Showing posts with label Protection for Hire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Protection for Hire. Show all posts

Friday, December 16, 2011

Selecting Fictional Character Names

Find the Perfect Name for a Fictional Character

About a year ago I wrote a five-part series called Find the Perfect Name for a Fictional Character. Recently, for my work in progress, a book I'm calling Do Unto Others which is a continuation of Where Love Once Lived, I needed to use the Fictional Character Name Generator described in Part 5 of the series.

Velma Crackenburg

In the articles published last year, I joked about how the name Velma Crackenburg suggested to Camy Tang after her Facebook call for help for a name for a nasty old lady sounded like a name from the automated name generator.

At the time I didn't think I would ever have a need for such an unusual, obviously fake, name. I got my names from people I knew or combinations of their names. But, now I see the benefit of a truly fictional name. As it turns out, two names in my first book were a bit too real. I'm not talking lawsuit bad, but scary.

In Do Unto Others I want to be extra careful because the plot involves a court case and I don't want anyone to think it might be about them.

Learn More About Character Names Here

If you want to learn more about selecting fictional character names, read the following articles:

Find the Perfect Name for a FictionalCharacter Part 2
Find the Perfect Name for a FictionalCharacter Part 3
Find the Perfect Name for a FictionalCharacter Part 4
Find the Perfect Name for a FictionalCharacter Part 5

Camy Tang's Velma Crackenbury

By the way, I did a Google search on Velma Crackenburg to see if Camy Tang actually used the suggested  name and found this:
Protection for Hire: A Novel - Google Books Result

books.google.com/books?isbn=0310412765...Camy Tang - 2011 - Fiction - 352 pages
Velma lifted a hand to smooth her steely topknot ponytail. “Of course.” “Velma Crackenburg, my uncle Joshua Cathcart.” Josh's eyes bugged out a little, ...
But, I found something else I didn't expect. I found two references to what appear to be real people with last name Crackenburg. Oops! Sorry. I didn't mean to make fun of your name.