I just spent the last 24 hours trying to name a character. He has a part in one chapter with a brief mention in another. I don’t know why, but some characters are hard to name. It never seems to be the main character. It’s easy to name someone Handsome Hero. Everyone will remember his initials HH. Better yet, his name describes his part in the novel.
After much consideration, I settled on the name Aleric Smith. Aleric is of Old German derivation and a seldom used boy’s name. While Smith is the most common family name in this country. Aleric is most often defined as a “noble, regal ruler.” Unfortunately, my Aleric is neither. However, his last name is a better definition of his character, common.
Why would I waste an entire day finding a name for a character? I don’t know. I can only hope his name doesn’t disturb the flow of the novel.
