A Facebook friend of mine whose given name is ‘Tad’ remarked that he had never liked his name, that he had always felt more like a Christopher. I can totally relate! I was stuck with a not-too-goofy first name, Connie, which I never really liked, but my middle name…. To this day I can’t spell it with out concentrating really hard: Lieuettice.
In a way I understand my mother’s dilemma. Good names are hard to think up! My friend, Irene, is always hammering at me to give my characters names that don’t all start with the same letters…which I wish I had thought about earlier on in the Tower of Bones series (doh).
So lately I’ve had to resort to my handy list of Saxon Names. Or my list of Popular Viking Baby Names. “Come here, BRÖKK, my fine, strapping hero…put on this armor and at least look like you want to go out and wrestle a dragon….you and DAGFINNR can pillage the village when you’re done.”
So, my dilemma in my current work in progress is that two of the female characters have names that begin with the same letter. When I began writing the series, I didn’t realize the second character would become so important in the story–and now, three books into the series, I CAN’T CHANGE HER NAME! (bangs head on desk.)
But, instead of sitting here, wailing “Why, why why?” I suppose I should just get on with writing the story.
Note to self: Always name your character names that begin with different letters–there are twenty-six letters in the English alphabet, for the love of Tolstoy…and if we get into the Elder Futhark we can use all those lovely runes….
Life in the Realm of Fantasy 
Great post, Connie. Very well stated and I agree with you.
Best wishes. Dean
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Thank you Dean! I love the names you have given your characters!
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Naming characters is one of the greatest joys of being an author!
(And I, coincidentally, am about to post my own blogette on naming characters.)
In my experience, the majority of characters in my novels come with names already affixed. Which makes it easier, but no less joyous.
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Some of them arrive that way, Stephen–and some arrive nameless!
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I toss the nameless back.
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I so know this feeling! Had the opening chapters of my sequel critiqued by my writer’s group last night, and the 2 new members who haven’t read the first book pointed out that I have Chel, Charin, Chayla and Chalice all in the first Chapter 😉
Groan. Those characters (2 gods, a minor character and the main protagonist’s surname) were all introduced separately in the first novel.
As you say, too late now to change names – just need to find another way to present them, I think, to avoid confusion with new readers.
I won’t be making that mistake again!
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Marya…Marta…
*doh*
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