I see what you did there, authors…

We’ve all done it. Sit down with a good book, open it, and exclaimed, “Hey, I see what you did there!” at a double meaning in a character’s name. It’s a common practise, and it’s always fun for the reader to clue in to a hidden pun.

J.K. Rowling, author of the famous Harry Potter series, gives us plenty of ironic names, of which I will point out a few:

• Fawkes, Dumbledore’s phoenix - Guy Fawkes, famous for trying to assassinate James I and blow up the Parliament buildings in 1605 (the Gunpowder Plot; remember the rhyme Remember, remember the fifth of November?). Phoenixes are known for bursting into flames at the ends of their lives, only to be reborn in its own ashes.
• Sirius Black – Sirius is the brightest star in the sky and part of the constellation Canis Major, or the Big Dog. Sirius Black is capable of turning into a massive black dog.
• Remus Lupin - one of two children of the Roman myth Remus and Romulus, who were raised by wolves. ‘Lupin’ is also derived from the Latin word lupinus, meaning wolf. Remus Lupin is a werewolf.
• The Black extended family - everyone in this elite, pure-blooded wizarding family is named after a star, constellation, or other galactical object. E.g. Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco and Scorpio Malfoy, Andromeda Tonks, Sirius Black…

Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins also gives some “Ooh, I see what you did there” moments:

• Peeta Mellark - assumedly derived from ‘pita’ bread. Peeta is a baker in District 12.
• Castor and Pollux - twin brothers of Greek mythology; when Castor is killed, Pollux shares his immortality with his twin, and they are transformed into the constellation of Gemini. In Mockingjay, their roles are reversed. Pollux has lost his tongue to the Capitol and works as an Avox in the utility pipes and passageways under the city; Castor eventually buys his freedom.

Now, these are some pretty large and obvious examples, but they still make me smile. The more you read — and the more time you spend on Think Baby Names.com — the more “I see what you did there” moments you’ll have. It’s fun.

As I was writing my manuscript, Arden: the Girl from the Mountains, I unknowingly used a few of those moments.

No joke. It was an accident.

• Ilex is my large, down-to-earth, golden king of North Ferin. I googled ‘King Ilex’ just to make sure that a King Ilex has never existed before. And behold — a variety of holly called Ilex x altaclerensis, also known as ‘Golden King’

Golden King — of the garden and of North Ferin.

• Tristan, the name of my temperamental, emotionally insecure prince who makes his rounds with the ladies, is a name that means ‘noisy’ (he and Arden often have shouting matches) and is thought to be derived from the French word for sad: triste. Also, a lover’s tryst, or secret meeting between lovers; Tristan often meets in secret with his mistress Clemma.
• Princess Tamsin is the mentally unstable twin sister of King Ilex — and Tamsin means ‘twin.’

These were accidents. I had no idea of these meanings when I created these characters. When I found out, I burst into laughter. What are the odds?

…Then I had a couple purposeful “I see what you did there” moments.

• Charles and Brandon, brothers who are employed in the king’s army, are a play on Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, brother-in-law and best friend to Henry VIII, athlete, ladies’ man, and knight. Originally I had planned on calling the brothers Thomas and Wyatt, after one of my favourite Tudor-era courtiers and poet, but I ended up with Charles and Brandon.

Yes, I know this is Henry Cavill PLAYING Charles Brandon, but I couldn’t help myself — isn’t he handsome?

• King Filip and Queen Ismire is a bold, nearly polar-opposite play on King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile, the Catholic Kings of Spain, and parents of Catherine of Aragon, wife of Henry VIII
• Princess Joliet, the youngest daughter of Filip and Ismire, based loosely on Juliet Capulet from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
• Clemma, Tristan’s mistress, comes from the fruit ‘clementine.’ Clemma is extremely sweet and temptingly beautiful.
• Custos Montem is a magician who is appointed to one be of Arden’s guides in her search for her missing ward. His name means ‘Guardian of the Mountain’ in Latin. (Or at least, according to Google Translate!)
• Arden Falconer, the name of my protagonist, was also intended. Obviously, her last name represents her career — falconry, but I had to hunt a little deeper for her first name. At first it was Mina, but I began the quest for a different, more meaningful, and landed on Arden. Meaning ‘great forest,’ the Forest of Arden is also a beautifully magical place in Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Also derived from the word ‘ardent.’

It’s extremely and deviously enjoyable writing these meanings — like hiding Easter eggs for children and wondering in supsense if they’ll find them.

My question to you: do you enjoy finding these “I see what you did there” puns? Are there any others you’ve found in books over the years?

“I see what you did there!”

Out with Mina Greyfalcon and in with Arden Falconer

Admittedly, I’m only a little less than halfway finished my fantasy-esque novel. Keeping in mind this is since late February, I’m still generally pleased with my progress.

Now, a bite that’s a bit tough to chew: the name of my main character was beginning to annoy me. Don’t get me wrong! I love the name Mina. It’s so sweet and soft and delicate.

But my protagonist is none of the above described. She’s opinionated, fiery, stubborn, and hard as a rock. She doesn’t let anyone into her heart easily and is practical rather than emotional. She is destined for something large, important, political, and grand (though I’m not exactly sure what yet).

Originally she didn’t even have a name. I only knew that her surname was Greyfalcon and that her family bred and raised falcons atop a mountain. And, because I wanted to start putting her story to paper (or Word document), I needed a name. I settled on Mina not 100% satisfied, but I knew it could be changed later.

After the first 13 chapters it was harder to write about her. HER NAME DIDN’T SUIT HER. I was becoming annoyed because her hard actions were reversed by such a soft name. It became more and more difficult to write her story.

I was actually looking up the meanings for some other characters’ names (a post for another time) when I found it.

Arden. Meaning: great forest, ardent, passionate.

Well, she lives in a great forest and is passionate about her work, her little brother, and her mountain. And, it sounds more of a fantasy name than the more common ‘Mina.’

Then came her last name. I could hardly have both end in *in* sounds, but I still wanted it to reflect her profession. So I swapped Greyfalcon for the simple, more effective Falconer.

Arden Falconer.

Voila.

I search and replaced the first 13 chapters with the name Arden. And, as I read back, I like her more as a character because her names suits her more.

Let’s call it victory.

Happy writing.

~

Read my post on naming characters here.

The Name of the Game

It’s hard, finding the perfect name. For a kid, for a pet, for a toy, for a character — choosing names is difficult. And when it comes to naming your characters, it has to be perfect because it has to match his/her personality. It’s likely the first thing the reader will encounter. A golden — or not — first impression.

I have several ways to beat this, some mundane and others plain fun. It doesn’t always work, and a character’s name can always change if you find a better suited one, but it’s usually productive and at least enjoyable.

Start a dictionary. Begin with names that are commonplace but not too boring, like Madeleine or Spencer, and add any favourites that pop into your head as you stare at the word processor. You should end up with a fairly long list. Now comes the fun part.

After watching a movie on the weekend, take the time to watch the credits. About halfway through the names and nicknames start to get interesting; ”Bear” or “Thunder” might scroll by. And don’t miss the opportunity for last names! Write ‘em down, remember ‘em, save ‘em for later.

Sporting events. I personally don’t watch many of these, but during the Olympics I’ll sit in front of the TV and watch downhill skiing or something and scribble down my favourite names. Maelle was a stand-out for me at Vancouver 2010. Other favourites often were athletes from China, Japan, Korea, and Switzerland: Arisa, Naleryia, Yulia.

French-English dictionary. If you’re looking for a name that fits a character’s personality, look up some adjectives. Sad? Mal. Read? Lire. Pretty? Jolie. And on and on. Sometimes I get caught up in it, imagining characters to go with these names.

Phone book. These are good for last names especially, for obvious reasons.

Maps! I LOVE reading maps. They are simply stuffed with spectacular names! Caspian and Tasman (seas) are personal favourites, but I won’t ruin your map-reading fun.

Get a baby naming book. Your mom might have one, or a friend might. They come complete with meaning, origins, variations, nicknames, and celebrity namesakes. It’s also cute to see the owner have notes scrawled in the margins and names circled or underlined. And don’t think these names are all ordinary: how about Avice, Iolanthe, or Semele? Very elvish feeling, no?

And perhaps the most fun of all is making up something completely original. Mixing two or three names to make one, or experimenting with random sounds and letters to get something you like. I’ve combined Amelia with Jenny to get Jenilia, and Talia with Anna to get Talianna. I’ve concocted Arrasae (pronounced Air-uh-say) through random lettering. See how fun this is?

I once created an entire character based on the last half of the word penicillin. Cillin was a bookbinder who worked in King Ilex’s castle as a bookbinder: two children, not married, dry humour. Unfortunately I haven’t put him to good use yet, but he is a cool guy to have hanging around in my head.

Personally, I find it’s easier to build a character around a name rather than find a name for a character who already exists. Currently I have a nameless girl — who belongs to the same world as Cillin — wandering around with no purpose. She has a background and a cast of marvelous supporting characters, but until I find her a name she’ll continue to sit around and get dusty because I can’t do anything with her.

Time to dig out a map.