Tips on Naming the Characters in Your Novels

The first question you should ask yourself when naming a character in one of your novels is whether a name you have in mind fits the character’s personality as you’ve defined it so far. This is a “gut” thing—we all have preconceived ideas of how people with certain names look and act. When writing my own novels, I never select a name first and then define the character, because when I do this I find that the character’s personality ends up suiting the name.

• When weighing names, keep these questions in mind:
• Does the character’s background suggest any names or types of names?
• Would the characters’ parents have been likely to choose a certain name or kind of name?
• What names were in fashion when the character was born?
• Would a nickname or less formal version of a name be appropriate for this person?

Additionally, consider applying these rules:

1. Try (at least with your major characters) to have all first and last names start with a different letter. You can keep a simple alphabetical list.
2. Vary the sound and length of characters’ first and last names.
3. Avoid using all Anglo names.
4. Avoid using names that end alike or similarly.
5. Try to avoid using names that end in s, which make for awkward possessives.
6. Avoid overly long names, especially for major characters. The stars of my two mystery series are Jane and Anna.