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Got told my fantasy characters were all named like accountants
A friend read my draft and said 'Bob the elf? Really?' Changed every name to something weird like 'Glint Mossfoot' or 'The Sneeze That Walks'. Made the whole story way more fun to write. Anyone else get a note that flipped a script for the better?
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lucas_jenkins2mo agoMost Upvoted
Been there. My first fantasy novel had a dragon named Dave. Switched it to something like "Emberclaw the Hoarder" and the whole character's greed made sense. Sometimes a name is just a key that unlocks the personality.
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sandra9162mo ago
Glint Mossfoot" is amazing. I mean, I get stuck on boring names too. My first draft had a dark wizard named Kevin. Kevin. Idk what I was thinking. Changing it to something like "Grime the Unwashed" made his whole chapter way more fun to write. It just changes the vibe completely.
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olivia_morgan84d ago
Does changing a character's name really change how you write them, or is it more about you finally figuring out who they are? I've had names that felt right from the start but still took me halfway through a draft to understand the character. Then there's the opposite, where a name like your Kevin thing actually limits how you see them until you switch it up. Which is it for you, the name leading the personality or the personality finally finding its name?
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