I on the other hand don't recall liking to name anything. The few dolls I do recall naming had super simple names. The doll with the pink hair and dress was Rosie. Her brother was Jesse. The black cow was Blackie. The sneaky, black and tan dog was Bandit. Nothing terribly unique or exciting.
Even today I hate naming things. I'm pretty sure I read every name and meaning in the 100,000 Baby Names book before my son was born. Choosing the right names for my children was very important.
I have a difficult time naming my characters in stories. I don't know why exactly. I think one reason it is hard is that some names instantly conjure up certain stereotypes. Raul - dark, handsome, daring scoundrel. Savannah - sniveling, spoiled bitch.
The other reason, I guess, is names are important to me. Things are more meaningful when you include someone's name. Think about your parents. When they said, "John Michael Smith!" you knew they meant business.
When I have something important to say, I use names. I always make a point to say, "I love you, XXX" rather than just "I love you, babe." Nicknames are cute and fun, but when you really mean something, when something is more important than a car, a name must be used. Maybe that's the real reason the characters in my short stories usually don't have names.
What do you think? Is it easy to name things? How do you feel about the importance of using someone's name?
I can spend HOURS naming a character, sometimes several intervals of hours. For all my leads, the names are carefully constructed to further apply depth to the characters. I have named cars in the past, but it was a term of affection... namely because there were (and still are) times when I have to talk to my car and pray she starts or runs. My current car does not have a name. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks names are super important. LOL @ sweet talking your car to start. =)
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