The Perfect Name

Picture of me and my three younger siblings
Clockwise from top: Preston, me, Nicole, Julia

I am pleased to say that last night, I finished writing chapter twenty-two! 😃 Lots of emotion, flash backs, along with some fighting to spice things up. Sounds pretty good, right? Well, I think it is. But y'all will have to be judge of that once it's published. 😛

But you know what...the hardest part about this chapter, was naming it. And that got me thinking...about how important names are to us. Your name, is an integral part of your being. It's apart of being who you are. I'm Priscilla. I'm not my brother, Preston, nor am I my sisters, Nicole and Julia. I'm me. I'm Priscilla.

So when naming a character, the name is important. For some, it's just a random name off the top of your head that sounds good and is used for a side character. But for others. It needs to fit. It needs to feel right off the tongue. It needs to help define the character in the readers mind.

And finding this right name can be hard...really hard. But there's a few ways to go about it. An author can look up names with certain meanings...or look at famous historical personnel whose story alludes to something about the character they have created.  Other times, it's based off of real people the author knows as friends (or not friends) whose personality or impact on the author's life aligns to a trait with the character. And lastly, sometimes it's just a name the author likes.

Take for example, the name Elena. I just liked the way it sounded.  Here's how I say it. "E" as in egg, "le" as in leg, "n" followed by "uh" as in uh-oh. Elena. Yeah, I still like it. 😉 Elena also happens to mean "Shining Light" which goes well with her role in the story. But that's all I'll say about that. Now, her last name, Pierce, is taken from one of my family's favorite authors, Tamora Pierce. If you've never read her books, they're great. If you're looking for a strong female lead, set in a medieval fantasty then check out her "The Song of the Lioness" series here. You won't be disappointed. Even my brother Preston loved her books!

So yeah, there's my thoughts on names and how the name of Elena Pierce came about.  Feel free to comment below what your name is, what it means, and how/why your parents chose it!