Post by account_disabled on Jan 3, 2024 6:15:32 GMT
I have written several times how obsessed I am with character names . I decided to write this post when I started writing another, which will see the light around mid-September - it is a monumental-encyclopedic article - and which, even if it doesn't talk about names, contains quite a lot of them. That article made me reflect on what to call a protagonist , not just any character, but the main one, who therefore has a fundamental part in the story, is the one the reader follows most carefully. All this because the protagonist must be perfect : when I spoke of his perfection, we met Cremenzio, Zosima and Abbondanzio, real names, of course, which do not adapt well to any context.
Historical and geographical context This is for me the starting point for choosing the name of the protagonist . First of all we need to identify the setting of the story . In what historical period does it take place? And in which part of the world, real or imaginary? Yes, even if it is an invented world, the writer must distinguish the geographical areas and any Special Data races. Tolkien was a master of this. Hobbits, men and elves had names specific to their ethnic groups, distinguishable from others. In Rowling's novel The Cuckoo's Calling the protagonist is called Cormoran Strike. A high-sounding name, which stands out among the others. Curiously, his assistant is called Robin. Cormoran (cormorant, a large black bird) and Robin (robin): two birds. Some sort of reference to Batman and Robin? In any case, good documentation makes our work easier, especially if it is a historical novel.
There are archives of names online, but I think it is also possible to consult historical documents, such as reading works from the historical periods we want to talk about. Essential characteristics of the protagonist's name What are the elements that allow us to improve the name of our protagonists ? I selected these five. Pronunciability : a name must be read, then pronounced in mind. A name must be easily remembered by the reader , especially that of the protagonist, who therefore recurs often in the story. Uniqueness : The name of the main character must not be saddled with other characters, otherwise it creates confusion for the reader. I will never stop criticizing One Hundred Years of Solitude and his many Aureliano Buendia: in the end I no longer understood which Aureliano he was talking about. Musicality : yes, it must be musical in a certain sense, it must have its own linguistic elegance , sound good in context, in history.
Historical and geographical context This is for me the starting point for choosing the name of the protagonist . First of all we need to identify the setting of the story . In what historical period does it take place? And in which part of the world, real or imaginary? Yes, even if it is an invented world, the writer must distinguish the geographical areas and any Special Data races. Tolkien was a master of this. Hobbits, men and elves had names specific to their ethnic groups, distinguishable from others. In Rowling's novel The Cuckoo's Calling the protagonist is called Cormoran Strike. A high-sounding name, which stands out among the others. Curiously, his assistant is called Robin. Cormoran (cormorant, a large black bird) and Robin (robin): two birds. Some sort of reference to Batman and Robin? In any case, good documentation makes our work easier, especially if it is a historical novel.
There are archives of names online, but I think it is also possible to consult historical documents, such as reading works from the historical periods we want to talk about. Essential characteristics of the protagonist's name What are the elements that allow us to improve the name of our protagonists ? I selected these five. Pronunciability : a name must be read, then pronounced in mind. A name must be easily remembered by the reader , especially that of the protagonist, who therefore recurs often in the story. Uniqueness : The name of the main character must not be saddled with other characters, otherwise it creates confusion for the reader. I will never stop criticizing One Hundred Years of Solitude and his many Aureliano Buendia: in the end I no longer understood which Aureliano he was talking about. Musicality : yes, it must be musical in a certain sense, it must have its own linguistic elegance , sound good in context, in history.