Sherrilyn Kenyon, "The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook (2nd Edition)"

Writers give as much thought and consideration to naming characters as they would to naming a newborn child. This trusted writing resource takes the uncertainty out of the process with a brand new edition. Contains: more than 25,000 first and last names organized by meaning and ethnic origin; invaluable instruction on naming strategies and creating original names; and a look at how best-selling novelists, like Elizabeth George, Marian Keyes and more, name their characters. Now all types of fiction writers can add more nuance and meaning to their work with the perfect names!

From the Back Cover
The Ultimate Guide To Choosing Character Names

Back in print and better than ever, The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook has been updated and expanded to help you find character names and their meanings quickly and easily!

This one-of-a-kind resource was specifically designed with the writer in mind. Inside you'll find:

• 25,000+ first names and surnames, and their meanings, listed by origin
  
• Names and surnames from more than 45 countries
  
• A reverse lookup of names by meaning
  
• An alphabetical index of names
  
• An explanation of naming practices and historical context for each origin
  
• A list of the top ten most popular names in the United States every year from 1880-2003
  
• Instruction on how to create believable names that fit your characters and your story

This exciting new edition also includes advice from a number of best-selling authors, including Elizabeth George, Alexander McCall Smith, Homer Hickam, Marian Keyes, Big Fish author Daniel Wallace, and others. You'll get the inside scoop on their naming methods, plus the stories behind the names of their most famous characters.

So throw out your old telephone books and baby-naming guides—The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook meets all your naming needs!

Contents

“

Online Research Tips  A Note About Accuracy  Genealogy Resources  Baby Name Sites  Search Engines  Special Sources  Native Speakers and Other Experts Thanks About the Author Part 1 – The Craft of Naming  Naming Characters   Naming Guidelines    1. Capture the persona    2. Choose a name in keeping with your character's heritage and personality and/or trade    3. Make the name harmonious    4. Keep the character's name consistent with his or her time period    5. Keep the character's social status in mind    6. Use nicknames    7. Vary the names of the characters    8. Remember the genre    9. If you choose a name that breaks the rules, explain it    10. Avoid the names others have made famous   Specific Genre Advice    Science Fiction/Fantasy    Horror    Romance    Thrillers    War/Military    Teen fiction    Western    Mystery    Erotica    Paranormal  Naming Places and Things Part 2 – The Lists  African  Anglo-Saxon  Arabic  Armenian  Arthurian Legend  Basque  Cambodian  Celtic  Chinese  Czechoslovakian  Danish  Dutch  Egyptian  English  Finnish  French  Gaelic  German  Greek  Hebrew  Hungarian  Indian  Irish  Italian  Japanese  Korean  Latin  Maori  Native American  Norwegian  Persian  Polish  Polynesian  Portuguese  Russian  Scandinavian (Old Norse)  Scottish  Slavic  Spanish  Swedish  Teutonic  Thai  Ukranian  Vietnamese  Welsh  Top Ten U.S. Names By Year Sidebars  Victoria Alexander  Elaine Barbieri  Elizabeth Boyle  Michael Connelly  Jennifer Crusie  Barry Eisler  Lynn Emery  Hallie Ephron  Elizabeth George  Lorraine Heath  Homer Hickam  Sherrilyn Kenyon  Marian Keyes  Karyn Langhorne  Evan Marshall  Sarah Mlynowski  David Morrell  Linda Needham  Julie Ortolon  Jodi Picoult  Debbie Raleigh  Sari Robins  Alexander McCall Smith  Haywood Smith  Karen Rose Smith  Tina Wainscott  Daniel Wallace Part 3 – The Indexes  Reverse Lookup   Beautiful   Beloved   Brave   Bright   Consecrated   Dark   Defender   Fiery   Flower   Free   Gift from God   Gentle   Grace   Happiness   Intelligent   Light   Manly   Noble   Physically Strong   Pure   Rules the Home   Star   Stranger   Supplanter   Sweet   Victorious   Warrior   Wealthy   Wise   Youthful  Index

”

Tags: WritingReference, WritingTechnique

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