You're reading a tutorial in the Character Development Studios.
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Starfire
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Studio One: Names
Creating an Alias: The Easiest Part
Well, It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time!
Using Other Languages to Make a Name
Using Compound Words to Make a Name
Using Colors to Make a Name
Making Something (hopefully a name) Out of Nothing
What's in a Name, Anyway?
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Creating an Alias: The Easiest Part
Easiest, most tedious... it's both. Why, you ask? Well, your name can make your character (more about that later). And though choosing a name can be a simple ordeal, it can also be a challenge if you can't find a name you like right off the bat. It's like picking a name for a new pet. Sometimes the first name you think of will click immediately, others you like and then have second thoughts about. It’s difficult to think up a name that fits your character, that you feel comfortable with, and that virtually no one else is using.
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Well, It Seemed Like A Good Idea at the Time!
If you've decided to choose a name from a Redwall book, read this first and make sure you know what you're getting into.
You probably don’t want to choose a name and its corresponding character from one of the Redwall books unless you plan to stay in that character’s personality and do it well. A dozen Martin the Warriors runnning about, all thinking they're the only Martin, is a bad thing. So is a bunch of healer vixens named Nightshade, and twenty four Ublazes ruling as many Sampetras.
You should actually avoid choosing a full name from a Redwall book. Even if you love the name Tarquin Woodsorrel, or want to be just like Martin the Warrior... well, you're not going to be the only one who likes Tarquin or Martin. Chances are there's another person out there who calls themselves that, and generally nothing comes out of it but confusion. Plus, in some clubs there's only one spot for each first name - so there couldn't be two people with characters named Starfire... or Luke... or Cluny...
Now, that's not to say that you can't take names from other books and use them as your Redwall character's name, so long as they're appropriate. Pikachu... not very Redwally. Hedwig... Redwally. And Pottery. ;) There is a lesser chance that someone else will have your name if you do that (as long as it's not a common name), so if there's a reasonable-sounding name that you like in a copy of Harry Potter, The Wheel of Time, The Seven Songs of Merlin, or some other novel, then use it. For instance, after reading two of Garth Nix's novels, Sabriel and Lirael, I decided that I really liked both the names and they worked well with two characters I was thinking of making, so I used them - and as far as I've seen, no one else has (in the ROC, that is...).
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Using Other Languages to Make a Name
An easy way to think up a name is to think about a prominent quality your character is going have. Then you can use a dictionary of any language you want (pig latin not recommended) and contort the word. For example, if your character is going to be really evil, try something that means evil in another language. For example, ‘mal’ means bad, so you could try Malo, Mala, Malae, etc. A few examples from the Redwall series: 'Lutra' means otter in Latin; 'Brock' means badger in Latin (Brockhall, Brocktree, Brockrose); and 'Bella' can mean either 'beautiful' or 'war-like.'
You can also merge two words. 'Salamandastron' is a combination of 'salamander' (a lizard who was thought to be immune to fire a long time ago) and 'astro' (star). Salamandastron, the mountain of the fire lizards, is an extinct volcano. The 'astro'... my best guess on that one is that it's got something to do with the falling star Martin's sword was made out of. Try it! If your character is a female dibbun who continuously gets in trouble (more than normal for a dibbun), you could merge mal (bad) and puella (girl) and have something to the effect of Malpul or Malpela. That basically means bad girl... fitting, because it's a bad example, and I'm sure you can think of a better one. ;) For another example, we'll use the name of one of my other characters, 'Nina deSylvianoc.' 'Nina' means 'child,' 'de' is 'of' 'sylvia' means 'forest,' and 'noc' is how I shortened the Latin for 'night. Her name, roughly translated, means 'Child of the Forest Nights.'
The possibilities are endless, and there are tons of languages and dialects to use: American English, British English, Latin, Spanish, Greek, Celtic, Irish, etc.
It's also interesting to take some common letter combinations from other languages and insert them into your character's name. 'Ae' is a popular one - Starfire's first name, 'Allaeandra,' uses it, as does 'Lirael.'
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Using Compound Words to Make a Name
Hey, I've got a perfect example of this: Starfire. Since comets were orignally thought to be falling stars, I figured that perhaps their tails were refered to as 'star's fire' or something; and since Starfire is a grey hare, I decided it was somewhat fitting. I actually did the character description after I did the name, and despite the rumors that I saw the book called 'Starfire' and picked the name subconciously, I just liked the sound of it. :) You can do the same thing with your character's name - combine some words. Your compound name doesn’t have to do with your character’s physical features; it can relate to personality, or just be completely irrelevant (I don't recommend that, though ;). Some examples from the Redwall series: Laterose, Starbuck, Buffheart, Warbeak, Dunwing...
~*~Using Colors to Make a Name
Thanks to Sable, who reminded me of another way to make up names, we've got another section on name-making.
How about having a character with a color for a name? Don't fancy boring old Blue, Black, or Grey? Pick a color.
Okay, that's not going to work. I'll pick a color. Hope you like green. :o) Now, think of other names for that color. Jade, Forest, Teal, Hunter, Seagrass. There's a whole lot more, but those are the ones off the top of my head. Any - well, some - of those would make good character names, especially Jade, Hunter, and Seagrass.
Now let's try... blue. Think with me. Aqua, Ultramarine, Sea, Cadet, Sky, Turquoise, Cerulean, Peacock, Teal, Periwinkle...
I won't list any more, but you get the picture. Using alternate names for ordinary colors is a good way to make up names, and is made a lot easier by getting a box of colored pencils or crayons and rummaging through it.
Thanks again to Sable, and Starfire's ever-faithful box of art supplies. :) ~*~
Using Plants, Flowers, and Trees to Make a Name
This appears to be one of Mr. Jacques' favorite ways to think up names for the Redwall series: Laterose, Lupin, Honeydew, Willow, Juniper, Alder, Marigold, Rowanoak... again, you get the point. Your character's name could be in your backyard, in your garden, in the local park... don't forget to consider the names of plants, flowers, and trees as your Redwall character's name. You can even use them in combination with another word - Barkjon, Clubrush, Brocktree. Grab a book about plants and flip through it to see if there's any you like
~*~ Making Something (hopefully a name) Out of Nothing
If you're still desperate at this point, it's time we played a little game I like to call 'close your eyes and type randomly.'
No, seriously. Just like some artists find it difficult to start working when they're staring at a blank canvass, some people can't think up names because they don't have anything to work with. Open up Notepad and type a few letters. Then move stuff around, change a letter or two, and see what you get. If it works for you, keep it. If not, try it again.
For example (and this really was done during the original typing of this tutorial)... I just typed in ‘lajdfou.’ Let's take the ‘f’ and the ‘u’ out, and you’ve got ‘Lajdo.’ Now we'll change the ‘d’ and the ‘l’ around for ‘Dajlo.’
If that doesn’t work for you, keep changing it: flip the ‘j’ and the ‘d’ around and you’ve got ‘Jadlo.’ Or, we'll switch the ‘d’ and the ‘l’ again and get ‘Jaldo.’ Now, maybe add an 'n' to the end and change the 'o' to an 'i.' How does Jaldon or Jalin sound?
You can get an (almost) infinite combination of letters this way. So what if you don’t like the first name that comes up? Try it again until you hit one that strikes your fancy. Be creative. I'm sure you can fnd one better than my spur of the moment example.
~*~What’s in a Name, Anyway?
For those of you going, 'What's with Starry and names? I mean, really... are they that important?'
Well, your name can say a lot about your character. Methuselah is taken from the Bible; he’s the oldest person ever to have lived. Methuselah from Redwall is an ancient mouse. Just by looking at his name you can tell he’s going to be old. Of course, he wasn't old when he was a dibbun named Methuselah...
And look at the difference between 'Abbess Vale' and 'Veil the Outcast'. Vale is more gentle and feminine looking, while Veil sounds somewhat masculine and dark.
And be sure to watch for or out for certain spellings that will make the difference between good and evil. Which of these names would you pick out for the woodlander character, and which for the vermin? Kalle or Callie? Jaron or Garon? Caprice or Kaprix? Some letters that give your name that extra edge when used correctly include K, G, Z, X, Q, J, and V.
  
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Redwall and all associated titles, themes, books, characters, and places are the property of Mr. Brian Jacques and the Redwall Abbey Company, Limited. This site is non-profit and for entertainment purposes only; any infringement upon the copyrights of others is purely accidental and unintentional.
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