Writing a Novel
Names are perhaps one of the most complexed things when writing fiction. I find this quite difficult as it often seems like I need a new name every other page. The reason for this is that I'm writing a science fiction story with many jobs on the starship. I don't want to say 'The Communications Officer' all the time.
Having said that the names of secondary characters probably don't mater too much but the main character makes a big difference. The name may effect how your character is seen by the reader.
Mr Watts tells us: 'No names are neural in fiction - they all carry the weight of their predecessors.' (Writing a Novel p 44)
Watts gives the example of a name such as 'Juliet' - It carries such weight that the question has to be asked - 'Does the resonance suit your intention?' (p44)
Its not just character names that are discussed. The title of our work and the job of our characters are also important. I will be discussing this in a future post.
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