Name your MAN
So, I’m in the bookstore reading first pages of any thing with a cover and title that captures my attention – what makes me put the book back or give it a chance?
The name of the hero.
I know, so shallow of me. But, really in all honestly do I want to spend the next few hours of my life, curled up in my bed reading a book with a hero whose name I either (a) cannot pronounce or (b) is a name that conjurs up images of limp noodles or worse – an ex-boyfriend?
Let’s take (a) – If you want me to fall for the hero, give him a name that not only fits his personality, his powerful physique and sure, make it something that sets him apart. DO NOT make up some name that’s clearly made up (it’s okay, you can agree with me!) or something that my tongue trips over everytime or I pronounce a hundred different ways until I’m finally forced to give him a nickname before I throw the book against the wall.
On to (b) I’m sorry, but if you name you hero Wesley, Barney or Elmo – I’m probably putting your book back on the shelves.
The second part of (b) would be the ex-boyfriends, which of course is totally random, and totally personal. I don’t hold any author responsible for the bad memories I have associated with the 8 (yes, you read that right, EIGHT) Johns I dated before I married my husband.
So how do you name your hero? Think strong, think cutting edge, but give me something I can sink my teeth into when I’m reading. I’ve got a few baby name books I refer to and I admit sometimes it takes me a chapter or two before I completely hone in on a name that truly fits all his quirks.
Do you have a name that makes you cringe? A name that would make you put that book down? Or does the name not matter to you at all?
I blogged about this before… hehehehehe.
Made me giggle, because yeah, I said “Make it pronouncable” too.
And yet… One of my heroes is called Raxsaixahael. His friends call him Bob – because they can’t pronounce it. He also answers to Rax, however. And I picked this for a reason.
(and if you want to know how it’s pronounced… Raks-sey-sa-ha-el. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy… *snicker* And that’s an a like in the UK pronounciation of dance, not like a rack.)
But you don’t get to find out his full name until at least 3 or 4 chapters into the book.
As for names that would make me put the book back… Stuff like Cletus. Sorry but that is just a completely unsexy name for me. I cringe at Wolfgang or Armin, because that’s my cousin or my brother. No. Way.
The Germanic names tend to turn me off, but I don’t mind Norse / Swedish / Danish.
And a book where the heroine has my name… no. Straight back on the shelf.
Silke(Quote) (Reply)
I not happy with ex-boyfriend names either. No Scotts or Davids please. One of the reason I can’t focus on Fantasy is the names I can’t pronounce. If I can’t say it easily, I’m going to lose my concentration and that’s what’ll do me in.
Jennifer Bianco(Quote) (Reply)
Over-the-top contemporary names that make me roll my eyes can put a damper on a book for me, but if the story is well-written I usually can over come my bad feeling. (usually)
And I think I would REALLY be disappointed with a hero named Herbert or Carol.
Jennifer Shirk(Quote) (Reply)
So, Raks = Rocks, right?
Funny thing. I named my last hero Thaddeus or Thad as everyone calls him. And when I went to facebook to find a new name for the villain because his name also started with a T [as did the mother, the other villian, and the hero's brother], everyone thought Thad was a stuck up name for a devious-type, rich a$$hole. So, i’m going to assume that half the people I know on facebook might pass up on my hero, Thad.
Then again, maybe I can make them LOVE Thad.
Me? I have a hard time with hero names that are unpronouncable or seem really fadish. I don’t know. i like a good old-fashioned name.
Bethanne(Quote) (Reply)
I have to admit, I’m guilty of using similar-sounding names for my heros. They all seem to end in a hard “c”. Zack. Jack. Patrick.
Even my current hero–he’s called Duke. But as my heroine will discover, that’s more of a title than his real name. I was thinking about using Percy or Marion as his actual moniker. What do you think?
Cyn(Quote) (Reply)