Sherrilyn Kenyon, "The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook (2nd Edition)"

Writers give as much thought and consideration to naming characters as they would to naming a newborn child. This trusted writing resource takes the uncertainty out of the process with a brand new edition. Contains: more than 25,000 first and last names organized by meaning and ethnic origin; invaluable instruction on naming strategies and creating original names; and a look at how best-selling novelists, like Elizabeth George, Marian Keyes and more, name their characters. Now all types of fiction writers can add more nuance and meaning to their work with the perfect names!

From the Back Cover
The Ultimate Guide To Choosing Character Names

Back in print and better than ever, The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook has been updated and expanded to help you find character names and their meanings quickly and easily!

This one-of-a-kind resource was specifically designed with the writer in mind. Inside you'll find:

• 25,000+ first names and surnames, and their meanings, listed by origin
• Names and surnames from more than 45 countries
• A reverse lookup of names by meaning
• An alphabetical index of names
• An explanation of naming practices and historical context for each origin
• A list of the top ten most popular names in the United States every year from 1880-2003
• Instruction on how to create believable names that fit your characters and your story

This exciting new edition also includes advice from a number of best-selling authors, including Elizabeth George, Alexander McCall Smith, Homer Hickam, Marian Keyes, Big Fish author Daniel Wallace, and others. You'll get the inside scoop on their naming methods, plus the stories behind the names of their most famous characters.

So throw out your old telephone books and baby-naming guides—The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook meets all your naming needs!

Contents

Online Research Tips
 A Note About Accuracy
 Genealogy Resources
 Baby Name Sites
 Search Engines
 Special Sources
 Native Speakers and Other Experts
Thanks
About the Author

Part 1 – The Craft of Naming
 Naming Characters
  Naming Guidelines
   1. Capture the persona
   2. Choose a name in keeping with your character's heritage and personality and/or trade
   3. Make the name harmonious
   4. Keep the character's name consistent with his or her time period
   5. Keep the character's social status in mind
   6. Use nicknames
   7. Vary the names of the characters
   8. Remember the genre
   9. If you choose a name that breaks the rules, explain it
   10. Avoid the names others have made famous
  Specific Genre Advice
   Science Fiction/Fantasy
   Horror
   Romance
   Thrillers
   War/Military
   Teen fiction
   Western
   Mystery
   Erotica
   Paranormal
 Naming Places and Things

Part 2 – The Lists
 African
 Anglo-Saxon
 Arabic
 Armenian
 Arthurian Legend
 Basque
 Cambodian
 Celtic
 Chinese
 Czechoslovakian
 Danish
 Dutch
 Egyptian
 English
 Finnish
 French
 Gaelic
 German
 Greek
 Hebrew
 Hungarian
 Indian
 Irish
 Italian
 Japanese
 Korean
 Latin
 Maori
 Native American
 Norwegian
 Persian
 Polish
 Polynesian
 Portuguese
 Russian
 Scandinavian (Old Norse)
 Scottish
 Slavic
 Spanish
 Swedish
 Teutonic
 Thai
 Ukranian
 Vietnamese
 Welsh
 Top Ten U.S. Names By Year

Sidebars
 Victoria Alexander
 Elaine Barbieri
 Elizabeth Boyle
 Michael Connelly
 Jennifer Crusie
 Barry Eisler
 Lynn Emery
 Hallie Ephron
 Elizabeth George
 Lorraine Heath
 Homer Hickam
 Sherrilyn Kenyon
 Marian Keyes
 Karyn Langhorne
 Evan Marshall
 Sarah Mlynowski
 David Morrell
 Linda Needham
 Julie Ortolon
 Jodi Picoult
 Debbie Raleigh
 Sari Robins
 Alexander McCall Smith
 Haywood Smith
 Karen Rose Smith
 Tina Wainscott
 Daniel Wallace

Part 3 – The Indexes
 Reverse Lookup
  Beautiful
  Beloved
  Brave
  Bright
  Consecrated
  Dark
  Defender
  Fiery
  Flower
  Free
  Gift from God
  Gentle
  Grace
  Happiness
  Intelligent
  Light
  Manly
  Noble
  Physically Strong
  Pure
  Rules the Home
  Star
  Stranger
  Supplanter
  Sweet
  Victorious
  Warrior
  Wealthy
  Wise
  Youthful
 Index

Tags: WritingReference, WritingTechnique

H. W. Fowler & Ernest Gowe...lish Usage (2nd Edition)"

Geraldine Woods, "English Grammar for Dummies"

Garner's Modern American Usage (2nd Edition)

Eugene Ehrlich, "The Harp...eign Terms (3rd Edition)"

R. W. Holder, "How Not To...Euphemisms (3rd Edition)"

Jerome Stern, "Making Shapely Fiction"

N. E. Renton, "Metaphoric...ue Idiomatic Expressions"

Richard A. Spears, "NTC's...onary of American Idioms"

Tom McArthur, "The Oxford Companion to the English Language"

Judith Siefring (ed), "Th... of Idioms (2nd Edition)"

John Ayto, "The Oxford Dictionary of Slang"

Wayne C. Booth, "The Rhetoric of Fiction (2nd Edition)"

J. I. Rodale, "The Synonym Finder"

Webster’s New Dictionary of Sy...Analogous and Contrasted Words

Webster's Dictionary of English Usage

Janet Burroway, "Writing ... Narrative Craft (3rd Edition)