Sunday, December 14, 2014

More than Just a Name

Picture of From Aaron to Zoe by Daniel A. Richman
Whether people acknowledge it or not, names still have great significance in culture today. If somebody’s name is “like Mud” or if a person is “no Sherlock,” often times, people may understand the meaning of such phrases even if they do not fully understand the source. In fiction, characters may have names with meanings that may reinforce or contradict their personalities or significance.
 
Many great books out there, not just Pilgrim’s Progress, have characters with significant names. In The Naming and in The Messenger, the protagonists receive new names that embody their roles in their societies. In The Kingdom Series, many of the characters’ names represent biblical characters. Even many of the characters in The Hunger Games are representational, and the places may be historical references. Most recently, some of characters in the Allegiance books have names that either reflect their personalities or names that the characters rise above.
 
In my own stories, I may spend days or even months trying to give a particular character a name with meaning. Villains are perhaps the most difficult characters to name, not necessarily because they are underdeveloped but because they are so vitally important. I can’t just name one of the most important characters John Smith, so my antagonist might go through half a draft with a name like (VN)—for Villain Name—or simply X. A successful writing day is one when I can name one character, and it's a superb day when I can name two.
 
Throughout Scripture, names have great significance both for God and for people. Abram, Sarai, and Jacob’s names were changed to Abraham, Sarah, and Israel. Naomi asked to be called Mara because she felt that her life was bitter. One of the apostles, Simon, was also called Peter. The list goes on.
 
Although not every writer may select names for a particular meaning, characters tend to embody a name and can even be memorable for them. Those characters with meaning in their names add layers of quality and depth to literature, which may be interesting to study when examining certain texts. Meaning behind a character name is not always necessary, but such names can hold power in both classical and contemporary literature.
 
Are there any characters whose names hold meaning that you view as significant? Do you think it is important for writers to give their characters’ names meaning?
 
Literary references: Daniel A. Richman's From Aaron to Zoe: 15,000 Great Baby Names, John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Alison Croggon’s The Naming, Lois Lowry’s The Messenger, Chuck Black’s The Kingdom Series, Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, L. Nicodemus Lyon’s Allegiance Series, and the Holy Bible.

Friday, December 5, 2014

"The List"--Splickety Magazine 3.4 Release

 
Today marks the release date of my most recent publication "The List" featured in Splickety Prime 3.4. This marks the second work I have had published through Splickety. You can view a short description of my first story on my Works Published page.
 
Splickety Prime 3.4
Perhaps one of the most dreadful questions a reader can ask is "What is your story about?" Before you ask, it’s about Christmas. Because the story is flash fiction—less than 1,000 words—I will refrain from describing the entire story. Instead, I will address a few things related to writing this story.
 
I first came up with the idea for this story a few years ago, but the story didn’t actually develop until this past summer. I was tired of all the trite Christmas stories that all seem to tell the same story, so I decided to write something different.
 
One story that served as inspiration, although it may not directly influence my story, is Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Although families may watch the film version to the point of quoting it word-for-word, the story still portrays the realistic importance of life and death through fantastical means.
 
On the other hand, my intention of writing “The List” is not to deemphasize the importance of the church or of the nativity story. For those of you who have already read my story, this might make more sense. To me, the best Christmas story will always be the nativity story.
 
Have a warm, merry Christmas!
 
What are some of your favorite Christmas stories? Do you have any questions concerning “The List”? I'd like to hear your thoughts!
 
Literary references: Splickety Magazine, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, and the Holy Bible.