Need help for my silliest flaw in writing.

[Sky Warden 2,243]

Ahoy there everypony! Maybe some of you know me already. Sometimes I proof read your fanfics and give you advices in writing style, but well, never mind.

I'm working on a novel right now. The title is "The Warden". Three books. Earth, Ocean, and Sky, but if the third book is not enough to finish the story, I will write the fourth, Moon. This is what's the story about :

Humans, elfs, dwarfs, and orcs lived in peace under the watch of four Wardens and their dragons. The Human Warden and his Sea Dragon, ruled his people in the southern sea. The Elf Warden and his Earth Dragon, led his kind in the western forest. The Dwarf Warden and his Fire Dragon, ruled his clans in the northern mountain. The Orc Warden and his Beast Dragon, led his horde in the eastern desert. Those Wardens were ally with each other, under the blessing of Sky Dragon which watch the Sky by itself as the fifth Warden and connectors between the four Wardens and their dragons. Living together in the Universal City of Avendor, the four races built the greatest civilization in peace with the wild dragons. At least, that's what written in the history until the Dragon War began.

One day, the Sea Dragon of the Human Warden killed its owner in Avendor and hid in the pond behind the palace which later well-known as the EverFreeze lake. The humans, who felt betrayed by the alliance with dragons, wanted to avenge their leader's death. Rejected by the other three Wardens to have their revenge to the sea dragons, they assembled their armies. The largest armies ever marched in that land. They started by banishing the Earth Shaman Clan in the eastern desert to the ground and burnt the western forest into dust. The other three races gathered with their dragons, and fought the humans. Fierce war lasted for centuries. Uncounted amount of humans died, thousands of elfs, orcs, and dwarves. Hundreds of dragons, but it ended by the victory of the Union Force. Despite of their great loss, they won. The humans lost more than half of their race, and drifted off from their territory in the southern coast, but humans grew faster than any other races in the land.

Just in a century, they re-assembled their new army and retook their homeland in the southern coast. They marched northward, pushing the weakened elfs deeper to their forest. Taking every city along their way to Avendor. They conquered the Dragon's Pass and it's gateway, Gilton. Only the ecological limit which held them to The Horde. The northern mountain protected the dwarven city with an impenetrable natural wall. They had conquered the southern sea, and now fighting against the elf in the western forest, slaying their unprotected earth dragons for crystals.

The human is now the greatest race stands. Ruling more than half of the land. Their army, magics, and war machines are the greatest terror for their enemies. Earth dragons is almost extinct, and it's just the beginning. Balanced politic and economy hides the tale behind this war. An ideal empire, for an ideal race.

As you may have realized, there are so many lacks of name. What's the land's name? What's the northern mountain's name? The western forest's name? The desert's name? The sea's name? Who's that Human Warden who was killed by his own dragon? What's the dragon's name? Name, name, name. Lack of names.

This is what holds me so long to finish this novel. I haven't named many characters, lands, locations, swords, etc. I'm not good at finding names. Even it took me three weeks to determine my OC's name "Sky Warden" and that's not a big surprise isn't it?

The story has so many plot twists, and I'm playing with your mindset very much in this novel. There are so many unpredicted mystery like "Who actually started the war?", etc. It also has an interesting theory of magic and military tactics, but like what I said before, lack of names.

Do you guys have some advices for me to generate names easier? I'm using medieval age's mediterranean for the human's culture. Hope that information can help. I also need names for the other characters from the other races.

Edited January 12, 2013 by Sky Warden

[The Awesome One 1,314]

Make a theme. I see you're in the Medieval ages. Use names such as those used in the real mediterranean during that time. Should make it a bit easier for you. Also, the names of people should slightly define their character. Now don't go around calling them Rainbow Dash but for example, Altair Ibn Lahad (I type dat right?). I think it means eagle or something and he's an assassin. Kind of fits, doesn't it?

[angels_gal 204]

I don't think that's a flaw at all. giving a character a name sometimes is the hardest part of writing. Sometimes, inspiration can come to you in the oddest places. you'll see something and think "if i an switch it around it would make a great name"

 

Sometimes though bouncing ideas off someone else is a great help as well.

Edited January 12, 2013 by angels_gal

[Sky Warden 2,243]

Make a theme. I see you're in the Medieval ages. Use names such as those used in the real mediterranean during that time. Should make it a bit easier for you. Also, the names of people should slightly define their character. Now don't go around calling them Rainbow Dash but for example, Altair Ibn Lahad (I type dat right?). I think it means eagle or something and he's an assassin. Kind of fits, doesn't it?

Aye. It's medieval ages themed. I know that theme will helps me a lot in finding names, but the problem is that I don't know many names. Silly isn't it? I can't generate names in my mind. Personality of course, but still I can't. I don't think Ironhead is a human name.

 

I use their fame or popularity for titles like "Arghos the Phoenix" (Because Arghos is the master of fire magic), but that's just the title, not the name. For the love of Luna! Name, name, name.

 

I think it's "Altair Bin Lahad". "Bin" means "The son of" in Arab" and I don't think it's like eagle or something. Maybe "Altair" means eagle in Arab, but I'm sure that "Bin Lahad" means "The son of Lahad". That sounds like a title after all.

 

By the way, what do you think about the story guys?

Edited January 12, 2013 by Sky Warden

[Flicker 141]

For pony names I take my initials and find two words that describe me, but regular names are harder. I like to browse baby name websites or if I want a name with a specific meaning I turn to the almighty google.

[Sky Warden 2,243]

For pony names I take my initials and find two words that describe me, but regular names are harder. I like to browse baby name websites or if I want a name with a specific meaning I turn to the almighty google.

Aye. Taking your initials and find two words that describe the character is very clever, but this novel characters are definitely new and I can't use my initials for all characters.

 

Hmm. Can you please give me the link to that baby name website? Sounds interesting. Even though I want an original name for the character, it's still worth to try.

[Standard User 2,127]

There are dozens of random name generators online; I'm sure you can find a medieval themed one.

For the alien race in my novel, I thought about their language, what makes them different from humans, and how that would affect how they name things. For an intelligent species, they put "Ba" before the name. Then for their personal names, they add "Ba'___". For the formal names of places, they add "Pa" before the name, followed by a similar naming style as for their names. Basically, run wild with it. Have fun.

 

Oh, and for some of the names I translated an English term for it into German, then changed around some of the letters. That can add some subtle symbolism and foreshadowing if you play your cards right.

[Sky Warden 2,243]

There are dozens of random name generators online; I'm sure you can find a medieval themed one.

 

For the alien race in my novel, I thought about their language, what makes them different from humans, and how that would affect how they name things. For an intelligent species, they put "Ba" before the name. Then for their personal names, they add "Ba'___". For the formal names of places, they add "Pa" before the name, followed by a similar naming style as for their names. Basically, run wild with it. Have fun.

 

Oh, and for some of the names I translated an English term for it into German, then changed around some of the letters. That can add some subtle symbolism and foreshadowing if you play your cards right.

Definitely clever. LOL.

 

"Aslan" in Narnia means "Lion" in Turks. Guess I will have it a try. I really am bad at finding names. By the way, do you like the story @Kolth?

[Standard User 2,127]

@@Sky Warden,

 

Definitely sounds interesting! This sounds like the kind of story I could really get into. If you need someone to bounce ideas off of, don't hesitate to shoot me a PM/email. 

[Sky Warden 2,243]

@@Sky Warden,

 

Definitely sounds interesting! This sounds like the kind of story I could really get into. If you need someone to bounce ideas off of, don't hesitate to shoot me a PM/email. 

Thanks, I will appreciate any help. Well, I still need some more help for the name. Finding a good name is the hardest thing for me in writing.

 

[Flicker 141]

Aye. Taking your initials and find two words that describe the character is very clever, but this novel characters are definitely new and I can't use my initials for all characters.

 

Hmm. Can you please give me the link to that baby name website? Sounds interesting. Even though I want an original name for the character, it's still worth to try.

babynames.com  Some of the names there aren't heard much from day to day. My personal favorite at the moment is Meryl, but I forgot what if means. Something like bitter warrior or bitter ocean maybe.

[Sky Warden 2,243]

babynames.com  Some of the names there aren't heard much from day to day. My personal favorite at the moment is Meryl, but I forgot what if means. Something like bitter warrior or bitter ocean maybe.

Well, Meryl sounds more like a wizard's name to me. You know, it sounds like Merlin, but female.

 

I went to that website and saw this link "Tips for writer on naming characters".

 

 

Shall I click it?

[Flicker 141]

 

Well, Meryl sounds more like a wizard's name to me. You know, it sounds like Merlin, but female.

 

I went to that website and saw this link "Tips for writer on naming characters".

 

 

Shall I click it?

Go for it. It doesn't actually say much besides don't give your characters names like Xanathosaline but it does have some handy tips. Also, when I think of Meryl I think of Beryl (a kind of gem).

[SweetJeans88 408]

i wont be much help really, but ill try.  i use baby-name generators databases online (youll get a TON of baby-themed ads later >< and nosy parents asking if youve got something they should know about D: haha)  anyhoo i like the ones you can search through by meaning, or region best.

 

beau carries scraps of paper and a pen everywhere.  he writes down odd ideas, names he likes, places, interesting road names, reading the map for me when we travel, and then organizes them at home.  some things brew for years until just the right moment, when theyre a gem in the story hes writing.

 

mox's name was originally marks ( or some derivitive spelling), but he cant pronounce his own name anymore, and has adopted this "new" name as a new self identity too.

 

some are just weird quips.. tree mollusks piping in the breeze.... and bioluminescent moss in the dense forest <3

Edited January 18, 2013 by SweetJeans88