La Vie En Rose for 2005 September 2 (entry 1)

(15) Fri Sep 02 2005 19:05 PST The Name Game: (something more cheerful for you to read about)

Stacy and I had a long conversation about names this afternoon: names she wants to name her children, names I am trying to decide on for the characters in my novel, big names I want for the film version (Keira Knightly, Maggie Smith are two). I've agonised before about whether it's appropriate to name your children the same name as a character in your book. At long last (and after a lenghty discussion with Christina while we were in SF) I decided to err on the side of caution, and since Kate is my number 1 choice for a girl, I have to pick a new name for the number 1 sidekick. C & I spent ages on internet baby name sites looking up Scottish names and what they mean.

Sidenote: I'd really love a names book, first and last, that tells me, by nationality, good names and what they mean. I mean--I don't know any Serbian names! The last ones are pretty easy to make up, just throw together a few letters (vowels are optional) and add "itch" or "ovitch" to the end. But I don't know any first names! Anyway.

One of the ones I really liked that we came up with was Andra, which I really like, despite my strong adversion to the name Andrea. You know how some names are just ruined for you because of experiences with people? And it really sucks when it's a good name. But yes--Andra. It means "Strong and brave," which I thought was just perfect for my heroine, who name was previously Emma. It's a lot less common, too, which I likeee, and more Scottish sounding. But it means I have to get used to thinking of her as Andra, which is going to be difficult after over a year, but I think I can manage.

This still left the Kate problem, however. The other two names I came up that I liked for her were either Tara or Lara. I wanted something short that also implied loyal. But since their names are said together often, I though having them both end with an "ah" sound might make it awkward, but Stacy assured me it would be ok. I like Tara better, I think, but then her last name is Williams, S. pointed out the "ll"s will sound nice together. So yay, Lara. It means "mare." Now only one of the main girls is left with her original name, and I did change the spelling of her nickname.

Mostly I am lucky, though, because I don't have to make up names as I am using a lot of real people. This is great as I am terrible at stuff like coming up with names. I still don't have a title.

And yeah, along with the names book I wish I had, well, there are a lot of reference books I wish I could wish into existense. Serbian officers and their activities during WWI. The fate of the Austrian prisoners after the great retreat of 1915. A guide to Edwarian slang and speech styles. Not to mention medical details. I'm lucky, though--there's so much I *do* know bc of the research I've already done.

So yeah. Is there a point to all of this? Probably not.

Comments:

Posted by Becca at Sat Sep 03 2005 05:23

Maggie Smith!

Posted by Christina at Sat Sep 03 2005 06:34

Good! I really liked Andra - it seems like it fits. :) (Looks like that time spent searching the internet for names paid off! yay!)

Posted by s at Sat Sep 03 2005 06:36

check this out. courtesy george clooney (no joke)

http://politicaltechnology.com/one/blogs/one%5Fblog/

Posted by Rachel at Sat Sep 03 2005 07:18

Yes, it's true, I have long thought that Maggie Smith would make a good Elsie Inglis.

Posted by Rachel at Sat Sep 03 2005 07:25

Also, here is where I talked before about using the name twice ... am too lazy to edit with link

http://www.crummy.com/rachel/2005/06/05/1#comments

Posted by Susie at Sat Sep 03 2005 18:26

John likes Emma but I think it is much too common.

Posted by s at Sat Sep 03 2005 19:25

Interesting. I was about to say- common might be something to think about-- it might be good, in that it's like saying your protaganist is "everywoman" and hence, very relatable. It would do better in the movies...most people can't relate to being very very rich.

But then, I got to thinking about the socio-economic backgrround of these women you are writing about, and the majority of them are aristocrats. Which means: you need to give most of them reallly long names-- and at least a few need the hyphenated last names from when the aristocrats started marrying the nouveau riche so that the family would keep the name-- but then have the new influx of money.

If you set your novel in France, you could go with the common names and stick them all in the WAAC. But too bad it's Serbia--and people take luxury cruises to go volunteer in Serbia.

Posted by Pooca at Sat Sep 03 2005 22:18

I am in love with my baby name book. It sounds like exactly what you need--the names in dictionary form, seperated by boy/girl, with alternate spellings. Ex:

Haley (Scandinavian) "hero." Hailee, Haily, Haleigh, Halie, Haly, Hayley

It's AMAZING.

("The Best Baby Name Book in the Whole Wide World" by Bruce Lansky. 1979.)

Posted by Rachel at Mon Sep 05 2005 21:50

Emma is also a common name for heroines in books, which is why I was leaning against it (besides the obvious, there is Emma in Can You Keep a Secret). But really--is it all that common? I can't think off hand of any Emmas I know... ok one, but that's it. And anyway, I think it takes more than a name to make people relate to characters. Though people might relate to her bonding friendships with other women or her changing relationship with her father, she is definitley not everywoman. She comes from a very privilged background, does very unusual things. People will have to relate to her by comparing her reactions to her trials and tribulations to their own. When I think of an everywoman, I think of something like Bridget Jones, who has struggles that most woman can relate to on a very basic level: dating problems, weight, money issues, etc etc. Good point about the last names tho. I will have to make Helen have a hyphenated-last-name as she is the socialite of the group. She was jsut Shepherd but I stole that from history.

Oh an by the way, you know that a good portion of the Red Cross supplies/people in Serbia got there via luxury cruise? Thomas Lipton spent the war ferrying them back and forth between Salonika and Marseilles.

I also want a name book that had last names and their orgination. I don't think they have any "baby names" books like that. Perhaps something geneology.

Posted by Susie at Tue Sep 06 2005 04:40

Emma has been on the top ten list in America since "Rachel" named her baby that.

Posted by Becca at Tue Sep 06 2005 06:44

I'm supposed to relate to dating, weight, and money issues? Okay, I'll work on that.

Posted by Rachel at Tue Sep 06 2005 07:25

1. oh yeah.

2. I said "most women."

Posted by Curious George at Tue Sep 06 2005 17:01

Not to detract from this "women's moment," but who is the ideal "every man" that I am supposed to relate to? Prolly some Jimmy Stewart-esque character.

Posted by Chris at Tue Sep 06 2005 19:21

Lara and Tara? How very "Gone With the Wind" and "Doctor Zhivago" (respectively).

Posted by Chris at Tue Sep 06 2005 19:23

I just noticed that I switched my Tara and Lara inadvertently. Tara should come before Lara in that statement.