your character's name

How do we know what name to give a character? What is the meaning or derivation of a name?

My first name, Melanie, means "dark lady." Even though I was not named for the character in Gone With the Wind, my name is almost always associated with that movie and book. Whether I like it or not!

We should carefully consider the naming of our characters.

How different would some of our favorite stories have been if the character had a different name?

Do you know/remember some of these characters? Can you imagine them having another name?

Willy Loman
Celie
Luke Skywalker
Scarlett
Romeo
Nick Adams
Tea Cake
Ophelia
Oliver Twist
Daisy Buchanan
Simon Legree
Harry Potter
Sookie Stackhouse


Does your first name have a long-standing meaning, or did your parents create a unique name for you? You can check on this website.

http://www.behindthename.com/

image courtesy google images