Names Are Important by James R. Callan
Is selecting a name for your characters important? Have you ever just picked up the telephone directory, opened it at random and grabbed a name? Please do not use the name as simply a way to distinguish one character from another. Suppose Margaret Mitchell had named her protagonist Jane. Would she have started the reader with a different impression than she did when she selected Scarlett? Before we even meet Scarlett we have a feeling about her. Scarlett reminds us of heat, emotion, energy, fire. We expect a fiery, energetic, volatile woman. Do we start out with a different impression if the man guy is named Winston or Joe? J.K. Rowling is one of the most successful writers of our time. Do you think she spent time on her characters’ names – and not just the major characters? And did they give the reader an initial impression? Draco Malfoy? Nymphadora Tonks? Ron Weasley? Severus Snape? Those 27
