Guelph Write Now

Do you agree? I find the more I read, the better a writer I become.

How-to Pick the Right Names for Your Characters:
1. Be Realistic - where do they live? how old are they? what era is the book set in? what do they look like?
2. Keep It Simple - the harder to pronounce, the easier to lose attention of your reader
3. Stick to Your Genre - go ahead and be creative for Sci-Fi/Fantasy, but the name must make sense within context
4. Avoid Famous Names - Elvis, Cher, Houdini and please never Adolf
5. Avoid Name Similarities - most readers don't look past the first letter of each name (keep that in mind!)
6. The Root of the Name - check the meaning of each name and make sure it goes well with your character
7. Be Bold - if you are really stuck, choose people you know. Beware the backlash!