I have all I need for my screenplay except for the main characters name. I've always struggled with this process. The main character is a modern, washed out, hard-rock rockstar. He aspires to be happy for he hasn't been happy his whole life except when he was a little kid. I just some hints in how I should undergo the process. Examples of names would be great as well. Cheers.
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character Need help with characters name.
- Thread starter MikeyRovzar
- Start date
I think it's easy to put way too much thought into a name. There are those who like to make them all symbolic and stuff, and that's fine. Personally, I just prefer to make them feel as naturalistic as possible.
Do some brain-storming with friends. Think of who the parents are, and where these characters come from. In a good ol'-fashioned brainstorming session, no idea is a bad one. Throw out enough rapid-fire ideas, and eventually one of them will just feel right.
That being said, if we're naming a washed-up hardrock rockstar, I might be inclined to give him a single-name name. Like, "Madonna", "Prince", or "Flea", except more befitting of this particular character. And regardless of the fact that he's washed-up, he continues to use his fake rockstar name, as a way of holding on to his former glory.
What kind of metal did you make? That would influence his fake single-name name.
Do some brain-storming with friends. Think of who the parents are, and where these characters come from. In a good ol'-fashioned brainstorming session, no idea is a bad one. Throw out enough rapid-fire ideas, and eventually one of them will just feel right.
That being said, if we're naming a washed-up hardrock rockstar, I might be inclined to give him a single-name name. Like, "Madonna", "Prince", or "Flea", except more befitting of this particular character. And regardless of the fact that he's washed-up, he continues to use his fake rockstar name, as a way of holding on to his former glory.
What kind of metal did you make? That would influence his fake single-name name.
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If I reacall correctly Syd Field writes quite a bit on that topic.
I agree that names should not be too symbolical,but there are different ways to show character through names. If your character is great you can name him Bob and it will be awesome. Apple - there was sooome hint to Newton's apple back in the days,but now apple=iphone. When someone says apple's stocks gone up,you don't picture apple in your head,because the word lost its initial meaning in that context.
Anyways!
There are multiple ways of using names. It matters how other characters call the main guy as well. My highschool teacher used to call us names,unless we did smth bad than he called surnames. A kid doesn't call his stepmother mum,but goes by name. Or referrs to her as "she". If he suddenly changes that to mum,it means smth happened.
In Matrix Keanu Reeves is called differently all the time. For Morpheus he is The One. For the crew - Neo. But for Agents he is a rebellious human battery - Mr. Anderson.
I can not remember if anyone calls him Tom at all?
For your rockstar - he might have a very long,beautiful name,maybe even religious. And his mum always called him that. Full name. no shortenings.
But he has to have a stage name obv,smth hardcore and short.
And he starts to live under that name,when he goes to a bar he tells each girl or w/e his stage name. All his friends call him that.
Falls in love with girl,tells her his real long name and she calls him that just as his mother. Tata - happy end!
I agree that names should not be too symbolical,but there are different ways to show character through names. If your character is great you can name him Bob and it will be awesome. Apple - there was sooome hint to Newton's apple back in the days,but now apple=iphone. When someone says apple's stocks gone up,you don't picture apple in your head,because the word lost its initial meaning in that context.
Anyways!
There are multiple ways of using names. It matters how other characters call the main guy as well. My highschool teacher used to call us names,unless we did smth bad than he called surnames. A kid doesn't call his stepmother mum,but goes by name. Or referrs to her as "she". If he suddenly changes that to mum,it means smth happened.
In Matrix Keanu Reeves is called differently all the time. For Morpheus he is The One. For the crew - Neo. But for Agents he is a rebellious human battery - Mr. Anderson.
I can not remember if anyone calls him Tom at all?
For your rockstar - he might have a very long,beautiful name,maybe even religious. And his mum always called him that. Full name. no shortenings.
But he has to have a stage name obv,smth hardcore and short.
And he starts to live under that name,when he goes to a bar he tells each girl or w/e his stage name. All his friends call him that.
Falls in love with girl,tells her his real long name and she calls him that just as his mother. Tata - happy end!
As a musician (I make heavy metal and symphonic metal) and writer myself, I've had to come up with a bunch of different names over the years. For myself, to follow on with my pseudonym ("MetalRenard"), the name I thought of is Makani Reynard. Admittedly they both mean something (Wind Fox) and both of those things are important aspects of myself, but I also chose those names because of how they flow and sound.
If your character has a stage name, think of that, you want something that sounds nice, flows, has some kind of meaning to him and hopefully is quite unique.
If your character has a stage name, think of that, you want something that sounds nice, flows, has some kind of meaning to him and hopefully is quite unique.
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Coming up with names is always challenging. However, when working with contemporary characters, I often consult the names that were popular for the time period my character was born, as well as ethnic considerations.
Baby naming web sites are great. Before that, I had a book of baby names (yes, for that reason too!
The first below shows by year. Helpful if you're doing historical drama. The second lets you put in a meaning and pull up names. The third has a useful list of last names (surnames).
http://www.momswhothink.com/baby-names/popular-baby-names-by-year.html
http://www.quickbabynames.com/meaning-of-names-search.html
http://genealogy.about.com/od/surname_meaning/a/surname-meanings.htm
Not knowing much about your character, it's hard to say. Not clear if you're looking for a first name, surname or stage name. Good luck!
Baby naming web sites are great. Before that, I had a book of baby names (yes, for that reason too!
The first below shows by year. Helpful if you're doing historical drama. The second lets you put in a meaning and pull up names. The third has a useful list of last names (surnames).
http://www.momswhothink.com/baby-names/popular-baby-names-by-year.html
http://www.quickbabynames.com/meaning-of-names-search.html
http://genealogy.about.com/od/surname_meaning/a/surname-meanings.htm
Not knowing much about your character, it's hard to say. Not clear if you're looking for a first name, surname or stage name. Good luck!
haha, I thought MetalRenard was supposed to be self deprecating play on "Mental Retard" which is a very un-pc term by the way, boy was I wrong.. "Wind Fox" whatdayaknonw, you learn something every day!
Washed up rock\metal head stage names..
Alice
Brody
Cat
Dog
Elf
Frog
Grud
Hammer
Ink
Jax
Krank
Lem
Morgan
Nick
O.
Prod
Quentin
Rob
Stone
Tuck
Ule
Vic
Wax
X.
Yuda
Zed
Alice
Brody
Cat
Dog
Elf
Frog
Grud
Hammer
Ink
Jax
Krank
Lem
Morgan
Nick
O.
Prod
Quentin
Rob
Stone
Tuck
Ule
Vic
Wax
X.
Yuda
Zed