In creating a fictional world, how do you come up with all the names you need to and how do you keep track?

Question

I have been reading quite a few books recently with complicated story lines that involve generations of characters and their relationships. How do you come up with all those names? How do you keep track of the familial ties and the relationships?

Answer 1

names require inspiration. also you can get some ideas for names by thinking of words sounding like your orginal name. For example. Tolkien used this a lot. Eowyn & Eomir were sister & brother. Theoden & Theodrid were father & son. Sauron & Sauroman were evil wizards. This also helps you keep track of relationships in novels which have vast character casts.

Another way to keep track of who is related to who is through family tree or relationship charting. Family trees are obvious. To relationship chart start with a central character and draw connecting lines to other characters who interact with the main then write their relationship on the line. It is a lot like flow charts. Eventually you will be able to keep people straight.

Answer 2

Your question was a bit confusing- I wasn't sure if you were wondering about this from a reader's or writer's perspective, so I really have two answers.

If you are reading a book and having a hard time keeping track, I might suggest just taking notes as you read, drawing lines between characters' names and attaching short descriptions. Remember, however, that if a character isn't involved enough in the plot for you to remember who they are, you probably don't need to know. If it's something that you will need to know later, worry about it later.

If you are interested in writing and are having trouble keeping your own characters straight, I would say that you have too many insignificant characters. If you, as the author, can't remember your own characters using more than your own memory and possibly some limited mapping, then how do you ever expect your readers to remember them?

Answer 3

I've been writing something similar to what you have described. It is SO hard to do it since so many fantasies and science fiction works have already been created. I guess I have taken inspiration from history, looking at civilizations of the past and taking a few ideas here and there (trust me, I think we are too late to be completely "originial"). But of course the names is the hardest part to come up with. Whatever name you come up with chances are has existing somewhere throughout literature or history. I take certain words and try to switch the letters around. That has worked for me so far. Other than that, I'd love to see what other people say on this matter......

Answer 4

Everyone is probably different. For me, I come up with names of non-important characters (sub-characters like siblings etc who aren't active) more or less when I get to those hurtles -- I'll take time out to go to a name site and shuffle around until I find something that fits in with the family. For main characters I guess thats usually a forethought, and if it's complicated I have in the past just managed to develop it in my head and in the text in a way which is somewhat repetitious to the point where it becomes familiar, that way it works similarly with readers.

Also, here is a great site you can use for drawing up webs for plots or character family trees or whatever you'd like. I just started using it:

http://bubbl.us/

It's for brainstorming but use it for whatever you want.

Answer 5

I, commonly, make distinctive ‘worlds’ for my experiences as good, and I believe that it depends upon your tale. If your tale and characters and the plot you will have in brain are realistic, there is not any ought to make an overly tricky global. The global demands to suit the tale regardless that, so I propose you first believe out your entire plot and the characters earlier than you're making a global. That means, you'll be able to form the sector you desire to create to suit the tale flawlessly. It’s problematic regardless that - I believe – so do spend plenty of time on it and believe cautiously on what you desire the sector to have and what variety of time you desire it to be set in (does it have TV’s like we do, or is it a global that doesn’t also have weapons or rifles such because the core a long time/medieval occasions).

Answer 6

I used a poster board to keep relationships straight. I know about four generations of the York family--roughly 60 people.

Answer 7

Charts and graphs, I use Excel and Access just for a listing and a database sort of...

Most names are traditional in different eras, so you could research the era you are writing about and choose names that way. I like making them up from childhood friends and stories mostly.

Answer 8

That is part of your job as the author. You do it any way is comfortable for you. Story boards. Whiteboard. Handwritten notes, Whatever makes you happy. At times I even draw floor plans of rooms where scenes take place. Whatever you need to be accurate and maintain continuity, that's what you do.
----
They're, Their, There - Three Different Words.

Careful or you may wind up in my next novel.

Pax - C

Answer 9

Just like geneology in regular life -- you draw a tree.
You could also make a "cast of characters" like in a play.