations all have an effect

>> No.14539910

>>14538057
your first pet + the street you grew up

>> No.14539918

Don't forget that people are retarded and will stumble upon names that have similar first and last characters like Thomas/Travis. It might be a good idea to give two characters that are often together names of different length so speedreaders won't get confused.

>> No.14539934

>>14539910
Hamstey Velvetave

>> No.14539943

>>14539918
and then you have Raskolnikov and Razumikhin. I think blaming the names of your characters for why people can't distinguish them is lazy writing.

>> No.14539966

>>14538119
unironically based. Thank you for this. really helpful.

>> No.14539970

>>14539966
you're kidding me...

>> No.14539974

>>14539910
heh, good try fbi, but you are not finding my location by crossrefrencing your street name databanks with your pet name databanks.

better luck next time.

>> No.14539977

>>14538119
mayfret

myfrt = mayfret :)

>> No.14539982

>>14539970
For phoned in fantasy a la dnd character I mean its really helpful. for more nonfiction or more effort fantasy of course not.

>> No.14539995

>>14539982
Okay, I'm with you there then. I tend to look for obscure mythic figures and either rip their names or slightly change them when I'm coming up with d&d schlock.

>> No.14540014

>>14539982
>>14539995
it seems like mostly just have fun with it. you might have a book filled with the strangest names but sometimes its fun and familiar to see the most common english name thrown in there. or sometimes even the authors name is fun in an ironic way

>> No.14540027

>>14539995
Yah, I would do that, but more often than not they turn out kind of cringy. Again, If I would do a character in something like morrowind, I might take some more time and sift through the more developed lore and culture to make an apropriate nuanced name for a 100+ hour campaign, but if im playing/writing a one off setting about some hick or some rando hobbit comes up, fehn feken (I just used the commenters trick 'fehfkn'= Fehn Feken) works perfectly.

>> No.14540059

>>14540027
Galdo, Glaucus, Godric and Gooloo have been my last 4 d&d characters. I think the mythic character name shtick is working out for me.

>> No.14540069

>>14540059
oh, and I had a dwarf named Bingle.

>> No.14540081

>>14540059
well, if it works, it works. Still a good technique for canon fodder characters tho.

>> No.14540096

>>14539934
Surprisingly this works.

>> No.14540109

>>14540096
that's what I was thinking as I typed it. The broken clock, I guess

>> No.14540151

>>14540096
>>14540109

you fell for
>>14539974

>> No.14540152
File: 67 KB, 748x421, black-moon.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14540152

>>14538057
I try to find similarities in themes or just use the character's inspiration to name them and try to find parallels to other stories I might read. It requires deep intimate knowledge of your lore and probably nobody will ever figure it out. For example:
>need name of protagonist
>cyberpunk setting has three passing states of past, present, future
>past represented by dead shadow worlds
>present represented by beautiful thriving world
>future represented by pale violet moon that rebirths the dead into new bodies and without memories and new names
>three states
>protagonist is modeled after Wotan from der ring des nibelungen, Hades as an archetype
>protagonist is themed in-universe towards a long dead goddess who's well spoken of
>God related, three states
>name her Morganna

This also gives me the names of the three states and informs me how to expand on the theme, I invented another character this way and grew the lore

I named the protagonist Morgan since they aren't the god their name references but the similarities are obvious to the reader and the characters in-universe

Its not a consistent way and doesn't have any set rules really, just look for connections and try to use those connections to further define. Its like connecting dots...as you connect more points, a larger picture begins to reveal itself.

>> No.14540369

>>14539974
you idiot, it's an old internet meme about generating a porn star name

t. bunny broadway

>> No.14540395

>>14538119
Deinjiwoq Labipand

>> No.14540471

use the name as a space to subtlety communicate character and make sure the name scheme aligns with your overall aesthetic.

like if you're writing historical fiction use full names rooted in ethnic or national backgrounds so it ready like history or paperwork and conveys the characters' backgrounds.

or if you're writing something detached or allegorical name people outside of social convention by their roles, to highlight the narrator's uncaring or their allegorical weight

>> No.14540478

i name them after the girls who ghosted me on discord

>> No.14540483

>>14538258
>Benny Profane, who is kind of autistic, hence his surname.
how does profane = autistic?
also how is benny autistic? i guess being a schlemiel? he seems too dumb and happy dumb to be autistic.

>> No.14540643

>>14538057
Everything already written here is bs. Just think about who named the character (obviously, not you as the author, but in the story/lore) and how or why would they come up with a name. Names with deep meanings that neatly adjust to the character's treats is poor writing and will fall most of the time in cheap and overused tropes. The character should make the name important not the other way around.

>> No.14540692

>>14540643
A name and character such as Prosperos would prove that point absolute statement wrong.

>> No.14540799

>>14538119
Abifinkel Luksjadöf

>> No.14540999

>>14540395
>Deinjiwoq
nigger/10

>> No.14541002

>>14538057
Pirme numbers so you can assign group interactions the product of the actors involved.

>> No.14541005

>>14540369
But also it was used for data mining/ID theft. That's why it was a meme.

>> No.14541833

>>14538119
Zidaf Hakejno

>> No.14542279

>>14539910
Blackie 38th

>> No.14543725

>>14539910
Porkrind Brentwood

>> No.14543852

>excel spreadsheet
>assign letters including spaces and hyphens to random numbers
>12 random letters
>F5 'til a coherent name appears
Juan Smithh took me like 5 days of refreshing

>> No.14543882

Mythos or biblical reference

https://theapolloniantransmission.com/what-is-in-a-name/

>> No.14544135
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14544135

>>14538057
Baby name websites. Look for origin and meaning to get a filtered list or just go for one you like the sound of.

>> No.14544218

>>14538057
steal famous character names and then just write them backward.

>> No.14544253

>>14538057
>Open Google
>Random name generator

>> No.14544345

>>>14539910
Killer 7th

>> No.14545800
File: 2 KB, 28x28, libsmile.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14545800

>>14539910
Niggerman Angell?

>> No.14545860

>>14539910
David Foster Pynchon?

>> No.14545877

>>14538200
Bickle sounds like bicycle.

>> No.14545905

>>14538119
vacub regher

>> No.14547147

>>14539910
Peanut D'Allonville

Doesn't work well :/

>> No.14547156

>>14538119
hroweh jofjiof
wtf i didnt even have to add vowels lol

>> No.14547165

>>14539910
Niggerman Providence

>> No.14547187

>>14539943
Wait, people can't distinguish the two of them? They were polar opposites how could you mix them up?

>> No.14547191

>>14539977
Myfart

>> No.14547324

>>14538119
holy based

>> No.14547328

>>14539910
Kuzja Lenina

>> No.14548156

>>14538119

94hbf[/.'\1-578

uhhhhhhhh doens't work

>> No.14548248

>>14538057
online name generator

>> No.14548331

>>14547187
I'm arguing the opposite of that.

>> No.14548459

>>14538057
From my experience people irl who have same cool names or are named after cool characters (which is just a coincidence), are always assholes. In other words assholes irl usually have good names or name combinations that you use to call your imaginary characters.
Just think of the shittiest person you know and they probably have good and usable name.

>> No.14548461

>>14538119
>Sodifed Oilukadif
Nordic noble

>>14539977
>mayfret
Some kind of detective.

>>14540395
>Deinjiwoq Labipand
Afroamerican Gangsta


>>14540799
>Abifinkel Luksjadöf
Islamo-swede

>>14541833
>Zidaf Hakejno
Soccer player

>>14545905
>vacub regher
Continental Philosopher.

>>14547156
>hroweh jofjiof
The inventor of Spurdo

>>14548156
>94hbf[/.'\1-578
AI gone rogue

>> No.14548480

If it’s a romance novel then some good names could be Kate, Sarah, Jessie etc
For the male protagonist something like Jamal or Tyrone works well

>> No.14548696

>>14538057
optimal?
Type the first character the pointer touches and then hope that start/enter is a shortcut for 'OK'.

>> No.14548719

>>14538119
devedva vijbabad

>> No.14548765

>>14538057
Behindthename dot com and I scroll up and down real fast with my eyes closed and point a finger at the screen & see where it lands

>> No.14549128

>>14538057
This is probably a weird way to do it but I lift names from old gravestones because I'm bad at making them up for some reason.

>> No.14549204

>>14549128
and then deface them afterwards to ensure they're "original"

>> No.14549264

>>14549204
Good idea. I tend to pick the dumb names that I find sound funny. The Philip K Dick way of naming

>> No.14549410

>>14538119
it sounds like some anti-headache medication. absolutely ridiculous.

>> No.14549423

>>14538275
Niggalathotep

>> No.14549440

>>14549423
The Father of Serpents, Nig

>> No.14549549

>>14538057
Import random

FirstName = ['Name1', 'Name2', 'Name3']
LastName = ['LastName1,' 'LastName2', 'Name3']

print(random.choice(FirstName), random.randint(LastName))

>> No.14549579

>>14538057
My brother bought me some old books a few years ago. One of them was a directory of anthropologists from 1933. As in, the name and institution of every professional anthropologist in America.
So, as I'm writing, I usually just refer to the characters as Protagonist, or Alice/Bob/Charlie etc. Then, when I'm done, I flip through the directory and find a name I like.
Sometimes I lift the whole name, other times I mix and match. I also keep a text file of all the names I've used already.

>> No.14549592

>>14538057
Give every character virtually the same name with only subtle differences in inflection or middle names which are seldom used in text, and devote a chapter to the origin of each name, including family history of the character and the history and meaning of the name itself.

>> No.14549648

>>14538057
Names for good characters
Donald, Rush, Ayn
Names for evil characters
Bill, Hillary, Anita, Zoe

>> No.14549846

>>14547147
What do you mean it doesn't work I'm gonna steal that one

>> No.14550855
File: 40 KB, 800x450, Lfpz.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14550855

>>14548461

>> No.14551477

>>14549592
Based and 100 years of solitudepilled

>> No.14551545

>>14538057
Characters that are known entirely by nicknames or aliases are best.

>> No.14551553

>>14540152
This is close to what I do. Except I directly reference but use an obscure name for them. Like for a character representing Odin, I named her Weda.

>> No.14551597

>>14551545
"The Clam-man"

He's an old man that's known in town because every morning he can be found on the shoals collecting shellfish. One day he's found dead in the morning, the gulls picking at his eyes like a crab. The police later find medals from Viet name in his cabin, and a list of names with half of them crossed out, a bottle of pearls next to the paper.

>> No.14552132
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14552132

ITT

>> No.14552426

>>14538119
Helsi Harsuswitz

Uhhh...Finno-Polish Jew?