Mary Sullivan
I’m in the process of writing proposals to send to Harlequin for my next Superromances and had to come up with names for three brothers. It’s a more difficult task than you would think. With each name we choose, we want to convey a certain image, of strength and vitality, or of masculine dependability. There are so many ways in which we shape our heroes and the name can be a large part of that. I write about cowboys and, in an effort to avoid names that seem to be overused in fiction, turned to my research books about modern-day cowboys. What I found surprised me.
For every ‘common’ name I found such as Bill, Keith, John and Jim, there was what I consider a name that is part of the fictional cowboy culture, as found in books or movies, or heard often in the country music culture. Those included Tyson, Shane, Duke, Chad, Lyle, Cody, Casey, Jake, Colt, Sonny, Christian, Travis; however, these men weren’t celluloid stars. They were real men doing real cowboy and ranch work, difficult jobs in the best and the worst weather.
I wondered about the cowboy heroes we portray in our romance fiction and whether any names have become so overused, or such a cliché that readers are tired of seeing them.
Some of the names I've used so far in my Supers are Hank and Cash and Rem (Remington). Hank is the strong, silent type. Cash is masculine and sexy. Rem is a bad boy turned good.
My three brothers will be named Gabriel (Gabe), Tyler (Ty) and Jonathan (Jon).
So…a curious author wants to know, on the issue of names, which are you as readers so tired of you never want to read them again. These can be in any subgenre of romance fiction, not just cowboy names.
On the flip side, which names do you LOVE and which male characteristics do they portray for you? My favorites are Michael and Gabe. I haven't used Michael yet, but will one day.
I would love to give away a copy of my Super This Cowboy's Son to one of you who comments here ;-)
48 comments:
Hi, Mary! Your cowboys are charmers--that's for sure : )
Characters don’t always have to bear unique names. Sometimes exotic names are just too much! If I am not sure how to pronounce a name, especially if it makes me stumble each time I come across it, then that takes away from the enjoyment of the story line. For heroes, I like Samuel (Sam), Joseph (Joe), Ian, Sean, Liam, Elijah (Lije), Jake, Max, Webber (Webb), Jack, Devlin (Dev), William (Will), Mac, Gordon, Ezekial (Zeke), Gabriel (Gabe), Dustin (Dusty), and Callen (Cal). For heroines, I like Jenna, Marie, Willow, Cassandra (Cassie), Lily, Annalee, Gina, Josette (Josie), and Joanna (Jo).
It would be a great service to readers if the proper way to pronounce the unusual names of people, places and things was explained somewhere at the beginning of the book. I used to see pages like this years ago, but not so much in today’s publishing world. This info could even be included in the “Dear Reader” page : )
Virginia, I love your list of names! I'm going to print it and set it aside for future reference. There are many here I would consider for my heroes.
I agree with you about unusual names. If I'm stumbling over a name, I'm not enjoying the story. If the name is explained in some way, though, then I'm fine with it. I read a LaVyrle Spencer book once in which she used an unusual Scandinavian name for the heroine, Linnea, and I wasn't sure how to 'read' it. I thought maybe Linn-ee-ah, which I didn't find very attractive. At one point in the story, though, the author had the heroine pronounce her name, Linn-ay-a, which is very pretty. I didn't stumble over the name once after that.
You are right. There are ways to handle unusual names so the reader can use them properly while reading. Explaining them in the 'Dear Reader' letter is a fabulous idea!
Like your names, Mary! Two names I'll never tire of are Jake and Sam. Used both of them in my first book with the hero and his brother, respectively.
I labor over names. They very definitely impact the vision I have in my head, and that vision impacts my story!
Never gave it a thought that names were an issue for writers. It is always a problem if I can't pronounce them. My favorite hero name is Gabe, least liked is Sam. Biggest problem I have as a reader is if the next book I pick to read has the same hero name as the one I just finished. Very interesting post.
I like Jackson, Trace, Matt, traditional names.
Helen, I like Jake and Sam! For writers, names are so much more important than we think, in the most surprising ways. In my second Super, the hero's name was C.J. Wright. I stumbled over those two periods so many times! If I'd known, I would have written him as just CJ Wright, without the periods that slowed me down so much. A small thing, but over the course of a book, it's something that matters.
Gloria, I'm hoping Harlequin will pick up these proposals, then I can spend a few months working with a hero named Gabe. I would really enjoy that!
jcp, my third hero, in This Cowboy's Son, was named Matt ;-)
Hi Mary,
After reading this post I went to the Calgary Stampede results page and looked at the event final names in the various competitions. Quite a few of your names were on the list. I like one syllable names usually but one of my favorites from the list is Davey Shields Jr. I also love the fact that they have a cowboys are strong enough to wear pink day in support of breast cancer. Some of the other names that stand out for me are Lee, Wade, Blake, Steve, Scott, and Troy.
I really don't worry about names in a story. I do like to be able to pronounce them. I agree with another commenter in that I can't read books back to back with the same names for either the hero or heroine
Hi Mary,
I love the names of your three new characters. I like it when they go more by a nickname the their whole name. I've always loved the names Nicholas (Nick)and Simon. They do something to me I can't explain. :) Don't want to read another book with a character named Rafe! I'm so over that name!
Meant to add that the very first people I worked for were Linnea and Frank at Frank's Cafe in Waterton Alberta. She pronounced her name Linn-ay-a.
Kaelee, I love the 'cowboys are strong enough to wear pink day' in support of breast cancer. Wonderful!
ClaudiGC, I really like Simon, too. I have to agree with your assessment of Rafe. For quite a few years, it was overused, particularly in historical novels.
Kaelee, as soon as I found out how it was supposed to be pronounced, I thought it was very pretty. Funny that I mentioned that name and you once worked for a Linnea ;-)
I like all three of your names, but Gabriel has got to be my favourite. As a Scot, I'm also fond of Mac as a hero's name. I also like E names - Elliott and Evan, Austin from my favourite soap opera. And Doug - because it alsways reminds me of George Clooney in ER!
Hi Mary--Some of our local cowboy/rancher names (young and old) are Jake, Chance, Trace, Will, Pete (two), Kade, Shane, Wacey, Doss, Teo (tay-oh), Dan, John, Davey. In my classes I have Chase and Travis and Stetson and Gabe. I was just reading an article about how the farther west you go, the more people stray from the so-called tradional names.
Hi Mary,
I had a hero named JT who started out as a J.T. I couldn't figure out how to punctuate sentences that ended with his name: J.T. or J.T.. so I took the periods away from him. Made life much simpler.
It's ironic that you mentioned a Lavyrle Spencer heroine's name. I've never known how to pronounce Lavyrle's name. She is a huge influence on my writing career, but when people ask me about favorite authors I hardly ever mention her since I don't want to sound like an idiot.
I get my hero and heroine names from the LONG list of baby names my husband rejected. Finn is my all-time favorite name for a guy but I haven't used it yet.
Scarlet, I LOVE the name Mac and started a manuscript a few years ago with a Mac as the hero. I haven't thought about that story in a while. I must revisit it soon and find out whether I want to finish it ;-)
Jeannie, I really like the name Teo, pronounced Tay-oh. I wonder what background it is. It sounds Greek.
Stetson as a first name? That's so cool.
I'm getting great ideas for names to use in the future from everyone's comments!
Ellen, I wish I'd been smart enough to drop the periods in C.J. I didn't really know how to punctuate at the end of sentences, either, but thought two periods just looked wrong, so used only one ;-)
I have the same problem with LaVyrle Spencer's name. I pronounce it La-verle. A friend says La-viral. I have no idea which is correct. I started writing after reading a couple of her books. She's amazing!
Finn is the son's name in the two Supers I have coming out this year, in July and in November. It would make a GREAT hero's name.
Oh, the agony of new names. some come easy, others get changed several times until the hero and I both feel comfortable with it. Like poor Rufus. the name fit when he was a walk-on character but to write his story I had to know what his real name was before I really understood him.
I love Ben.
My current WIP hero is Ned.
Deb
Hi Mary,
I like your post and the responses. Claudia mentions she is so over Rafe. She's right- it has been overused, but I love that name, so I named a child Rafe- not the hero. I looked at Tucson Rodeo participants and found Timber and Camo among other unusual names along with Gabe & Ty. I do like Gabe, Ty, & Jon and but no Jon was in the Tucson rodeo this year.
Deb, yes it can be so hard to get that name right. Once you've used up your favorite names in your books, you have to cast a pretty wide net to find more.
I was so impressed that you'd used an oddball name like Rufus! Loved that book!
Oh, I like Ned. I'll be interested in reading his story.
Hi Laura, I think Rafe, as a child's name, works really well because it's unusual in the real world outside of romance novels. Is his name Rafael and you've shortened it for every day use? Or is it Rafe?
Timber and Camo! Good names! Some parents have great imaginations.
Mary, I really love your books too.
I love all the traditional names and don't get tired of them. But one thing I do love is when the cowboy has a nickname because he has a
"sissy" given name. I can't think of an example right now (too close to dinner time) but I always smile when they have to 'fess up.
Love your three brothers' names, Mary.
Names make a big difference to how I perceive the character, both when reading and writing. Don't think I've ever read a book where the names set my teeth on edge, but I definitely prefer simple names. Sometimes unusual names can be good, especially if the name has a significance for the character or having the unusual name has in some way shaped them. If it's an odd name just for the sake of having a name no-one else has used, that puts me off a bit. Don't think that's an issue in Supers!
I do like initials that stand for outrageous names.
Here are some from my rodeo links... Tim is most common but here are others I liked. Casey, Wyatt, Hutch, Kaden, Wally, Ray, Chance, Flint, Clint, Will, Taryn, Spider, Teo, Brenan, Bardell, Jade, Asher, Cleve, Ryan, Sid, Woody, Reed, Craig, Seth
Really, really liked Spider.
Julie, thank you ;-)
I like nicknames that hide sissy names, too. I toyed with the idea of a cowboy hero named Ten, which I thought was pretty cool, and the heroine doesn't find out until the end of the story that his full name is Tender. Ha! Definitely NOT a man's name.
OOh, good topic, Mary.
Okay, my husband is Douglas and my sons are Jake and Gabe. So I'll never use those names though I love, love them.
I've used Jack, Tyson, Rick (Enrique), Brent, and Adam in my Oak Stand series. My new ones are Nate, Abram, and Darby. I really love those names too. Gosh, we could go on and on. Another name I like is Garrett, and then there's Colin, Caleb and Henry. Not real big on Sam because it always make me think of a dog.
Funny story, when I named my son Jake, my great-grandmother told me it was awful name. She said it was a "mule's name." LOL. I thought it sounded like a quarterback's name. She thought he sounded like something someone throw a pack and saddle on. Of course, she admitted her brother Orris had had a mule named Jake that had thrown her when she was a girl.
Autumn, I agree. Supers don't really have 'way out there' unusual names.
Linda, I really like some of the names from your rodeo links! Spider is good. I like Casey and Chance. Jade sort of sounds like woman's name to me, although I guess it could be short for something like Jaden.
Liz, your sons are called Jake and Gabe? Oh such great names. True, though, that you can't really use them for your heroes. Douglas makes a nice strong statement.
I like the names you've used in your books.
Love the story about your grandmother. Jake is too good a name to waste on a mule ;-)
I like the names you're using and I like names with nicknames, too. I read science fiction and fantasy as well as romance and scifi authors often have names I don't know how to pronounce. That is frustrating for a reader.
As for western/cowboy names my cousins are all ranchers and their kids have some interesting names: Chance, Jace, Cade (the boys) and Kakki, Rylie, Presley (the girls). They have all been in rodeos and live and work on ranches. Totally different from my kids' very traditional names (Kate, Karen, Steven).
Names don't really bother me either unless I can't pronounce them. Although for cowboy and rugged types, a one syllable name or nickname seems better to me. As for the heroine, they can have a long "pretty" name, but if she's a strong heroine (which is how I like them) I like a shorter nickname also. A pronunciation key would be good. It can either be doworked into into the beginning of the story when the hero/heroine might be letting someone know how their name is pronounced, or like someone suggested in teh dear reader letter. I usually make up my own pronunciations of unusual names and sometimes they don't sound as good as the actual pronunciation (if I ever learn the actual pronunciation!).
OOPS, that wasn't a Susan that posted, that was me, Snookie :) My sister in law hadn't signed out of her gmail account on my computer and I never noticed until it posted. :)
Has anyone mentioned Micah??? I have a cute little nephew named that!!! Would love to read your book!
I think it's hard to please everyone with a name. There's always going to be at least one negative connotation with any name.
For me, I like Tyler and Jon, but Gabriel always reminds me of the villainous Knight in Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles
Hi Mary--Teo is probably short for Mateo, which is Spanish. I live in a region with a lot of Spanish and Basque heritage. We do have kids here named Rafe--short for Rafael. Iwork with a Linnea and I love LaVyrle Spencer. That woman can write a love scene.
I prefer characters to be called by one name. I don't care what it is. I don't like when the character is called by 2 or 3 different names.
I like most common names, slightly unusual are fine too. Weird or very strange names are not my style. I am so easy to please it would be hard to list every name I do like and I really can't think of any names I am tired of seeing. I do like it when the name fits the character.
One thing I really enjoyed about having kids was getting to pick their names. It sounds like the same is true for characters in books!
I'm a fan of old fashioned names or plain names: Henry, Luke, John, Fred, and Zeke, to name a few. Someone else mentioned the secret name, when the hero doesn't want anyone to know his real name. I LOVE that.
I don't know that there's any name I'm just plain tired of, though there are some that I'd have a hard time reading because I identify them with one person in particular. I'm a huge J.D. Robb fan, so Eve & Roarke are that way for me. But reading a story with my kids' or husband's name in it is the same way, just harder to sink into the story I guess.
Mary,
The child in my story is Rafael, shortened to Rafe in English. Teo is a nickname I've heard for Mateo. Sometimes, Spanish names in English get shortened from the end. We call a friend named Roberto the 'Toe.'
Carin mentions the fun of picking kids names. I feel the same way about characters.
Jan, I really like the names your cousins chose for their children!
Hi Snookie, not Susan ;-) I like strong short one-syllable names for men, too.
Jackie--Micah--great name! I like it.
Coleen, I've never read the Lymond Chronicles or seen the name Gabriel used for a villain.
Jeannie, I really like the name Mateom shortened to Teo. Something to consider using in the future. LaVyrle Spencer could turn any scene into magic. What a writer!
Chey, two or three names for one character just confuses people and takes too long to say/read, imo.
Tammy, you're so easy-going about character's names. I think the problem for writers is finally deciding on which name most suits our hero.
Carin, I love your list of old-fashioned names.
Laura, the Toe! Poor Roberto ;-) Sounds like he must have a good sense of humor.
Hey Mary. Great post. I have a list of male and female names that I like and am slowly working my way through it. I like more traditional names like Jack and Sam and Ben, but I've worked my way through them pretty quickly! In one of life's little coincidences, the hero in The Last Goodbye is called Tyler, and his older brother is Jon. Don't worry, those stories will be long gone by the time your books are out! I tend to try to avoid what I think of as "romanc-y" names - basically, anything that might be used on Bold and the Beautiful. I want my characters to feel real to me, not fantasy figures, so I need their names to feel real, too.
I don't like names that are too clever or fanciful or trendy. I want strong names for my heroes & beautiful names for my heroines.
marypres@gmail.com
I'm late to the discussion since I have been out of town for three days helping a friend and although she has a computer I didn't have time for using it.
As for names my first desire is to be able to pronounce them!!!!! I do like the names Mac, Jacob, Chance, Jack, Marshall, Robert for a hero.
Kate, Kelly, Faith, Jamie, work for girls.
I love your list of names and I like the more common names, like Jack, Joe, Nick, Gabe, something easy. I named my son Joseph Michael so you can tell I love the name of Michael. Most of the time we call my son Joe. I love for authors to stick to the simple names. I have read books that I couldn't even pernounce the name and made up my own name for the hero.
Like some others have mentioned, I don't like it when I have no idea how to pronounce a name. I kind of play the book like a movie in my mind while I'm reading, so if I don't know how to pronounce the hero's name, it really throws me off.
The only names I am sick of are the names that feel, to me, like the author is trying TOO hard to come up with a unique or rugged name. To use an example from a popular soap opera, three of the leading men are/were Ridge, Thorn, and Storm. One character having a really unusual name would be more than enough. Three just seems weird to me. Lately, several stories I've read have had unusual names, like the authors were trying to use the hero's name to make him someone more masculine and tough. I can't think of all of them right now, but one was Bolt. If an author wants to give a hero a really unusual name, I'd rather something like that be a nickname than a given name.
Personally, I think names like Sam, Rob, Tom, Luke, Alex, Rick, Mick, Justin, Joshua (Josh), Christopher (Chris), Nicholas (Nick), or any number of other fairly normal names can bring up the rugged image, depending upon how the author "paints" the hero!
Post a Comment