Characters are the most important element in the story for me as a writer and a reader. So getting to know my characters tops the list. Often the actually writing helps me know my characters. I know some writers interview the characters to learn about them, but that doesn’t work for me because I am what some call an organic writer. I don’t plot my stories because I can’t figure out what happens until I write. Part of getting to know a character is finding just the right name.
The ideas for my books often start with my characters thrown into a situation that makes them uncomfortable. Sometimes they have a name and other times I have to search for one. In my latest release, Hometown Cowboy, the fourth book in my Kellersburg series, the heroine came to me with a full name because she is the sister of the third book’s hero, Nathan Keller. Meet Caroline Keller, a descendant of the founders of Kellersburg.
However, the hero of Hometown Cowboy still needed a name when I started the book. Since my fictional town of Kellersburg is near Cincinnati, and Cincinnati was populated by a lot of ethnic Germans, I wanted to use that heritage in my story. When I started the story, I thought I would name my hero Riley Bayer because Bayer is a German surname. But as I got into the story, I decided I didn’t want my hero to have a name that could also be a girl’s name. So my cowboy became Wyatt. What do you think? Better?
Currently A Match to Call Ours is on sale for 99 cents. For this story my heroine came with a name because Brittany Gorman was a teenager in my earlier Pinecrest series. I wanted to tell her grownup story. So what was the name of the man who would capture her heart? I had to figure that out. I wanted him to be one of those children whose first name was his mother’s maiden name. So I created Parker Watson and his niece, Heather, who is Brittany’s best friend. I probably don’t have to tell you that Heather plays matchmaker. Get the book now while it is on sale.
One of the most fun naming techniques for a hero came from using the names of two of my nephews, Garrett and Chase. I put the names together and came up with Chase Garrett, the hero of Miracle Baby. The heroine’s name for that book was inspired by a young sales clerk, who wore a name badge. Her last last name was Morales, and she looked very much like the woman I imaged as the heroine. I played around with several Spanish female first names until I settled on Dorinda, but in the story she is called Dori. This book is a reissue of one of my older Steeple Hill books. It is now ready for preorder for a special preorder price of 99 cents. The book will release on June 24, 2021.
How important are characters and their names to you as a reader? Do you like common names or unusual names for characters? I will give away an ebook copy of the first book in my Pinecrest series, Second Chance Love, to one person who leaves a comment. I will draw the winning name on May 28, 2021 at 9PM MST.
“Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.”
Merrillee Whren is an award-winning author who writes inspirational romance. She is the winner of the 2003 Golden Heart Award for best inspirational romance manuscript presented by Romance Writers of America. She has also been the recipient of the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award and the Maggie Award for Excellence. She is married to her own personal hero, her husband of thirty plus years, and has two grown daughters. She has lived in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Chicago and Florida but now makes her home in the Arizona desert. When she’s not writing, she spends her free time playing tennis or walking while she does the plotting for her novels.
I’m the same way when it comes to getting to know the characters I write. I usually spend the first few chapters getting to know them, and then may go back to tweak the chapters after that. It’s always fun to meet new characters!
Hi Melanie,
It is fun to meet new characters, and at the end it’s sometimes hard to say goodbye and start a new project.
Names can be important for characters as it can give a sense of who they are.
Hi Denise,
Sometimes a name makes a character.
I think names are very important to the reader….I like a history of the name when applicable and PLEASE let us be able to pronounce it properly 😉!!
Hi Paula,
Yes, being able to pronounce the name is something I think about when I pick names. In some books I’ve read, I have paused every time I come to a name I’m not sure how to pronounce.
Names can be important. I like to know about their names and why they were named something IF it pertains to the story line or has a “history” like your character Parker Watson. I love that you used your grandsons names, too, for Chase Garrett! I tend to like names that I know how to pronounce vs names I’ve never heard of and don’t know how to pronounce. I’ve read a few books where a character has had a problem either pronouncing or spelling another characters name and then I get the lesson in how to say it. There are way more that don’t have that than do! I asked one author how to pronounce a name because I couldn’t figure it out!! Since it was the heroine, I really wanted to know!
Hi Trudy,
Spellings can be tricky. I have a name that is tricky to spell. When I was a kid, every Valentine’s Day it was interesting to see how many ways my name got spelled.
Oh, I’m sure! People can’t figure out how to spell my name, either! Especially my last name! I usually have to spell it 2 or 3 times!
I think names help to identify who the character is and possibly where they came from. I always enjoy finding out the names of the characters in a new book. If the name is really different I wish the author would show the reader how to pronounce it.
Hi Lori,
Knowing how to pronounce names seems to be a common theme here in the comments. I can relate.
I love the different names! but in the end the most important thing is to feel that the name “fits the character.”
Hi Lilly,
I also like when a name fits a character. That is why I have changed characters name after I have gotten to know the character better.
I want names that fit the time period the characters live. Does that make sense?
Hi JCP,
That makes perfect sense. I use the social security site to help me pick names that were popular during the years when my characters were born.
I find who the character is more important than their name. Really enjoyed how you derive the names. Thanks.
Hi Dianne,
The name can help create the character, but who they are is definitely shown by their actions in the story.
Names are important, but I like both – common names and unusual names.
A long as I know how to pronounce it! Sometimes it’s tricky!
Hi Natalya,
I totally agree. I want to know how the name is pronounced.
Names of characters are important , I love it when a name fits the character perfectly. I also like to know how to pronounce the characters names, and if I can’t , I just pronounce it the best I can. Have a Great long weekend and stay safe. Your book sounds like a great read.
Hi Alicia,
You and almost everyone else wants to be able to pronounce character names. Familiar names are easy. The not-so-familiar names can cause us to pause.
Character names are important to me. I don’t like one character having several nicknames, because then I’m unsure what to call them in my mind. And like has been said, I need to know how to pronounce the name early on. And I don’t like gender-neutral names that can be used for both men and women.
Hi Lila,
I agree about gender-neutral names, but sometimes I don’t realize that a name is gender-neutral. In one of my traditionally published books, the editor asked me to change the hero’s name. I had named him Hayden. I had no idea that an actress had that name. I’m pretty pop culture illiterate. So I named him Hudson instead. Now I try to check. That’s why I changed Riley to Wyatt.
I confess that, as I’m reading, the names can become a bit of a blur. All the more since I read so many stories in quick succession. I *do* enjoy it when I find out that the author has done something special with a name like you did with your family members. It is also fun when a name is derived from the history or occupation of the character. So, if the hero is the captain of a cruise ship or a fishing trawler, it would be fitting to name him Nelson Jones (British Admiral Nelson from the battle of Trafalger and American sea hero John Paul Jones).
In my own writing, I wound up changing the last name of one of the major characters because it was too similar to that of another character. One was Sanders and the other Samuels. So, Samuels became Walker and on we went.
Your mention of name spelling made me smile. People don’t generally have trouble pronouncing “Lincoln Clark”. However, my names are interchangeable. Both can function as both a first and last name. And spelling is a whole different game. Even my sister has trouble with that second L in Lincoln. Clark with an E at the end or without? I suppose we all have our burdens to bear. Would that spelling my name were the worst of mine. :P
Hi Lincoln,
It is interesting to have first and last names that could be either. Even my character Chase Garrett has that in common with you. ;)
names need to fit. I don’t mind unusual names as long as somehow the pronunciation is shown. Like a book I read where the heroine had to let the hero know how to pronounce her name. Sometimes I have no idea how to pronounce a name and end up calling them something similar but different. Sometimes common names in some parts of American are not common at all in Australia. There are some names I really struggle to work out.
Hi Jenny,
That’s a cool way to let the reader know how to pronounce an unusual name. Yes, names can be regional.
I find the character name very important. My parents named me Deborah Josinah. The nurse at the hospital did not like the spelling of the names so she changed them. When my parents received my birth certificate, my name was spelled Debra Josina. I have always wondered what it would be like to have my name spelled as my parents intended. They chose Deborah out of the Bible. She was a mighty queen who fought and won battles. Josina was my Grandmother’s name. I have seen it in the Smithsonian Museum. Thank you for the opportunity.
Debra, that is truly interesting about having your name changed. Did you ever consider having it legally changed back to the original? My name was not spelled correctly on my birth certificate, but my parents had it changed. My first name is my mother’s maiden name, Merrill, with two “e”s added on the end.
Names are so important. I usually prefer more traditional, normal names, but depending on the book or character more interesting names can be fun too.
I like unusual names just to be different. They make the character more memorable to me. I also like old-fashioned names, ones you don’t find often anymore or Biblical ones as well.
Maybe because I have a unique name is why I like uncommon ones :-)