Story ideas

Samuel Reyes

Samuel Reyes

Chilling in SunnyD
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Apr 6, 2015
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Texas
I've decided to try my hand at writing a story which I could either turn into a novel or construct into a screenplay. The story would be a sci-fi with allusions to other genres, particularly the western. The protagonists of the story will be a world-weary bounty hunter who believes the human race exists simply to destroy itself, and an idealistic, tenderfoot lawyer who believes there is good in everyone. Their experiences over the course of the story will change both of them, turning the former into a more optimistic individual, and the latter into a cynical, bitter anti-hero. In honor of Buffy, I want to introduce a trio of female asskickers and have them play a crucial role in the outcome of the story; unfortunately, I am struggling to come up with some names for these characters.

All three are in their early 20's.
  • Originally a Cordy-type, circumstances forced her into becoming a leader and strong warrior, though she learns to accept it and turns out similar to Buffy.
  • Streetwise Hispanic girl, very Faith-esque, a loose cannon who is constantly switching allegiances
  • The youngest, childlike but in a vaguely eerie way (think River Tam), cold and calculating and willing to make hard decisions.
Any ideas for names? Thank you.
 
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Fuffy Baith
Fuffy Baith
I'm the worst with names. Good luck!
Samuel Reyes said:
I am struggling to come up with some names for these characters.
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What I do is name them after cities/places I've been to that feels like the character... that way you have a placeholder name that has a tonal recognition for you as you write the character... then at the end of it just autofix the name...

So.. cordy-type similar to Buffy would be Battery, as in Battery Park... Battery Park in July has a very Buffy feel, at least to me. So then each time I would think of the character and mention the name my mind would go back to the times spent at Battery Park and the mood/feeling of it; then those characteristics would inhabit themselves in the tone character.

You cant name a character before it becomes alive because then you put them in a box and limit them to the name you've given them... let the character pick out it's own name.
 
I don't have any name suggestions, but just wanted to add how much I like the majority of the names in the Buffyverse! I think a lot of thought went into them in regards to their character. I like that.
 
For the Cordy type: Olivia = Liv.
The Hispanic: Carmelita
The childlike one: Liona

I agree - names are the worst part of trying to write original fiction. And maybe you want to swap the first and third names above.
 
An option is to look at food groups or types of food for names. So Pasta could become Pastal, Salt is a nice name.
Decide on a name as soon as you can, it'll save going back over what you've done to make sure that name is used throughout the story. One thing to think of is the readers pronouncing the name wrong and that can alter the pacing of the story.
 
In my latest idea I have a person who is a type of witch, one who is capable of good and bad, she also delivers feats of fighting greater than others. I needed to give her a name so the reader would see her as one to lead others. I looked at the word Barbarian, being as she is a female that led me to Barbara. That became a mix which was Barbaria, when that was read a few times I found it to be awkward to say so I altered it to flow from the tongue, her name became Babaria.

It isn't a case of reading outside the box, more like reading what is on the box that outside that one. Do you remember the cartoon character that had the name Isenoho? The sign was damaged that bore the direction Use No Hooks. By seeing that lasr upright of the U and losing the last three letters of the word hooks the character saw IseNoHo, hence Isenoho was born.
 
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