Of all the aspects of writing good fantasy books, one of the most important considerations is actually coming up with names for your characters. Though you might not realize it while reading, the name you choose for a character can greatly affect the way that readers envision that character. If you want to present the right image, you need to carefully decide on the names for all characters in your fantasy novel.
“A Rose by Any Other Name”
Though people often quote this Shakespeare line from Romeo and Juliet, the truth is that a name carries a lot of weight in the world of reading. Just as every name has a meaning, that meaning often shows through in the writing and even subtle changes will alter the image. For instance, a character named “Joe” will bring about a different image than one named “Joseph.” If you were raised in the Christian faith, “Joseph” likely carries a strong and prominent image, whereas “Joe” might just bring about the thought of an average guy without much to offer. This is true for virtually any name you might encounter in a fantasy novel.
Names in Good Fantasy Books
Perhaps the best way to look at this is to examine one of the names that I used for my characters. The first I will talk about is Artimus, who is a character I created well before I came up with the idea of Evorath on the whole. When I was a child, before I really read any great fantasy books, I had an interest in mythology. I always imagined myself as a wizard running around with my elvish companion; and you guessed it: his name was Artimus.
Taken from the Greek goddess of the hunt and masculinized, Artimus is the perfect name for my protagonist. For anyone who has studied mythology, even in passing, this name will immediately bring forth an image of a skilled hunter and marksman.
Remember Your Audience
Finally, remember to consider your audience. In writing fantasy, I expect that the majority of my readers have some knowledge of mythology, which is why I use it heavily throughout my books. If you are writing for a younger audience though, or one that is more specialized, keep their biases in mind when naming your character.
So, when you are getting ready to write some good fantasy books of your own, keep this naming convention in mind. A proper name can make a big difference in how readers perceive your characters and how they perceive you as a writer.
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Hailed as the J.R.R. Tolkien of the 21st century, Joseph Macolino is the author of the Evorath series, providing good fantasy books to those looking for heart-pounding action in a magical world.
