Tutorial Writers' Wretreat or Crytics' Crypt? (love needed)

As I understand it, Scalenex used to be a professional writer, but then he took an arrow to the knee.

Mahrlect. I paused for 20 minutes to come up with a thoughtful reply to put after the one liner above. Comic timing fail (again).

Old Ones? Why have you turned your back on me?

 

Well I'm always impressed by your analysis. I think that your tips and content breakdown are really beneficial to the writing scene here on the forum.

Also... perhaps you should consider professional writing, even if it just "on the side" to begin with.

That makes sense, same thing happened to a cousin of mine. Oh well, FOS RO DAH!

 

I suppose for emphasis you could use...
BIGGER FONTS AND CAPS AND EXCLAMATION POINTS
AND A DIFFFERENT COLOR IN BOLD!!!!!!!!!

 

He is correct... it does seem highly effective.

 

Time for a new topic?

Character names.

Slanputin and I both like our character names to have some meaning, hence I spend way too long looking at the Saurian language thread and google translate.

Fantasy names are hard to remember because there is no linguistic frame of reference. They are impossible to remember if there are many characters, as demonstrated by @Kcibrihp-Esurc, who thankfully has blessed us with an character index. I will do the same for the 4th Emperor.

Do any of you have any conventions for naming characters?
Are there any things about names that irritate you?

 

I'm completely with you on this one Bob. Names are difficult; they either seems to generic for my taste or so alien that I can never remember them. I always makes a note at the end of my writings with names of each character I'll need later on.

Actual when it comes to naming a character I would think anything goes, even if the name seem alien and without reference. Not every name has a direct meaning to me even in the real world.

It is always one of the biggest issue, though.

 

No one was willing to gainsay such a professional-like author. Especially one with a limp.
Your awesomely generic answer about gods actually helped me somewhat, especially in combination with the Scalenex Maxim (Scalenaxim?) of don't make something / someone counter to all stereotypes without a darn good explanation and for a good purpose.

The Great War Against Chaos story hinges on a series of miracles as isolationist gods suddenly become interventionist. I will need to make sure to bludgeon the reader with faith, otherwise it is going to look like supernatural luck again (if there is a difference)

Not excluding more opinion about gods, but back to names.


The "Aerith and Bob." thing is actually becoming a millstone for me. I've been ironing out the bumps in another chapter of the 4th Emperor, and the thing I hate most is,

Scalenex's reply was soft and chill. "Do you suppose you have the wit or the authority to judge me?"
Bob was not giggling anymore. "Friends. We are among friends. Please Scribe, tell us all how you came to our rescue."

It is so bad that I am considering changing the character's name to Simon.

When the lizardmen band finally return to Lustria, I am sort of planning for the locals to call them by their correct LM names, rather than the Reikspiel-icized versions. (Please don't tell Simon that it means they will be B'ob and J'oe)

 

Excuse me, I think you'll find that it was a Ser @NIGHTBRINGER who was nice enough to cast you some alms, I'm aloof from such matters. So aloof that I forgot to throw in my two ingots on Bob's last theme...

1) Yes

2) My interpretation is that the Old Ones have truly left the Lizardmen, and that influences ostensibly related to the Old Ones are down to a) sciences beyond the understanding of the Lizardmen (or have utilities that hold no meaning/use for the Lizardmen) - sacred spawnings could be an example of this; and b) they left psionic impressions in the Realm of Chaos, and similarly the powerful hold they held over their children led the LM to have a shared awe and respect in their masters that manifested as entities in the Realm of Chaos. I don't imagine them to be fully-formed deities a la Khorne, The Horned Rat, etc. (although some could choose to take on a form/avatar) however more as ambiguous ideals/characteristics of each of the Old Ones of varying degrees of sentience.

3/4)It really depends on your perspective. I imagine that the LM will accept any imposition the Old Ones push upon them, taking it as part of the Great Plan and thus worth whatever cost the blessing/curse comes with. As to what blessing/curses are - it really is subjective, but generally what the individual being blesses/society at large interprets it. Generally, if it's advantageous it's a blessing and vice versa. Of course I believe it's a spectrum, and Chaos have are really the best example of this (their Eye of Chaos being prime source to point to). Even the Slaaneshi lore has a spell that works as both a hex and an augment!

As you said, I do have naming conventions. I try to let names be determined by themes and ideology. Sometimes this is synonyms associated with an ideology of a group, and then obfuscating those words within the naming tropes associated with their culture to create names for each individual.

However, I try to avoid the self-fulling prophecy or obvious "meaning" in names. It find it cheesy. For example, "Jabba the Gangsta", "Jesus el Salvador", "Simon McRogue", "General Mal-Horn Odious" are all names that should be only used in the domain of comedic writing. Although my examples are an obvious parody, it really is such a common trope in fantasy writing it often parodies itself.

This trope is also a good method to exaggerate cultural differences. e.g. Xhaltan and Francoise.

 

Xhaltan and Francoise would surely be mortal enemies. Bon appétit!


SoB names with meanings (obvious OR hidden). I will do this for a few reasons.

I needed to pick a name. Why not make it a joke? Wolf Priest Heimlich did the Heimlich manoevre in chapter 1, establishing his calmness in the face of a pressure situation and introducing an (eventually) important character in a scene where he was not otherwise required. I hope that you have all forgotten the joke and now just accept that his name is the appropriately Reikspielish Heimlich. Keep your eyes peeled for german physicists in a later book.

To help the reader. My dramatis personae for The 4th Emperor will tip the scales at well above thirty individuals. When the reader sees a name for the second (or fourth) time, rather than them going "Corporal Whitefeather? Was he the brave one? I can't remember." they have an alternate connection to the memory banks. I am a little more subtle than that, therefore he would be Korporal Weissefeder. If you don't speak German, and don't mind spoilers, try Google Translate on the surnames of my characters. Example, do you think Franz Betruger will be naughty or nice?

Punter is coming. If a name looks elaborately made up, and has no meaning in Elvish, Entish, or the tongues of Men, there is a chance that once the name is put along side some key additional words it will become either an outrageous pun or a lame pop culture reference. Just roll with it.


Invitation: Let me know if that stuff gets in the way of plot too much. If I know what you hate, it reveals your weaknesses. Expect me to be more annoying in future.

 

In reviewing this thread, I realised that asking the question "what should I do?" will always ultimately be answered with "whatever you like. It's fantasy, duh." +/- some interesting discussion on the way.

SO I realised that isn't the question I want answered. A better one is "What would YOU do."

My old dwarf naming convention existed to exploit the Dwarfs are Scottish trope and to imply that they used long and complicated names because long and complicated is the opposite of another word. Suffice to say is one of the words the Dwarfs of Ni! cannot hear, and which was plot relevant in The False Moon War Ch 13.

My current convention:
I believe that the Grand Theogenist of the Empire has a dwarfish type name and title - Currently Volkmar the Grim. This is supposed to be because of the closeness of Sigmar and his dwarf allies in the old days. (according to Warhammeronline, anyway)

I took this as a good excuse to continue the "Someone the Something" format for my dwarfs. Now it seems that " Alaric the Mad" is the only example I can find.

Anyhow, I have "Inebric the Trader" and future dwarfs will be Alergic the Sneezy and the like - first names ending in "ic" where possible. Using this convention opens up a treasure trove of vaguely jokey names. Only Acetic the Sour would ever complain.


Q.
What would the female form of dwarf name endings be?

Q.
Do other races have structural conventions, common suffixes or particular sounds that go with them?

 

When will you learn? Beware the plot-relevant-character-name-sleeper gag!

 

Other views on naming?

@Kcibrihp-Esurc you seem to be able to produce scads of character names which fit their races. What is your secret? Do you just go with "that sounds cool" or do you use something for reference?

 

I for lizardmen, use the book, choosing a word that fits at least part of their character e.g. Uaxhedin Uax is the lizardmen word for Sea Level/Flood Boqtlan Boq is the lizardmen word for Weapon/Hurt/Hit

For others I use the following:
Donjon or John's D&D utilities and pick the correct thing (Names) and select the most relevant culture,
then I choose the best 2 syllable names and split them into two syllable parts
and I use
Random. org's list randomizer for choosing which name parts to use, out of about 10 and put the name together!

 

Wow. That is complex, but it certainly works for you.

I have looked at orc, ogre and daemon name generators in the past, just to get the hang of the naming conventions, and then forged out bravely on my own. More recently I have used German Baby Names lists because most of my ancillaries are from the Empire.

Leading to a side question: What would local folk call the Empire? What about outsiders?
The Empire of Man? The Empire of Sigmar?

 

WRONG!
Brettonnians call them "Jumped up Peasants"
Or, when the Empire tries to colonise Brettonnia they call them
"The sticky red stuff in my horse's hooves" usually with something along the lines of "Peasant clean out" before it.