Fictional names

[xx-imagination.livejournal.com]

I'm working on a story-like thing which circle around five families. Tell me what you think of their names, please.

Adelaide Chloe Vivian (Barrett) Wells (D) + Emerson Adam Wells
--Naomi Annalisa Rosetta Wells (D)
--Thora Lilliana Justine Wells
--Sacha Hyacinth Eveline Wells

Shannon Jane Baxter-Stanfield (D) + Frank Stanfield (D)
--Zachary Edward Stanfield
--Therese Samantha Stanfield

Stanley Nicholas Larson + Beatrix Noelle (Porter) Larson
--Amie Hope Larson
--Kady Faith Larson
--Sage Felicity Larson
--Hali Honor Larson

Hunter James Melville + Ainsley Adele (Adamson) Melville (D)
-- Brandon Adamson Melville + Katherine Sophia (Fleming) Melville
-----Skylar Ainsley Melville

Felicia Louisa Chase + Deon Alexander Zeal (D)
--Xavier Dane Chase
--Lisette Dionne Chase

Comments

I hate to say this...

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

Because they're actually mostly quite pretty as such - but for fictional characters, they do sound rather OTT and Mary Sueish - names for paper dolls rather than characters.

OTOH, for instance, if you used the Larson's second names instead, thos work both individually and as a family...

[laminy.livejournal.com]

For the Wells, since the individual names are so dramatic, it made be a little toned down if they each only had two. Unless the family is supposed to be a little overdramatic, because then they definitely work.

I think that with the Larsons, their middle names would work better as their firsts. To make the theme that they were going for a little bit more obvious.

I really like Hunter James, Zachary Edward and Xavier Dane, those are quite nice names.

Re: I hate to say this...

[azelmaroark.livejournal.com]

Ditto. When authors are overly concerned with character middle names, I always suspect a Mary Sue. How often in literature do you actually write out a character's full name? How often will the fact that they have not one but two middle names be important to the story? I think two middles is OTT in RL and even worse in fiction unless your characters have a good reason for it that has nothing to do with you being obsessed with them.

When I see things like this, the first thing I think is that the author spent waaay too much time on the names and not enough time on the story.

Re: I hate to say this...

[xx-imagination.livejournal.com]

When I write, I like to know every detail about my characters -- that includes middle names, lives up to the point of the story, family, relationships -- even things that are never brought up. But thanks for your opinion.

[xx-imagination.livejournal.com]

The mother of the Wells family was extremely overdramatic, but I think maybe toning them down might work. Nothing is really set in stone yet. For the Larsons, the first name pattern was more important to me. I kind of wanted to show that the parents were a little obsessive-compulsive when it came to naming their children.

Re: I hate to say this...

[azelmaroark.livejournal.com]

Oh, I do as well, so I don't think it NECESSARILY means what I described. Just, in my experience, a lot of authors are obsessed with their characters to the point of idolizing them and living vicariously, and that can be bad. And I stand by my opinion that second middle names are almost always way too much. =P

/Says the girl who names characters things like Andrew and Blake. I'm really of the belief that character names should be relatively no-nonsense, so I'm sure others will feel differently.