And CassaStorm’s release week kicks off with prizes every day! Comment between September 16 and 20 to enter. (Ends 6:00 pm EST Sunday, September 22.)
Prizes include:
Cassa mousepad
Cassa Universe poster
Cassa magnet
Cassa mug
Autographed copy of CassaStorm
One person will be randomly selected each day and the five names will be drawn from a hat – first person gets first choice and so on.
This week I will be featuring my tour, unique Cassa facts, trivia, and prizes every day. Plus others are announcing CassaStorm’s release, and almost every post features a unique interview question. List of participants on the CassaStorm Page. So join the fun!
Science Fiction and Movie News
Caught this at Blastr: Director Roland Emmerich has been trying to come up with a script for Isaac Asimov's Foundation for years, and now is trying to change the story to fit a mini-series. You read that right – Emmerich/Asimov. Fans, you should be very afraid…
Ninja News
Jennifer Hillier posted about a great website called Discover Criminal Justice for anyone writing about criminal justice programs.
Movie Review
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
I went into this one with very low expectations. To my surprise, I was entertained. It’s more fun than a Hasbro movie has a right to be. Enjoyable performances and great action scenes. It won’t win any Oscars, but it is a fun action film worthy of a rental.
CassaFacts
Creating character names!
Byron, Bassa, and Athee were the original names from the manuscript and short stories. (Outside of Athee, I have no idea how I chose them. Or why one name is a real name. Just go with me on this.) All of the other names I had to create.
One thing that is often frustrating about science fiction and fantasy is difficult to pronounce names. Or really long names. This makes it difficult for readers to connect to the characters and keep track of everyone. I wanted to keep mine short and simple.
Most writers take their time choosing names. Often the names will have a great significance. Or they fit the time period. They aren’t taken lightly though.
Know how I come up with names? I take about twenty minutes and brainstorm alien sounding names, trying to prevent more than one character’s name from starting with the same letter in the alphabet. (Byron and Bassa were already named – you’ll just have to forgive me for that.) Then I run through my cast of characters and match them up, filling in the blanks. Takes about ten minutes.
Yes, that quickly. And yes, I am filling in blanks. I don’t name them until after the first draft. Sometimes later! Yes, that’s a lot of blanks. No, I’ve never placed a name in the wrong place, although I have missed some blank spaces before. (My test readers catch those. My critique partners are probably grateful for that!)
It does seem like an odd way to do it, but I do better matching the name to the personality than the other way around. And so far I’ve managed to keep the names simple and easy to pronounce.
Except for Ernx – want to take a stab at that one?
What’s your process for selecting names?
Cassa Trivia Answers
1 – Who was Byron’s first navigator? Trindel
2 – What was Athee’s relationship to Prefect Orellen? She’s his niece
3 – Who was Byron’s Cosbolt pilot friend in all three books? Ernx (There’s that name again!)
4 – What was the name of the Flagship in CassaStar? Sorenthia
5 – What is the name of Athee’s home world? Tgren
What do you think about the Emmerich/Asimov combination? Following Hart’s series? Get the trivia right? And how do you go about selecting character names? Want to take a stab at pronouncing Ernx...?
Be sure to visit the wonderful Lynda Young!
FIRST? YAY!
ReplyDeleteI agonize over character names. They remain Mr. X or Ms.Y for a while...
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the links.
Off to Lynda's place...
Glad you made the names simple Alex. Pixar isn't releasing a movie next year. The horror! But at least there's Dreamworks.
ReplyDeleteChoosing names has always been a challenge for me. Basically I skim the phone book!
ReplyDeleteFor my Civil War novel I used a lot of historical characters, which gave me a welcome break. For the fictional ones I took traditional Missouri names from the era, including ones with symbolic significance to the plot such as Addison, Lazarus, and Grimes.
Your names seemed so perfect for your characters.
ReplyDeleteI think the names you have chosen suit your characters. All good choices.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear GI Joe is worth the watch.
Michelle, you are first! You know, if I were smarter, I'd place and X or Y in those blanks...
ReplyDeleteSheena-kay, lots of other animation studios!
Sean, the phone book is a good idea.
Rhonda and Carolyn, thanks!
I visited Lynda today! Love seeing you and mention of your book all over Twitter! What a great feeling to finish a trilogy. :)
ReplyDeleteI have a weird process in choosing names.
ReplyDeleteMost of my stuff is paranormal (hybrid humans), so I try to come up with names that I personally consider to be strong. Usually that requires me to do a little research via Wikipedia or the library, as I like to dabble with religion/mythology from time to time in my stories.
When that doesn't work, then I plunder and pillage my slush pile for potential names.
Agree that fantasy and sci-fi stories often have too weird names. Thanks for sharing your process of picking names. Sounds like a good one I should try.
ReplyDeleteWhen two or more characters have similiar names it confuses me. Louis L'Amour did that a lot.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you don't give them character names till after the first draft is written. That sounds difficult to me. Or maybe it's easier to name them after you know more about them.
ReplyDeleteEmx uh, uh how about Emcks?
The few times I've dabbled writing stories (before I realized I didn't have the talent to do so lol) I picked names by naming characters after friends of mine and people that I've crossed paths with during my life.
ReplyDeleteGI Joe was entertaining.
ReplyDeleteLove Asimov, hope Emmerich does this correctly.
Laura, it is!
ReplyDeleteGB, never thought of using Wikipedia.
Natalie, it's simple.
Anne, I think that's it - I have to know them better. Try again on the pronunciation.
Optimistic, that's a simple way to do it.
David, wouldn't hold your breath...
G.I.Joe was another mindless fun flick. I can't wait for a new Pixar film! As for character names, sometimes they just come along with the character and they won't give me a choice. Other times, I go to baby name sites and pick a suitable one. I'm heading over to Lynda's!
ReplyDeletehehe, thanks so much, bro :)
ReplyDeleteWhat's this about Pixar?!!?!!!!! How will I get my animation fix?????!!!!!
My characters' names usually just come to me. But sometimes, as the story grows and changes, certain characters no longer fit their names - it's like they're shedding their skin and need a new one.
ReplyDeleteG.I.Joe is on my list of movies to watch (only because Channing Tatum is in it)I choose character names that have meaning if possible. On my way to visit Lynda :)
ReplyDeleteOne thing that is often frustrating about science fiction and fantasy is difficult to pronounce names.
ReplyDeleteThank you! One of the things I can't stand about reading a sci-fi/fantasy book is the "I just shat consonants" name, aka when you meet a character named Llandlnsrak who has an ogre/alien sidekick named B'zormdibnm. And all I can think is... uh, wut? You expect me to pronounce/remember/care about those names?
Oh, and thanks for the Tuesday mention! And mentioning that you mentioned it! (We forgot you were posting every day this week, so we probably would have missed it)
I can't believe I got here while the comments were still two digits.
ReplyDeleteAnd I've seen your tour all over, Alex. Woo hoo! Congrats. There's a lot of love for you in this blog-eat-blog world.
Okay...names. This is where you and I differ. Names are of the utmost importance to me and it sometimes takes months to figure out the correct one for my characters. I even have a very thick book of names and their meanings. If I don't have a character name chosen beforehand, then they get a generic one, i.e., Cousin, Brother, Sister, etc., until the end. Then I have Word or Scrivener change all the "Cousins" to whatever name I choose. After a re-read, if it needs to be changed back to cousin in places, I do that. Names for titles of books also a priority.
Oh...I know what happened about my post. I accidentally hit "publish" when I wanted to "preview." Stuck it back in draft real quick. Still had one more final revision and plus, I wasn't going to post it until Monday (posted Sunday, instead).
M.L. Swift, Writer
Oh...and is it pronounced "Earnz?"
ReplyDeleteNames can be a pain in the arse to come up with, but I find they just come to me when I don`t think too much and away I go. Pixar has been getting kinda meh in recent years anyway, maybe their break will do them good.
ReplyDeleteI will head over to Lynda's right now!
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting process for naming your characters- I could never keep a story straight with that many blanks!
You're are one of the most efficient authors I know. I left a comment over at Lynda's blog. )))SQUEE(((( on your release.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your tour young man!
ReplyDeleteGreat day... I too liked GI JOE II, for me it was less complicated from the first... in my life I need less complications.
ReplyDeleteVery peculiar way of finding names.... and to place them all in the right blank spaces is really cool. My blank characters had numbers so I can keep track until I can figure out a name lol
ReplyDeleteI watched G.I. Joe Retaliation a couple weeks back, I agree it wasn't over the moon fantastic but I loved the action scenes ;)
Heading over to Lynda's....
Sounds like things are in full swing over here! Congrats on the new book, Alex, and I'll be sure to visit Lynda!
ReplyDeleteWait. What? Dory got pushed back?! Grrrr!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I could write without the names. I'm thinking about my characters right now....and...no, I couldn't do it! *smiles*
I think it would be so tough to come up with names for sci-fi characters and alien worlds. One of the many reasons I don't think I would ever write a good sci-fi story.
ReplyDeleteHeading over to Lynda's now.
How wonderful that you've found a writing "soul" friend! What a difference finding that kind of camaraderie can make.
ReplyDeleteWonderful! I love following under your storm!!
ReplyDeleteI liked the second Joe movie a lot, which is saying something because I thought the first one sucked rocks.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's horrible news about Foundation. Who let him have the rights for that?
I scour baby name websites for names and have a secret favorite site now. I keep my names short but unique. And I don't know how you can NOT name someone and keep writing. Everything comes to a screeching stop for me until I get a name for a new character. For the same reason I don't understand those parents who wait to see their newborn to name them. Weird.
ReplyDeleteAlex-- Congrats on the release of Cassa Storm. How wonderful!
ReplyDeleteLynda, thank YOU!
ReplyDeleteMadeline, that's why I don't pick names in the beginning.
Brandon and Bryan, exactly! I can't keep track of long, hard to pronounce names. Happy to mention - meant to tell you Tuesday but I was a little busy. And thanks - your post today rocked!!!
Mike, that explains why I missed it - because I caught it too fast. And I know, I'm lazy with names. Fits my writing style. And you're close on the pronunciation.
Pat, the last few movies haven't been their best. And thanks again for today's post!
Beverly, it gets interesting...
SK, I really should try numbering them...
Julie, I guess my brain is just wired that way!
Andrew, he purchased them four years ago and has been working on a script.
Ilima, that made me chuckle.
Thanks everyone!
That's interesting that you learn the personality before the name. It's amazing you can keep your characters straight!
ReplyDeleteMore often than not a name comes to me before I ever start writing. 9 times out of 10 it ends up (after I do a little research) having the right meaning for my character. Yes, I look up names and their meanings. It's another fun way to waste time.
ReplyDeleteI also have a long list of made up names (alphabetized) for those times when I feel like writing fantasy.
The Good Dinosaur? That sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting way of coming up with names. I tend to use google a lot for my names - anything from baby names websites to random name generators.
I agree with keeping the names simple, but I think of names first, they inspire me to create the character around the name.
ReplyDeleteI missed the trivia Q about Athee, I forgot that was her uncle. . .
Will check at Lynda's!
When I wanted to wrote to a short novel I had been strugling to find proper names to my characters. So I totally understand your dilema when have to choose names to your heroes.
ReplyDeleteI think the previous G.I. Joe movie was better, however this one was also better than I first expected.
I just pick names that seem right for the character, aren't too over-used, and aren't too many syllables. I like all your character names. Ernst is almost more than one syllable.
ReplyDeleteKeep soaring, Alex.
xoRobyn
Names that match personalities sounds like a good method to me. Usually, my characters come to me with their names. Like you, I try to stay away from having several characters with names that start with the same letter.
ReplyDeleteWith my first book, Finding Esta, Esta came from Estelle of Great Expectations (which I have loved since I first watched the movie as a child - the one with John Mills). Nothing else. I liked the name. The Vampire queen is named Lucy (after her father- Lucifer), and her surname is Best (beast in the old world). Their are other connections too - Luna has a big one :D
ReplyDeleteHope the tour's going SUPERBLY Alex. :) X
My naming process is different. I have no problems having many character's names start with the same alphabet (as I write MG fiction, there are more characters in my books than alphabets.)
ReplyDeleteBtw, Alex, your post will go up on 20th September. The video got posted by accident and I realized that you had left a comment. Sorry, I had to delete it :(
Lots of great stuff going on here today Alex! I'm very interested to check out your backstory of not planning to be an Author on Lynda's blog.
ReplyDeleteToo bad about Dory getting pushed back :( It will be exciting when it does come around though. Finding Nemo is so great. Do you know if Ellen is coming as Dory? I hope so.
I saw G.I. Joe a couple weeks ago. It was decent I thought. I'm a huge Bruce Willis fan, so that helped me get into it more.
It is really interesting to hear about how you decide on names for your stories. I never considered the different approaches for that. It sounds like you have a good (and quick) method down. I have to admit, mine definitely seem to develop during the writing of a character. So in my case, I often throw in a name (whatever comes to mind) and see if it sticks. If not, then I ponder what would work better, or do some research on relative ethnic words and piece together something meaningful. But it works for me :)
Great post Alex. Congratulations again on CassaStorm :)
Choosing names can be tough. I think you did a good job choosing yours. I write stories with characters from other countries, which is a bit of a challenge. I look through world history books to get ideas for names that would suit the characters.
ReplyDeleteI usually write contemporary fiction, so I use baby name books and my experience to come up with names, but the process is far from arbitrary.
ReplyDeleteSandra, not sure how I manage that, either.
ReplyDeleteBish, that's a good idea.
DG, you were the closest though! Four and half.
Robyn - not too many syllables - funny! And you are SO close on the pronunciation.
Shah, that is very clever.
Rachna, that's cool - I guess I got the jump on it.
Emilyann, Ellen is coming back as Dory! I tried to do placeholder names like that and it just didn't work.
Sherry, you do have some research to do.
I do prefer names like Bassan than having to deal with names like Aughanmantea or Triturnuscuca Raritre Rosa. I could toss a book just for getting names like that.
ReplyDeleteNo Pixar movie next year, oh no! Interesting to read about your name choices I once found one on the side of an international lorry whilst travelling up the motorway! So important to get names right I think.
ReplyDeleteIt will be a sadder summer next year without Pixar. Names are important to me. I work at them. Glad to see your sales sizzling!
ReplyDeleteNo Pixar movie next summer? What the hell am I supposed to watch with the kids over and over and over and over and...
ReplyDeleteI need to get Hart's next installment today.
ReplyDeleteI usually pick names before I begin and take many of them from the Bible.
Okay, I'm surprised about GI Joe.
ReplyDeleteI liked what you did with naming the characters. I think its helpful to see what other do.
And the blitz continues! Go Alex!
Loved the post with Lynda. Someitmes things just come to us and we have to ride them out.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I really enjoyed GI Joe Ret. It was supper fun and much better than the first.
I hadn't even heard about The Good Dinosaur! Now I want to go check it out!
ReplyDeleteAl - or toss a dwarf!
ReplyDeleteSuzanne, unique place to find one!
Joshua, you guys will just have to wear out the Despicable Me II DVD instead.
Brandon, it was much better.
I think that, with movies such as "GI Joe," that if you go in thinking it will be the next "Citizen Kane," you'll be sorely disappointed. But, if you know it will be little more than mindless entertainment (like the State of the Union), you'll come away a winner.
ReplyDeleteOo. I agree with you about fictional names. I get frustrated with cutesie spellings and difficult or too-similar names. (Byron and Bassa wouldn't bother me, though. One is much softer sounding than the other.)
ReplyDeleteI love to use random name generators to come up with character names. (Also, the government lists by decade for historical fiction.) And I do like you do. I make a list, then choose which ones fit while being sure none of them clash with one another.
I was just over at Lynda's blog, very cool! I left you a comment there:)
ReplyDeleteI found myself watching retaliation and wishing that it was more realistic. It just seemed to far over the top. In A-Team they flew a tank, but that was way more realistic than anything in this movie.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the name thing. sci-fi and fantasy make me crazy with those names I can't pronounce and therefore can't even begin to relate to .
ReplyDeleteI need to check out Jennifer Hillier's new site, not for myself, since I don't write in that genre (yet), but for a couple of my author friends that do :-)
ReplyDeleteAh, the character names! It is actually one of a few writing aspects that is totally easy for me. I have a long list of names that I keep adding on to. I grab the names from that list whenever I need them.
Al, good comparison!
ReplyDeleteMelissa, good to know they don't bother you. And great minds think alike.
Budd, that's why you leave your brain at the door.
Angela, smart idea!
Ernix? Maybe?
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to force myself to name my characters like that . . . I spend too much time worrying over names.
Arrr! Shiver me timbers! Tis a grand affair, this book launch, indeed. Splice the mainbrace, Alex! Aye!
ReplyDeleteI'll check out Hart's book.
ReplyDeleteI'm losing count of how many times I'm seeing your book. It's fantastic.
You're such a great name picker. I have even looked through the phone book to snag names.
ReplyDeleteNo Pixar movie next year????? *horrors*
Alex, I'm seeing your cover ALL OVER the place! Fantastic isn't it?
Pronounced "Erngst" like "angst"? Some of my characters just seem to come with names. Some of them get renamed after their characters develop. And in one story, I confused the names of the boy and the pony not once but twice. Apparently the pony REALLY REALLY wanted to be named Toby. :-)
ReplyDeleteOh, and good to know you don't have man boobs. ;-)
ReplyDeleteGreat job with the character names. Unpronouncable names are a total turn off.
ReplyDeleteLynda is awesome... headed over there now ...
oh i was concerned on this gi joe movie...ok it might make the red box list...that stinks on finding dory...i am looking forward to that one...
ReplyDeleteI don't know if Foundation works on screen. I mean, I'll watch it and everything. I'm just not sure it works. So much is purely cerebral.
ReplyDeleteTyrean... not quite. And it really works to name characters that way.
ReplyDeleteMedeia, so have I!!
Robyn, truly humbling.
Lisa, you are the closest! Leave off the T. G sound more like K. And no man boobs here!
Squid, just not sure how it would work...
Baby sites for the nationality of the character. Popular names for the year they were born. Meanings of names. The alphabet. I never use the same letter name of the alphabet for characters.
ReplyDeleteI guess Pixar addicts will just be even more desperate for the next movie to come out by the time it does - I imagine a big box office return on opening day. :)
ReplyDeleteI am very afraid. I hate it when directors change things to suit their purpose for no good reason. As much as I love LOTR, Jackson did this, too, and it's my one peeve.
ReplyDeleteAs for how I find names...I have a book of names from around the world. I spend a lot of time finding the right names for my characters. Probably too much!
And Congrats on the release of CassaStorm :)
Aha and the tour rolls on. Or is hurtling through outer space...
ReplyDeleteYou may recall a certain gentleman my human was working with on his science mystery concept book a while back. He has had some contact with one of Roland Emmerich's representatives when Roland was in Montreal.
Well done sir and may the tour blast onwards.
On behalf of my alleged human, Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar!
The gang at audiomachine loved your book trailer, Alex! It's not too late for fans to win your signed copy of CassaStorm, so keep the comments coming:)
ReplyDeleteMy selection process is grueling--I always add an element where the character's name has specific significance, usually derived from the ancient meaning.
WriterlySam
I get every impatient with difficult to pronounce names in books. I don't take tons of time to figure it out names.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen GIJOE yet. Maybe later this fall.
JL, that's smart.
ReplyDeleteMsHatch, Jackson did it right. I don't thin Emmerich will do it as right.
Gary, Really???
Samantha, thank you!!!!
I have a bunch of Irish people in my WIP. I spend a lot of time on the internet looking up Irish names for Boys and Girls. Hahaha. First and last. Gah.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on all your CassaFun!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to read these books. I've been lining them up for a while and then I always get distracted by the literary stuff.
Visit my new blog Alex (the old one is now inaccessible: avantikac.blogspot.com
Alex, yes it's true about Roland.
ReplyDeleteUntil I figure out names to use, I use Bob, Jim, Roxanne, etc.
ReplyDeleteAsimov has been a part of my life since childhood. I'm worried, but all I can do is cross my fingers and hope.
ReplyDeleteI disliked the first G.I. Joe Movie, but I do want to see the second installment. The previews look good.
ReplyDeleteLee
A Faraway View
So glad you said that about long names for characters. Sometimes, when reading Sci-fi/fantasy, I feel like the author is trying too hard to sound 'alien' with the very long names. Plus ones that are impossible to pronounce. How can they expect us poor readers to share a fantastic line with whoever is lying in bed next to us, if we can't pronounce the words? Sometimes it's so bad I give up on the book, no matter how good the premise is. I like to choose names that have 'inside' meaning for me. Someone I can't stand named June, I'll create a villain named May.
ReplyDeleteWonder if Pixar can survive off royalties from previous releases! Ah, the trials of a billionaire company. I love Asimove, but I haven enjoyed very many mini-series events that have been adapted from novels. Under The Dome was such a disappointment I never finished the series.
ReplyDeleteI've been a fan of all the GI Joe movies. I'm looking forward to this one too.
When it comes to names, I'm a researcher. I only recently started writing fantasy - I've been daunted by the difficult names with lots of apostrophe's or dots over u and such. But I finally decided on simple: research old names with meaning and transform them to more modern. I do match personality to name meanings; but the name usually comes first, then the research. Sometimes I change a name, but not often. I'd rather ensure the personality quirks match the name meaning.
Ernx was a cool choice. There is always a weird name in any group that real people interact with.
......dhole
I respect that you kept the names of your characters straightforward. As you mention, one of the things that can be off-putting about fantasy are unwieldy handles.
ReplyDeleteI come across words or names I like and write them down. Then when I want to create a character, I go back to the list and use them or change them up some. I like the names simple, too.
ReplyDeleteThe first character I created was a robot named Vecto. I created him in 1996 by mixing letters of the alphabet. I wrote lots of stories about him, most of them crap, but really enjoy how my latest story about him turned out. Maybe I'll give a shot at publishing it.
Yeah. Ernx. That one left me scratching my head.
ReplyDeleteAmong other things, Lynda is one smart cookie too. Off to pay her a visit.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that you are able to name your characters quickly, so you don't lose the rhythm of your story. Another excellent tip Alex!
ReplyDeleteJulie
Haven't seen any of the GI Joe movies, but I'll give it a try. I like being entertained. I like to have a name for my characters before writing. For example, I have a hard time putting in dialogue for Mr. X or Ms. Blank... Their names help me create their personality.
ReplyDeleteGot the first trivia question wrong...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, your names were one of the strongest elements of the book, very distinctive and simple.
Wait, maybe it was this post I meant to post to, but didn't. I'm so confused right now. Anyway, I used to stress over names quite a bit, but just started naming characters after friends and family.
ReplyDeleteOf course, being extremely white, I've come to realize that I'm populating all my stories with very racially narrow groups, so I've recently began trying to add more characters that are non-white, and naming them to hint at ethnicity.
Hi, Alex. I've already made a stop by Lynda's blog. CONGRATS! It's been quite a week for CassaStorm.
ReplyDeleteI'm an inveterate name nerd, so I use lots of quality resources to find lesser-used names. Generally, I use classical eccentric and classical unusual names for my important characters, and more common or popular names for minor or secondary characters.
ReplyDeleteAvantika, I will.
ReplyDeleteSusan, that's funny. Now, what about Bob...?
Lee, a lot better - promise!
Lisa, that's why I didn't want to do that to anyone.
Donna, that's a great way to do it. And glad you like Ernx.
Reid, you should! And that's a smart way to do it.
Julie, or a really lazy one!
Tony, that's good to know!!
Rusty, smart move.
Carrie-Anne, you are the name master.
Feel the same way about GI Joe, Alex...went in with very low expectations and came out with a slight smile on my face. I was certainly entertained. :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed learning how writing just kinda happened to you on Lynda Young's blog. I can relate. I really like what you wrote about character names. I spend a great deal of time thinking about character names when in my developing stages. Names do make a difference.
ReplyDeleteWow, this getting caught up business is hard, especially when I get to your blog, Alex, and am tempted to follow all your links. I did go say hi to Hart, and will visit Lynda next.
ReplyDelete