How important are character names? I think they’re very important. They should convey part of the character’s personality. Coupled with other aspects, I think they should evoke a desired feeling from the reader. I don’t think names should be taken lightly.
Sometimes naming a character comes easily to me. I don’t have to think about it, the right name just pops into my head, part of the flow of the story. Other times, I agonize over the name. I search meanings, I make lists, I write out variants. It can take ages; the entire time I had planned to spend writing can be taken up with finding the right name. Sometimes, I’ll just insert a ____ to hold the space until I decide. Or sometimes I’ll write out He/She and other pronouns until I decide on something. Sometimes, like today, a name I’ve used in a story for over a year will seem wrong to me and I’ll change it. Finding the right name after ages of searching feels so good.
Am I spending to much time with names?
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