Creative Writing with SmartKids Club

This September and October, I will be offering a series of creative writing classes for children with SmartKids Club in NW Calgary.

Create your own story

These highly interactive classes for grades K to 3 explore story structure relating to the creation of a well-defined beginning, middle and end. Using a series of seemingly unrelated objects, children participate in creating a story in what is always a lively and fun filled experience. Children give full reign to their imagination as they work together to conceive their own special adventure. This is then put into a book, complete with the children's own illustrations and finally performed as a short play with a Halloween theme on October 7.

September 14, 16, 23, 30, October 7 from 4 pm to 5.30 pm - $150

Superstuff!

In these sessions for grades 4 to 6/7, children create their own unique superheroes, with powers, extended families and one or more archenemies. They will create a detailed biography of the character, complete with an origin story, facts about their superpowers and weaknesses, their secret identity, headquarters and more. Students will be encouraged to draw their creation, if they wish to, create a cover for a comic book and even create the comic book itself, if time allows. Finally, students will write an action packed, concise newspaper story, complete with an attention-grabbing headline, about a recent battle the hero had with the villain or a short piece describing the hero’s origin tale.

September 17, 24, 28, October 1, 8 from 4 pm to 5.30 pm - $150

Registration is already taking place for the fall at www.smartkidsclub.org

This Month's Summer Camp Appearances

July 9 City of Calgary Park n' Play, Crossroads

July 9 Alberta Children's Hospital

July 13 - 17 Parkland Community Centre Pen, Paper, Action! Drama and Writing Camp

July 14 City of Calgary Park n' Play, Riverbend

July 16 City of Calgary Park n' Play, Woodlands/Woodbine

July 20 - 24 Oakridge Community Centre: Summer, Superheroes and Tennis Too

July 21 Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts SummerACT for Kids

July 23 City of Calgary Park n' Play, Coach Hill

July 29 City of Calgary Park n' Play, Westgate

July 30 City of Calgary Park n' Play, Erin Woods

The Heretic's Tomb: An Interview and a Reading

While exploring a medieval archaeological site containing the ruins of an ancient English abbey, Annie discovers the long-forgotten tomb of Lady Isabella Devereaux, who had been condemned to death as a heretic in 1349. When Annie curiously examines a mysterious amulet she finds in the tomb, she is suddenly sent hurtling back to the Middle Ages, encountering sorcery, treachery, treason and the ghastly horrors of the Black Death.

A reading from The Heretic's Tomb and a short interview about the inspiration behind the novel can be found at http://www.simon-rose.com/audio/heretic_CKUA_interview.mp3

Writing and Publishing Your Children's Novel - University of Calgary, October 2009

Each year, the Continuing Education department at the University of Calgary serves over 20,000 lifelong learners and offers thousands of courses taught by more than 1,000 instructors – all experts in their fields.

Writing and Publishing Your Children's Novel

This workshop deals with getting started as a writer for young readers and the subsequent path to publication. You will examine the writing process from initial concept through to the finished manuscript, including how to turn ideas into stories, story structure, developing characters, the creation of outlines and the importance of editing and revision. You will also examine ways to research publishing houses where you can submit your work, cover letters, synopses and sample chapters.

Learn more about the Writing and Publishing Your Children's Novel workshop and how to register here

The Emerald Curse: An Interview and a Reading

Charles Kelly was the world's greatest comic book artist, until he disappeared without a trace. Two years later, his grandson Sam discovers a mysterious pen in Kelly's attic studio. Sam is soon propelled into a bizarre dimension, where super villains are all powerful and disturbingly real, and finds himself in a deadly confrontation with an evil entity, imprisoned inside a mystical gemstone since the dawn of time.

A reading from The Emerald Curse and a short interview about the inspiration behind the novel can be found at http://www.simon-rose.com/audio/ckua_emeraldcurse.mp3

Courses for writers this fall with Chinook Learning Services in Calgary

The Calgary Board of Education provides adult and continuing education through Chinook Learning Services. This fall I am pleased to be offering the following courses.

Forming Fictional Characters - November 21

Characters are the heart of every story - their actions drive the plot. Their individuality is what readers or audiences most remember. This workshop explores where writers get ideas for characters, and how to use descriptive language to build them. Participants will invent their own unique characters and learn how to write engaging dialogue and lifelike scenarios. Create an unforgettable story with unforgettable characters.

Writing Children's Books: Intro - November 21

In this workshop you will discover how to balance youthful imagination with adult professionalism, and gain awareness of writing for various age ranges. This workshop explores the do's and don'ts of writing for younger readers, turning ideas into stories, the writing process, the importance of editing and revision, story structure, and the role of research. Come and get a taste of a wonderful craft!

Writing Children's Books - Tuesdays, November 3 to December 8

Examine the writing process from initial concept through to the finished manuscript, including how to turn ideas into stories, the creation of outlines, story structure, character development, the role of research and the importance of editing and revision, as well as examining ways to research and submit to publishing houses.

Register now at Chinook Learning Services

Summer Camps! Great camps in Calgary for children and teens, July and August 2009

Pen, Paper, Action! - Drama and Writing Camp - July 13 to 17
Children use their incredible imaginations to create their very own dramatic production, to be performed at the end of the week. The camp will take place at Parkland Community Centre, 14660 Parkland Blvd. SE, Calgary. For details visit http://www.park96.com/ or contact Parkland Community to register by e mail at park96@telus.net

Summer Camp, Superheroes and Tennis Too! - July 20 to 24

The first ever Ladies Summer Tennis Camp at Oakridge Community Centre in SW Calgary this July will this year also feature a summer camp for children aged eight to twelve. Children can enjoy five mornings of interactive, lively and fun filled sessions, using their incredible imaginations to conceive their own unique stories, invent superheroes, create wacky characters, develop their own time travel stories, and more. Full details and registration are available at http://oakridgecalgary.com/blog/tennis/ladies-summer-tennis-camp/

Inspiration, Imagination and invention in SF & Fantasy - July 27 to 31

Discover where ideas come from and how science fiction and fantasy writers turn them into stories, invent your own time machines, create a superhero, design a unique item of future technology and learn about the elements of writing science fiction and fantasy for children and young adults. Further details and registration at http://www.alexandrawriters.org/wos_courses09.html

Improv Camp - August 4 to 7

In this camp, children ages eight to twelve will create their very own unique characters and write dialogue for them, in a series of highly original, lively and fun filled skits. Full details, registration information and fees at http://www.calgaryartssummer.com/page11/page27/page27.html

People Plotting: Creating Memorable Characters - August 8

This workshop explores where writers get ideas for the people in their stories and how to use descriptive language to build them. Using pictures and photographs as a starting point, participants invent their own unique characters and learn how to write engaging dialogue and lifelike scenarios for their creations, based on the personal characteristics they have created. Further details and registration at http://www.alexandrawriters.org/wos_saturday_courses09.html

PlayWriting Camp - August 17 to 21

In an exciting, fun-filled week of half day camps, children will learn how to write, rehearse and perform their own unique play in just five days. Children will create the plot, craft the script, write dialogue and hone their acting skills for their very own dramatic production, which will then be performed at the end of the week. Full details of this year's PlayWriting Camp, plus all registration information and fees, are available at http://www.calgaryartssummer.com/page11/page15/page15.html

DOOMSDAY IS HERE!

The Doomsday Mask, my sixth novel for children, is now available. The Doomsday Mask is a spellbinding thriller involving lost civilizations, ancient artifacts and an evil organization bent on world domination. Here's a synopsis of the story.

"The legendary crystal ceremonial mask of Kulkaan, high priest of Atlantis, was believed to have been endowed with incredible powers. In the ancient civilization's destruction, the mask was thought to have been shattered and irretrievably lost, eventually being forgotten. Long considered to be a myth, the artifact’s fragments have now been found and the mask of Kulkaan reassembled. In a desperate race against time, Josh and Erica must prevent the mask from falling intact into the hands of the shadowy Crystalline Order to save the world from catastrophe."

Full details of The Doomsday Mask and all my science fiction and fantasy novels are available on my website. Please contact me by e mail directly at info@simon-rose.com to obtain your personally inscribed and autographed copy of The Doomsday Mask

Writing and Publishing Your Children's Novel: Workshops in Calgary, June 23 & 25

Tuesday, June 23, 2009 - 7 pm to 9 pm Inspiration, Imagination and Invention

We examine the writing process from initial concept through to the finished manuscript, including how to turn ideas into stories, the creation of outlines, story structure, character development, the role of research and the importance of editing and revision. Cost: $50.00

Thursday, June 25, 2009 - 7 pm to 9 pm Marketing and Promotion
This workshop explores websites for authors and writers, online marketing, media relations, book launches and bookstore signings, promotional events, securing speaking engagements, as well examiningways to research and submit to publishing houses. Cost: $50.00

Where: Palliser Bayview Pumphill Community Association, 2323 Palliser Drive SW, Calgary, AB.
Register now at sorcerersletterbox@gmail.com

The Clone Conspiracy: A Interview and a Reading

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, nervous governments around the world reacted quickly to pass legislation banning human cloning. Panicked as technology rapidly advanced, they didn't realize that the genetic genie had already escaped from the bottle. When Luke's best friend Patrick vanishes and the police quickly close the case, Luke is determined to uncover the truth. Tantalizing clues lead Luke and Patrick's sister Emma to LennoxGen, where they stumble across a shocking international conspiracy with catastrophic consequences for the future of mankind.

A reading from The Clone Conspiracy and a short interview about the inspiration behind the novel can be found at http://www.simon-rose.com/audio/ckua_aug05.mp3

The Sorcerer's Letterbox: A Reading by the Author

In a hidden drawer in the base of an old wooden box, Jack discovers a letter from a boy calling himself Edward. Penning a reply, Jack is astonished to be corresponding through time with the boy king Edward V, one of the famous Princes in the Tower, murdered by King Richard III. Travelling back in time, Jack attempts to rescue Edward V and his brother from their fate, but is soon fighting for his life in the terrifying London of 1483.

An in depth reading from The Sorcerer's Letterbox can be found at http://www.simon-rose.com/audio/sorcerersReadingmp3.mp3

Summer Camps! Great camps in Calgary for children and teens, July and August 2009

Pen, Paper, Action! - Drama and Writing Camp - July 13 to 17
Children use their incredible imaginations to create their very own dramatic production, to be performed at the end of the week. The camp will take place at Parkland Community Centre, 14660 Parkland Blvd. SE, Calgary. For details visit http://www.park96.com/ or contact Parkland Community to register by e mail at park96@telus.net

Summer Camp, Superheroes and Tennis Too! - July 20 to 24

The first ever Ladies Summer Tennis Camp at Oakridge Community Centre in SW Calgary this July will this year also feature a summer camp for children aged eight to twelve. Children can enjoy five mornings of interactive, lively and fun filled sessions, using their incredible imaginations to conceive their own unique stories, invent superheroes, create wacky characters, develop their own time travel stories, and more. Full details and registration are available at http://oakridgecalgary.com/blog/tennis/ladies-summer-tennis-camp/

Inspiration, Imagination and invention in SF & Fantasy - July 27 to 31 

Discover where ideas come from and how science fiction and fantasy writers turn them into stories, invent your own time machines, create a superhero, design a unique item of future technology and learn about the elements of writing science fiction and fantasy for children and young adults. Further details and registration at http://www.alexandrawriters.org/wos_courses09.html

Improv Camp - August 4 to 7 

In this camp, children ages eight to twelve will create their very own unique characters and write dialogue for them, in a series of highly original, lively and fun filled skits. Full details, registration information and fees at http://www.calgaryartssummer.com/page11/page27/page27.html

People Plotting: Creating Memorable Characters - August 8

This workshop explores where writers get ideas for the people in their stories and how to use descriptive language to build them. Using pictures and photographs as a starting point, participants invent their own unique characters and learn how to write engaging dialogue and lifelike scenarios for their creations, based on the personal characteristics they have created. Further details and registration at http://www.alexandrawriters.org/wos_saturday_courses09.html

PlayWriting Camp - August 17 to 21 

In an exciting, fun-filled week of half day camps, children will learn how to write, rehearse and perform their own unique play in just five days. Children will create the plot, craft the script, write dialogue and hone their acting skills for their very own dramatic production, which will then be performed at the end of the week. Full details of this year's PlayWriting Camp, plus all registration information and fees, are available at http://www.calgaryartssummer.com/page11/page15/page15.html

The Alchemist's Portrait: An Interview and a Reading

A school trip to the art gallery at the city museum leads Matthew into an eerie meeting with Peter Glimmer, imprisoned inside his own portrait by his villainous uncle in 1666. Entrusted by Peter with recovering the one object that can save the world, Matthew is sent hurtling over 300 years into the past. Encountering magic, mayhem and murder, Matthew also has to contend with Peter's uncle, the ruthless and seemingly immortal Nicholas Van der Leyden, at every turn, in a desperate race through time to save the future.

A reading from The Alchemist's Portrait and a short interview about the inspiration behind the novel can be found at http://www.simon-rose.com/audio/Simon_Rose_CKUA_interview.mp3

Naming My Characters - The Heretic's Tomb

My fifth novel, The Heretic’s Tomb, is historical fiction. As with The Sorcerers Letterbox, I once again researched names from medieval England, this time for a story set in 1349 at the height of the Black Death. While crafting the story, I investigated the name of the chief villain, Sir Roger de Walsingham, to make sure that I wasn’t inadvertently using the name of an actual noblemen from medieval England. Roger was a name that was in use in this time period and Sir Francis Walsingham was one of the leading advisors to Elizabeth I in the late sixteenth century, but the combination of the two names worked well as far as I was concerned. 

Female names were more limited than male ones in this era, but the queen of Edward II, who reigned in the early decades of the fourteenth century, was Isabella, who was from France. I decided that this was a good name for my strong female character. I also wanted to give her a French sounding last name, eventually setting on Devereaux. However, this didn’t mean that she was from France, since there were lots of French names in use in England at this time, owing to the connections between the two countries dating back to the Norman Conquest in 1066. Annie, who travels back in time from the present day, was chosen for similar reasons to my choice of Jack in The Sorcerer’s Letterbox, since Annie had to be able to fit in with the locals in 1349. Will, her partner in the story, is again a name that would have been common in the mid-fourteenth century. In this novel, it also wasn’t just the names of people that had to be carefully researched. Sir Roger’s stronghold is his castle at Alversham and I had to check that this wasn’t a real place, once I’d decided to use it for the story.

Naming My Characters - The Clone Conspiracy and The Emerald Curse

In my books for middle grade readers, my choice of names isn’t always related to researching different time periods. The Clone Conspiracy is set in the present day, so delving into history wasn’t required this time around. Emma and Luke are the main characters, attempting to track down Emma’s sister and Luke’s best friend, Patrick, who has gone missing. Other people appearing in the book were given names that suited their personalities and roles in the novel. Rupert Lennox, the CEO of LennoxGen, just seemed to sound right as the name of an unscrupulous corporate multimillionaire, as did the name Inspector Roberta Tremaine, for a somewhat stern, very businesslike and not entirely trustworthy senior police officer in her mid-fifties. 

The Emerald Curse is also set in the present day. At the time, I asked my son if he wanted to be in a story before he was too old to enjoy them. He said he would, so I chose Sam as my hero in this novel. In the superhero universe, Sam is assisted by Tanya, only daughter of the sinister Baron Midnight. I chose Tanya because the Baron’s castle is located in a region akin to Central Europe, such as Transylvania, with an alpine environment, tiny villages nestled in the valleys and so on. It therefore seemed fitting to give the heroine a name that would be from that part of the world. Charles Kelly, depicted as one of the greatest comic book artists and writers, and with whom the story begins, is derived from the people who were so instrumental in shaping the Marvel Age of Comics in the sixties. Another character that appears very briefly in the story is Byron Castlemaine, the secret identity of a hero with shrinking powers, known as the Speck. With a multimillion-dollar fortune and a secret base beneath his mansion, the name Byron Castlemaine very effectively symbolized this character for me.

Naming My Characters - The Alchemist's Portrait and The Sorcerer's Letterbox

For my middle grade novels, I have a list of names for boys and girls that I like to use in books, plus some surnames and those from different historical periods that I’ve liked. I’ve even noted the names of products or companies that I’ve seen on billboards or on the sides of vehicles, thinking that I might be able to adapt them. In The Alchemist’s Portrait, Matthew is the hero and his younger sister Sally accompanies him on some of his travels in time. At the museum where he first encounters the infamous portrait, Matthew receives information and assistance from Tess Philips, a woman in her early twenties, who is working the restoration of the painting. These were all names that just popped into my head and just seemed right for the story. However, other names in the novel had to be appropriate for a particular time period, namely Amsterdam in the year 1666, when the portrait was initially created. This involved research into Dutch names from that era, mostly to ensure that I wasn’t using the name of a real artist by mistake. The chief villain is Nicolaas van der Leyden, whose name felt exactly right, but which also seemed to come from nowhere. 

In The Sorcerer’s Letterbox, Jack is the hero, since I needed a name that is used today for a boy of around twelve, but which was also in keeping with the Middle Ages. Other characters, such as Richard III, Edward V and Tyrell, are of course real historical people, but Meg, who becomes Jack’s accomplice in 1483, was a common female name of the period. The leader of the band of outlaws to which Meg belongs is Will Tyler. Again, the name Will or William would have been commonplace in 1483. The name Tyler would have been an occupation surname, but was also inspired by Wat Tyler, one of the leaders of England’s Peasant Revolt in 1381.

Summer Camps! Great camps in Calgary for children and teens, July and August 2009

Pen, Paper, Action! - Drama and Writing Camp - July 13 to 17

Children use their incredible imaginations to create their very own dramatic production, to be performed at the end of the week. The camp will take place at Parkland Community Centre, 14660 Parkland Blvd. SE, Calgary. For details visit http://www.park96.com/ or contact Parkland Community to register by e mail at park96@telus.net

Summer Camp, Superheroes and Tennis Too! - July 20 to 24

The first ever Ladies Summer Tennis Camp at Oakridge Community Centre in SW Calgary this July will this year also feature a summer camp for children aged eight to twelve. Children can enjoy five mornings of interactive, lively and fun filled sessions, using their incredible imaginations to conceive their own unique stories, invent superheroes, create wacky characters, develop their own time travel stories, and more. Full details and registration are available at http://oakridgecalgary.com/blog/tennis/ladies-summer-tennis-camp/

Inspiration, Imagination and invention in SF & Fantasy - July 27 to 31 

Discover where ideas come from and how science fiction and fantasy writers turn them into stories, invent your own time machines, create a superhero, design a unique item of future technology and learn about the elements of writing science fiction and fantasy for children and young adults. Further details and registration at http://www.alexandrawriters.org/wos_courses09.html

Improv Camp - August 4 to 7 

In this camp, children ages eight to twelve will create their very own unique characters and write dialogue for them, in a series of highly original, lively and fun filled skits. Full details, registration information and fees at http://www.calgaryartssummer.com/page11/page27/page27.html

People Plotting: Creating Memorable Characters - August 8

This workshop explores where writers get ideas for the people in their stories and how to use descriptive language to build them. Using pictures and photographs as a starting point, participants invent their own unique characters and learn how to write engaging dialogue and lifelike scenarios for their creations, based on the personal characteristics they have created. Further details and registration at http://www.alexandrawriters.org/wos_saturday_courses09.html

PlayWriting Camp - August 17 to 21 

In an exciting, fun-filled week of half day camps, children will learn how to write, rehearse and perform their own unique play in just five days. Children will create the plot, craft the script, write dialogue and hone their acting skills for their very own dramatic production, which will then be performed at the end of the week. Full details of this year's PlayWriting Camp, plus all registration information and fees, are available at http://www.calgaryartssummer.com/page11/page15/page15.html

An Interview with Lisa Owens

My guest today is Lisa Owens, author of The Great Chicago Fire, Black Beauty (graphic novel), Benjamin Franklin, and Tuckers' Gold. 

Can you tell us a little about yourself? How long have you been writing?
I've been writing for publication for almost twenty years and writing books for children since 1997. For my children's works, I use the pen name L. L. Owens. Currently I run my own freelance writing and editing business. It's something I did part-time for years while working as an in-house editor, and I decided to make the leap to full-time freelancing in 2002. I specialize in creating books and other products for the children's and K–12 educational markets.

What is your latest published work?

The Great Chicago Fire and Benjamin Franklin — both written for the middle-grade audience — came out in late 2007. Right now I'm patiently waiting for a slew of books to make it through the publication process: three nonfiction picture books in a cultural holidays series (August 2009); a middle-grade book, Frenemies: Dealing with Friend Drama, featuring ten fictional scenarios accompanied by research-based advice for teen girls (August 2009); and a six-title nonfiction picture book series about different levels of community (spring 2010, I think!).

What projects are you working on now? Any new books coming out soon?
Right now I'm in planning mode for a graphic novel about Abraham Lincoln that I'll write this summer. I'm also prepping to revise two middle-grade adventure novels I wrote a while back. They've been sitting on my desktop, patiently waiting for me to come back to them, for about a year. Once I get those polished enough to start submitting, I have a YA novel I've been dying to try to write. I'm in love with the idea! I know the basic plot and have written a few pages to start trying it out. The book is of a different scale than I've handled before, so it's fair to say that it scares me . . . but only in the best way!
Where do you get your ideas and inspiration?

No one place, that's for sure. Ideas can spark anytime and anywhere, so I try to stay open to them. Being observant is so important. I find kernels in the news, during conversations, at the airport, on the side of the road, in my dreams, while I'm reading or cooking or listening to music . . . and very often while I'm writing about something else.

Do you have a special place where you write, such as an office in your home?

I do most of my writing in my home office. That’s my dedicated work space, and I’m both more comfortable and more productive there. That’s not to say that I don’t often fire up the laptop for use around the house, on the deck, or in a coffee shop. But the bulk of my writing happens at my desk, on my iMac. The office environment keeps me in “work” mode. 

What is your writing process? For example, do you create an outline for the story before you begin work?

I like to summarize the plot for myself in a paragraph or two and then, definitely, create a chapter-by-chapter outline to work from. Most outlines change as I go, but having that basic framework mapped out in the beginning makes everything easier (even if you change everything). Also, I adapt my outline format to fit each individual project. If the publisher has requested an outline, then of course that outline conforms to any guidelines. If I’m creating an outline for my own purposes, one for a novel might fill up a couple of pages; an outline for an early reader or chapter book might fit on one page; and I find that the basic concepts or beginning-middle-end highlights I sketch out for a picture book or short story tend to fit nicely on a Post-it note I can stick on my monitor.

How many times do you revise a story before you decide it’s ready to be submitted?
Quite a few. It’s so different for every project that I’m not sure I can give an accurate number, even as an average. But revision is everything to me! 

How do you promote yourself as an author, either in person or online?

Much of my work is as a writer-for-hire, so I don’t have the same PR issues as those working strictly for the trade market. But here’s what I do: I maintain a blog and two sites; participate in social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and JacketFlap; belong to professional writers’/freelancers’ groups such as SCBWI, Authors Guild, EFA, and PNWA; occasionally participate in relevant online discussion groups; teach writing classes, speak to writers’ groups, and judge writing competitions; and try to stay in touch with my personal writer (and editor) friends. That sounds like a lot, and to me it is! I always think I should be doing more, but I stick to doing what I can while keeping my steady writing deadlines as first priority. 

To learn more about Lisa Owens and her work, visit the following locations http://www.llowens.com/ http://llowens.blogspot.com/ or http://www.owenseditorialink.com/

Naming Your Characters - Stereotypes

Try your best to avoid stereotypes when creating the names of people in your stories, although admittedly this depends on the story and what you are trying to portray. A scatterbrained scientist might have a quirky name if he is being used for comic relief, for example. However, it can be tough for the reader to take him seriously if at some stage in the story he has a role in saving the day or has to deliver some important dialogue. And don’t forget names that tend to fit certain genres. Texas Pete and Wild-eyed Jack might be very well suited to a Western, but totally out of place in a romance novel, where names like Dexter T Barrington or Elektra Delicious are more likely to appear. Okay, Elektra Delicious is a little ridiculous, but you get the idea. And finally, avoid the temptation to invent really different sounding names for aliens or people from the far future or even those that inhabit fantasy kingdoms. T’paldrhyl or Xydridalt might sound just great as the names of the wise counselor of your magical realm or the commander in chief of the alien fleet approaching earth, but if the reader is struggling with the pronunciation every time the character makes an appearance or utters a sentence, this is definitely going to detract from your telling of a good story.

As a final note on the subject of creating names for your stories, even though you’ve spent hours days, weeks or even months coming up with just the right ones, don’t be offended if one of your readers tells you that although they loved the story, they hated the names of the characters. Everyone has different life experiences and consequently have memories, both good and bad, of someone who has the same name as your hero or heroine. You’re never going to please everyone, so focus on choosing names that you feel are a perfect for your characters. After all, it’s your story. 

Naming Your Characters - Reality Check

When selecting names for your characters, you can of course borrow and adapt names from famous people, especially if those particular names will be a good fit for the person in your story. However, you’d be unwise to use a name that will be too familiar to people and make them immediately think of a particular historical person, who may or may not have anything in common with this fictional person you’ve created. Even if Roosevelt or Churchill are heroes of yours, unless the narrative is related to them, it might be best to avoid these names and use something else. It could be similar sounding, but don’t go for an exact copy. Also, even an adapted name could spell trouble if you decided to use the name Bradley Pitt or Thomas Cruise for your hero, since they are clearly identified with real people.

 Even with secondary characters, avoid names that are too similar or even just start with the same letter. For example, if you had a liking for J names, calling your characters Joanna, Justin, James, Josephine and Julia will serve to confuse the reader. These are all good strong names and valid for any story, but not in the same novel. Even steer away from having heroes and villains with similar names, especially when there are so many names in the world to choose from. If your hero is called John, why called the villain Johnson? And many writing tipsters will tell you to avoid transgender names for the key characters in the same story. If your heroine is Samantha or Patricia, don’t call the hero Patrick or Samuel, since these names are all abbreviated in the same way. Even if the heroine is Jamie and the hero Chris, this can cause the reader to become confused, lost or just disinterested and put the book down, which is the last thing you want to happen.

Naming Your Characters - Past Popularity

Selecting the right name for a historical era is just as important even if setting your story in more recent times. Baby name books and websites can give you an insight into names from the Middle Ages, but they can also give you an idea of names that were popular with parents in the early part of the twentieth century. If you have a story which takes place in the Second World War and are unsure of the names that were prevalent then, a quick check of the baby names popular between 1910 and 1920 would give you an idea of the names borne by adults in their twenties and thirties during the war. Writers often make the mistake of giving their characters names that are popular today, but would not have been used years ago. If your story is set in the present day and you make use of a name that is currently abundant in elementary and high schools, although your character is supposed to be thirty five, it’s going to seem a little out of place, to say the least. You need to check the baby name lists of thirty years ago to obtain the best fit. A story set in the sixties needs to take into account names that were given to babies born during World War Two as well.

Even among the exotic and unusual names we see very often today, some names for children never seem to go out of fashion, such as Michael, Matthew, Christopher, Emily, Sarah or Samantha. Others come back after a long absence, such as William, Henry or Harry, although others from the same era seem to be stuck in the past, such as George or Albert. However, it’s important to remember that with certain names for both male and female characters, we immediately picture someone of a certain age. For example, Brian, Keith, Gary, Christine, Sharon, Carol and Linda are now firmly in the realm of people over forty-five or fifty. These names may make a comeback of course, as other names have in the past, but for now, these are the names of parents or grandparents, depending on the age of your main protagonists. 

Cheers to Beers – The weird, the fascinating, the potent and the expensive, from around the world @ Dark Roasted Blend

Dark Roasted Blend is among the finest locations online to find the weird, the wonderful and the fantastic, crammed with great articles, stunning photography, plus fabulous new content appears daily. You can read my most recent article at Dark Roasted Blend, entitled Cheers to Beers – The weird, the fascinating, the potent and the expensive, from around the world, at http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2009/05/cheers-to-beers.html

Naming Your Characters - Historical Eras

Another important consideration when creating names for your characters in a story set in the medieval period is that there were a limited number of Christian names in use in the Middle Ages. Men would have been known as Henry, Thomas, William, John, Richard, Robert, Roger, Edward and a few others that are familiar, in addition to names that are not as common today, such as Walter or Hugh. For women, names appear to be even more limited, with many ladies being called Elizabeth, Mary, Anne, Margaret and some that are now uncommon, such as Joan or Matilda. Consequently, it’s vital to choose the right name for the right time period. Obviously, you won’t use a very modern name for your medieval character, but you also don’t want your story that is set in 1300 to be littered with names that weren’t used widely until the mid-fifteen century. The same applies to stories set in the late eighteen century and Napoleonic era, when names like Charlotte, Cassandra, Louisa, Charles, James and others, which are less popular today, were very much in favour. An examination of the names used in novels of the period, such the works of Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, is a good starting point for this, but websites are again an excellent source for this era. 

Naming Your Characters - Time and Place

As well as personifying a set of personality traits, or conjuring up images of a famous person, names can also be related to class or social status and also to the person’s ethnicity. If you’re setting a story in a particular country and you’re not familiar with that part of the world and its first and last names, do your research. There is no shortage of websites these days on surnames popular in Ireland, Germany, France or most other countries. After all, if your book is set in Ireland, or even in the Irish community in a North American city, how many readers are going to take it seriously if the hero is called Carlos Fernandez and the heroine is Heidi Bergmann?

The era of your story is also of crucial importance, whether this is set in the distant past or in relatively recent times. Names that are popular today were not in such abundance in earlier eras and in some cases may not even have existed at all. In medieval England, for example, surnames were not used until well into the twelfth century. When they did come into everyday use, they were often at first based on a person’s occupation such as Carpenter, Smith, Cooper, Cartwright and so on. Some surnames were related to the aristocratic estate where the person worked. Other names were derived from geographic features, such as wood, brook or hill and of course the word ‘son’ began to appear at the end of names, which is where we get surnames such as Johnson, Jackson, Williamson and so many others. There seems to have been a lack of standardization until sometime in the seventeenth century, by which time surnames were well established.

Naming Your Characters - Getting it Right

Often the longer a person’s name, the more we think they might be educated, confident, accomplished or possess many other desirable qualities in a hero or heroine. For example, if you want a strong male character in your novel, will you go with Alexander Wainwright or Tom Smith? If your female character is a sophisticated, well educated, statuesque beauty, will she be known as Elizabeth Castlewood or Susan Jones?

J K Rowling also had these things in mind, when creating the names for both the heroes and villains that inhabit the Harry Potter universe. Professor Severus Snape, for example, is a perfect name for the man who symbolizes Slytherin house. It also seems highly appropriate for a serpentine, snake in the grass kind of person that you will never truly trust, no matter how much faith Dumbledore seems to have in him. Malfoy, according the Rowing, means bad faith in old French. However, this is relatively unimportant, since just the sound of this name is enough to personify an evil or at least highly unlikable character. Names are very important and you only get one chance to make a first impression, so make sure you make the right choice.