Names ARE Important

 I really do try to put thought into naming my characters. Not the Dickensian sort of name that works as a shorthand for character, but one befitting a character. It was going so bad with the new play that I called Kh for help. We went through a couple and he broke the log jam.

I read the following in Iris Murdoch, The Art of Fiction No. 117 from The Paris Review

INTERVIEWER

A moment ago you mentioned the names of your characters. How do you choose them?

MURDOCH

They have to choose themselves; one just waits. If you make a mistake there, this can be quite a serious matter. The character has to announce his own name. I make lists of names; I often invent names. I once invented the name Gavender; I thought, Nobody’s named Gavender. Then I got a letter from someone in America saying, How did you know about our family? It is fun inventing names. Names are very important because a lot of atmosphere comes with a name. The way a person is going to be addressed by his fellow characters is important too.

And I went Yes! Yes! I am actually onto something!

One thing I do with names that diverges from the above is using names of people I do not want forgotten. These are usually family names. The are characters which may be recognizable by friends and/or family who are parading around under different names. Those names I freight with a menaing that the originals will probably reject. The bottom line remains the same - names have a meaning.

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