: Re: What kind of effect can the name of a place or character have on a reader? My question is rather simple. In fact, it's in the title and requires almost no explanation. We can see throughout

@Shelley992

Vote Up Vote Down

It is not a simple question. Names can have implications on the character but even more so on the namer. Depending on the actions of named and the depth and intuition of the character some implications can be wild. Take for example Arthur Daley'a wife known only as '"Her indoors". The facts are: she never makes an appearance, he fears her wrath, and she knows everything . . . sounds like God to me.

It can be a hook device. Katlyn's younger sister, Charlie, is nicknamed "Tiddler" even though she's 5'10" and attends college on a basketball scholarship. Katlyn (the narrator) continually promises to tell you (the reader) how Charlie got the name "Tiddler" . . . she never does but the twist is she already did in the first chapter.

There are subconscious echoes of the writer's real life. (I recently discovered that more than 50% of the names female main characters that I have named begin with a hard C.

And of course tbere's the infamous Hannibal Lector. Fun fact: many writers only read things they don't hear them. Just for them: Hannibal Rhymes with Cannibal.

On that note (many don't hear the audio version) of written text. I had a seriously badass, violent female character named "Charlene Temple".

Charlene Temple is a slide-by.

One of the most interesting (probably coincidental) namings is Star Trek's "The Borg". Logically, Borg is derived from "cyborg" half-man/ half machine. But consider their behaviour: they'll ignore others unless they consider them a threat, and are responsible for the expression "Resistance is futile".

Star Trek is a US series. In 70's world tennis was dominated by the US. But from nowhere came a character named Bjorn BORG. He defeated all that came before him. (Resistance was futile). He retired suddenly. In an interview he said, "I started playing tennis for the competition, when there was none - I stopped." (No perceived threats).

Captain James T Kirk and Captain T Hook - really? We know Gene Roddenbury read Peter Pan.

Don't get me started on Peter Parker (Spiderman). What if he was an Italian? . . . maybe we call the superhero Peter Petrelli (Heroes).

My absolute favourite naming coincidence comes from the film "Top Gun" (1986). A film about US military might. It launched the career of US actor TOM CRUISE. Five years later the Gulf war broke out. The US bombarded Iraq with TOMahawk CRUISE missiles = what's up with that?

Tom Cruise is his real name and the missile was created before his rise to fame but - curiouser and curioser.

(0)

Login to post a comment!