What's in a fantasy character name?

 

When writing the Nifaran Chronicles, I had a lot of characters to name. Over two hundred! While many of these only get a single line of dialogue or, in some cases, no dialogue, they all need a name. As a pantser (a writer who creates the story as they write) I didn't sit down and create two hundred names in advance. I created them as needed.

Initially, I simply made up names where I liked the sound of them. It didn't take long to realise that these names all started to sound alike. We humans tend to gravitate towards the same sounds, and this feeds into character names. I decided I needed better methods.

Regional Names

The character of Jem Poulterer comes from a sleepy area called Burland. I decided that the unsophisticated folk of this area would choose simple names for their children. Hence, most characters in Burland have three letter first names, like Ben, Ned, Ava, Sue, etc. Their family names would relate to their father's trade e.g. Plowright, Cooper (barrel maker), Smith, Poulterer etc,

An affluent area called Tudorfeld would be home to regal names like Earl Normin Linhold.

Other Languages

Borrowing parts of other languages can help form original names. Using an old English translator and chunks of old Norse, I was able to create names which were not only original but also had some meaning for the character. I also borrowed from Arabic, old German and other European languages.

Female warrior Isen Stanhamur literally translates to axe stone hammer, while I took the name Qadima from the Arabic word muqadima meaning vanguard.

Things

While not fantasy, my first novel, Zero Magenta, focuses on a female character called Magenta. I didn't have a name for the character until I wrote her first scene. She arrives at Brad's apartment inside a pink plastic bag (!), and hence, Brad calls her Magenta. Not only was this a fun name, but it also fed into the story's focus on sexism and gave me the name of the book.

In the Nifararan Chronicles, the Alviri race (think elves) are all named using words for the weather or atmosphere. Names like: Etherin (ethereal), Tornass (tornado) and Nimmeral (nimbus).

Onomatopoeia

The most famous use of onomatopoeia to name a character would be Tolkien's Gollum. I used a similar approach when naming the oni clans. I decided they would have a low IQ and struggle to form complex sounds in speech. Using this idea, I gave them all harsh, guttural names like Pag, Rak, Grodon and Zonta.

Baby Name Lists

Many writers turn to baby name lists to find character names, and I'm no exception. However, I tried to keep this to a minimum and mostly use this for background characters or in my contemporary sci-fi. Names go in and out of fashion, and you want your work to be timeless.

One character in a future novel will be named Zuri. I read an interesting article which detailed how African American parents were choosing traditional African names for their children. The name Zuri is a Swahili name meaning beautiful.

Sounds Like

The character name Brea is a homage to the village of Bree in the Lord of the Rings, while Chakirris owes her name to Shakira. Hips don't lie 😉.

Make it up

Sometimes a name will just pop into your head, or come to you in a dream. On other occasions, a writer will simply enjoy the sound of a name. Moranne plays a pivotal role in the Nifaran Chronicles, and she had this name from the moment I first imagined her as a female Gandalf. She ended up being much more than this, as I wrote the first two novels, and she'll continue to play a key role if I ever write the next two.

Fantasy Name Generators

Few writers will admit to using online fantasy name generators to name their characters, but sometimes it helps when you have lots of characters to name. Be careful of copyright infringement - some lists are taken from real novels and the outputs of some generators are copyrighted.

However you name your characters, I recommend a quick web search to ensure another writer hasn't already used the name in a similar novel. While there's no law saying you can't use the same names, it might look pretty bad if you write a fantasy novel where the main character is named Bilbo. For starters, you could be looking at serious legal troubles. Even partial accidental plagiarism is a bad look.

I had a character called Lyra until I realised the main character in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials is named Lyra. Even though my books are very different, the fact they're fantasy makes it look like I either copied the name or had Pullman's books in mind when I used it. Best to simply use a different name.

Do let me know what you think. You can connect with me here, or on Mastodon where my handle is johnhowesauthor.

Happy fantasizing.

That's all for now.

John Howes.

Too many distractions, of the good kind.

So where am I at with the grand torrent of novels I'm unleashing on the world? Well, it's more of a dribble, really. Stone and Sceptre, Part 1 of the Nifaran Chronicles, is out and doing well. Part 2, Vega Rising, is complete and going through proofing. I initially hoped to publish this year, but it looks like early 2024.

My current project, Proxi, is progressing well, and I plan to publish it in the latter half of next year. This probably won't happen, but it's good to have goals.

So what else is going on?

As you may be aware, I'm a fan of sci-fi and fantasy TV and movies. I'm a bit disappointed in the latter parts of this year after the stellar high of Silo. One Piece is fun, if repetitive, and Bodies looks interesting. I missed The Creator at the cinema, so I'm hoping to pick this up on streaming etc. next year.

In other news, we now own a couple of electric cars, which are awesome and I've become a party bore telling everyone. It's like a more annoying version of telling people you're a vegan.

Anyhoo, more random musings to come.

Cheers for now.

John Howes.

Killing Your Darlings

Okay, full confession, this post has nothing to do with the famous quote by William Faulkner that “In writing, you must kill all your darlings”: the advice that you must remove all characters, words and side plots that take the emphasis away from your main story. A notion I happen to believe is rubbish in the context of fantasy writing, where the rich texture of your prose is the story.

This post is nothing to do with that.

I spend much time on the social media site: Mastodon, where I engage with many other writers. A recent debate surrounded killing characters. This was the question:

I glibly suggested that I love killing characters and do it to put the reader off balance, but that’s not entirely true. As a pantser or discovery writer (someone who likes to create most of the story in the moment rather than plotting ahead), I don’t plan many character deaths far in advance. Two characters in the Nifaran Chronicles would always die, but the rest happened organically as the story progressed.

I’m not spoiling any moments from the Nifaran Chronicles by revealing the details, but here are some reasons and story arcs where a character’s death packs a punch.

Satisfying comeuppance.

An oldie but a goodie, this common trope sees a vile character meet a grisly end. Almost as if the gods have intervened to punish evil deeds. When the writer has built a character into a hateful figure, it can give the reader a moment of air-punching joy when they come unstuck. This tactic works incredibly well if the tension builds over a protracted period. Think Hans Gruber falling from the Nakatomi tower or the beancounter devoured by a T-Rex while sitting on the toilet in Jurrasic Park.

Redemption through Sacrifice.

A character might have a shady past or be responsible for a hidden atrocity. The invisible gods will take this character’s life, but not before the individual performs a selfless act of redemption, possibly by saving another character’s life. I love these bitter-sweet moments and enjoy building the backstory leading to the character’s demise.

New blood.

In one instance, a prominent character will die, leaving a subordinate to take the reins, someone who never envisaged themselves as a leader. A character’s death can allow the writer to take the story in a new direction. I used this opportunity to promote an older character who thought of themselves more as a teacher.

The Example.

I’m not too fond of this one, and I’m not sure I could ever do it to a main character. In this scenario, the antagonist kills a minor character to demonstrate their power and ensure obedience. A classic example is the killing of Missandei, a death which felt cheap and unnecessary to me.

Our big bad can kill for simple hatred or even sport in a variation on this theme. I used this to galvanise a particular secondary character into an act of vengeance. The trope is often used this way, but it's not something I would use a lot.

The Hero.

Also known as the Hodor moment. If you’re familiar with Game of Thrones, you may remember a character named Hodor who sacrifices his life to save his friends by holding a door closed. I’d built a haunting backstory for one of my characters, a character which I loved.

Late in development, I decided this character wouldn’t make it. The character almost sees it as their purpose to sacrifice themselves to save their friends.

Overwhelming odds.

I always get that sinking feeling when I see a Hollywood blockbuster where the heroes survive a hail of bullets without a scratch and beat an enormous army with only a few martial arts moves. I’m looking at you, Marvel.

The Magnificent Seven has always been one of my favourite movies and was a significant inspiration for Vega Rising, the second part of the Nifaran Chronicles. In the film, our gunslingers face a massive group of Mexican bandits. Of the original seven, only three men survive.

While I have more survivors than that, I did want the reader to feel a real sense of jeopardy; any character might die during the battle.

Star-crossed lovers.

A pair of characters meet in strange circumstances. They each have their own lives but are drawn to each other and have more in common than anyone they know. The relationship can never work, but it doesn’t stop them from falling in love.

So why kill one off? Again, it gives the narrative purpose. With one character gone, it gives the other renewed determination and a don’t give a shit attitude which serves them well in the trials to come. It also sets up a future side plot where the sibling of one of the characters pledges revenge.

That moment.

I love to fill my writing with all the emotions I can: humour, excitement, tension, horror and grief. There is one particular moment in Vega Rising that made me cry when I wrote it and every time I read it back. I can’t go into the details because of SPOILERS; however, I decided that not all the good guys could survive the big battle, and many would need to be characters the readers cared about.

The scene was inspired by an old movie called The War of the Roses with Micheal Douglas and Kathleen Turner.

The Beast Must Die.

Everyone expects the antagonist to be defeated and probably killed, but doubt and ambiguity can help to add a touch of realism. Could the baddie be redeemed, could they come back from the dead (as they seem to in Marvel movies), or will the cycle be completed, kind of. You'll need to read Vega Rising to find out. Coming soon.

Holywood loves to kill major characters at the end of a franchise, but they milk it to death (pun intended). Sometimes a character's death can pack a greater emotional punch when they're just gone. The shock of losing a beloved character in such a way can really set the tone that nobody is safe.

The Shock Death.

Jed Mercurio is one of my favourite TV writers; he writes Line of Duty on British TV. Actress Jessica Raine won't be known to US audiences, but she's well known for her role in Call-the-midwife, a soapy UK period drama. In the first episode of series two of Line of Duty, she's killed off in the first half hour after being thrown through a window. We don't see her after this, but the emotional punch is fantastic.

Perhaps I do like to push the reader off balance.

In summary, I want the reader to feel the same emotions I feel when writing the story, as if I’m taking them on an adventure and I’m the guide. I don’t relish killing my characters, but I enjoy the narrative challenges and opportunities they present.

That's all for now.

John Howes.

Stone & Sceptre - The Nifaran Chronicles Part 1 - Published

In the words of the dreadful opening song from the ill-fated Enterprise TV show: "It's been a long road Gettin' from there to here."

Boy, has it ever! It's taken me seven years to write the first two parts of the Nifaran Chronicles, originally envisioned as one book, but split into two due to publishing restrictions. Not only did it take many years to write, but the editing and proofreading took much longer than I'd hoped.

Anyway, I've made it. The first book is now available in both paperback and e-book from the Amazon store. And, before you ask, no, there will not be an audio version. I can't afford Stephen Fry, and I wouldn't enjoy being locked in a studio for six months recording it myself.

So what is the story actually about?

We follow the journey of Jem Poulterer, a chicken farmer from a small village, who becomes a kind of apprentice (Garda in the book) to the mysterious Lady Moranne. She's an advisor to King Pythar and is required in the capital, Cynstol, to discuss concerning reports from the northern island of Stanholm.

The Stanish King Ramon is contemplating war, and he may have secured the help of a powerful ally.

Jem will join a mission to Stanholm to persuade King Ramon to stand down before a deadly conflict spirals out of control.

Along the way, Jem will meet new people and strange creatures. He will also make discoveries about his own past which challenge the stories he's been told by his aunt and uncle.

Parts one and two of the story contain a full story arc taking Jem and his friends to a dramatic conclusion.

During the creation of the story, it became apparent that many threads wouldn't be resolved and that the narrative became too big for two books. With this in mind, I've decided to continue the series with two further books. These entries will continue to follow our characters as they seek to understand their world and the hidden forces behind it.

I do hope you enjoy Stone & Sceptre; part 2 is coming soon. Please let me know what you think, either here or through one of my social media channels.

Juldra be with you.

John Howes.

The Nifaran Chronicles Part 1 - Stone and Sceptre. Coming Soon.

It's almost time. After 7 years and 170,000 words, the first part of the Nifaran Chronicles is almost ready to launch.

It will soon be time to share the story of Jem Poulterer, the chicken farmer from a small village who finds himself on an epic journey. A mission which will introduce him to the mysterious Lady Moranne, the enigmatic Hayden, the strong Sir Torbrand and a host of other characters.

More soon.

Cheers for now. John Howes.

Inspiration for the Nifaran Chronicles 6: Tolkien’s disdain for writing conventions.

Kill your darlings? Not in the Lord of the Rings; give your darlings several chapters.

Tom Bombadil, a character who appears in a couple of chapters, then vanishes from the story with no impact, not a mention. At least three endings to the book, a fourth if you include the epilogue.

The lesson? Ignore convention; go where your imagination takes you.

I'm not saying the Nifaran Chronicles has multiple endings (it does) or that I have side plots that have no connection to the main story (I don't). Still, writing without a virtual English teacher lurking on your shoulder is liberating.

Kill your darlings, show, don't tell, don't use adverbs after said (he said sarcastically). Rules are for breaking, and risks are for taking.

Inspiration for the Nifaran Chronicles 5: The Magnificent Seven

The Magnificent Seven.

Yes, I know it was based on The Seven Samurai, but the western sticks in my mind. The story of a rag-tag bunch of gunslingers coming together to fight overwhelming odds is one I return to time and again. I love that we come to care about these men, making their demise all the more poignant.

It helps that my late father loved westerns, and watching them reminds me of him.

I’ve borrowed heavily from this tale in the Nifaran Chronicles. There will be blood.

Inspiration for the Nifaran Chronicles 2: Highlander

There can be only one!

The mid-eighties fantasy film may have too many damsels-in-distress, some ropey special effects and an Egyptian with a scottich accent, but it remains a huge influence on my fantasy ideas. The story of a race of immortals living among us, and battling to win the prize has stuck with me and remains one of my top ten movies.

Holy ground!

Inspiration for the Nifaran Chronicles 1: The book: Little Grey Men by BB

The book: Little Grey Men by BB

Before discovering Tolkien, aged 9, I read a strange little book about grumpy little men living on the banks of a river. A peculiar tale considered a brilliant children's story. However, far from enthralled, I was petrified at the thought of angry gnomes running around the countryside. As such, a similar unpleasant character haunted me and found its way into my forthcoming book as a dunter.

What is a dunter, you may ask? This small creature, similar to a gnome, is a blood-thirsty killer with long claws and spindly limbs. They're known to wear red caps dyed with the blood of their victims. Nice,

When writing Fantasy, the author has the choice of making up creatures are drawing from folklore. The Dunter is found in Scottish folklore.

Cheers for now.

John Howes.

The Nifaran Chronicles - Inspirations

 

In the run-up to the publication of Stone and Sceptre, The Nifaran Chronicles Part 1, I thought I would share the inspiration and influences that helped shape the series. This might be useful, interesting, or tedious. I don’t really know, but I’m doing it anyway.

I’ve spoken before about how I’m heavily influenced by film and TV. I’ll list some great movies, a smattering of TV shows, the odd book, and other weird stuff each day.

Both Part 1 and 2 of the Nifaran Chronicles are complete. I just need to commission the cover art.

That's all for now,

John Howes