Blogflog - Choosing Character Names, part 1

[blogfloggery.livejournal.com]

Link: Choosing Character Names, part 1
Disclaimer: This blog entry is verbatim, as originally posted on LKH's blog. Copyright belongs to Ma Petite Enterprises.

One of the most common questions I’ve been asked is, “Where did I get the Celtic/Gaelic names for the Meredith (Merry) Gentry series? Especially the baby names for, A Shiver of Light?” Below find pictures of the primary books I used.

Another name question I’m getting is, “Why did I use Alastair for the baby boy, since that’s the name of the man who attacks Merry in the first book, A Kiss of Shadows?” Honestly, at first I forgot that I’d used the name before. I tend to have names that I like and I will reuse them, or variations of them multiple times if I’m not careful. Apparently, Bruce was a favorite for a bit male character in the Anita Blake novels for a few years. It seemed my answer to John Smith. I also seem inordinately fond of variations of the name Nicholas. When I realized Alastair was actually a villain name from earlier in the Merry Gentry series I changed the name for her baby boy, but she, and he, wouldn’t let me. Merry wasn’t traumatized by that long ago Alastair, or if she was she wanted to reclaim the name in a positive way. As for baby Alastair, he totally refused to be anything else. I originally spelled it, Alastar, as a double entendre for the star-shaped spot/birthmark on his back, but even that didn’t please this very opinionated new character. It had to be Alastair, and he wouldn’t let everyone call him, Star. That was my original idea that he’d actually go by his nickname to the point where you forgot Alastair/Alastar was his legal name, but Alastair doesn’t like nicknames. I’m a little worried about this brand new character as he seems determined to have his way. I think he’s going to eventually give me a run for my plot-money and totally take over a book, or series, someday. I can’t quite imagine writing books about Merry’s children all grown up, but there are hints that the babies already have ideas that I wasn’t aware of. *laughs*

Comments

[cryptaknight.livejournal.com]

I find it so disturbing the way she talks about her characters as if she has no control over them. I can understand having a very strong vision of a character, and a very strong sense of who they are, but when they become so real that what 'they' want overrides what the author wants, that's where my understanding ends.

[firefox1490.livejournal.com]

God yes. Like come the fuck o lady you are their higher over do what you want!

[apep727.livejournal.com]

I've said this elsewhere - I kinda get the "my characters are real to me" thing. I've had characters say/do something that totally threw my plot off, but that I didn't change because it felt right for them to do that.

This is not what LKH does. She takes this thing way too far. Like, "are they in the room now?" far. "Maybe you should be on medication," far.

I could accept her point if she said "no other name felt right". But no, she went with "my characters wouldn't let me change the name." Which is disturbing in several ways.

[lliira (from livejournal.com)]

I was disturbed at first. But then I read some of her fiction, and more of her blogs, and now I think she's just bullshitting. She doesn't have the imagination for her characters to be "real" to her, and if they were real to her, she'd be able to remember things about them and they'd be more than hair and penis size. I think she's playing the role of what she thinks a Great Artiste should be, but it's all an act.

[guardians-song.livejournal.com]

In all fairness, this is LKH, who infamously had her main character declare she didn't need to learn anything about anyone she wasn't planning to "date" in Shutdown.

I wouldn't be surprised if all she remembers of some real-life people is hair and penis size.