70 Deadly Wattpad Sins (The Book Of Evil Advice!)

Sin #31: What's in a name? (DIY, lazybones!)

Guys, what should I name my main character?

Okay, that's cool. But what do you think about this title?

I see... now, can someone tweak my first paragraph for me?

Screw it, just write the whole thing for me. Thanks for the help!

I mean, gotta give them credit. That's using resources.

It's called outsourcing — and it's a sin if I've ever heard of one. Employers don't hire you for your ability to find other people to do your work, so why would readers want to read your stories if you don't write them?

Alright, so maybe that's a little too dramatic. The core principle is sound, though. If you want to create a brand while improving your own creative skills, have a little confidence in your own abilities!

It's just naming a character, dude. Where's the fire?

Titles and character names are nothing to sneer at, dude. These are typically the first impressions that your reader will make, so you want them to be relevant and pretty to look at.

Before we talk about what makes a good name, let me make something crystal clear. Whenever there's a forum post with the heading 'NAME MY [insert highly-specific rainbow-haired protagonist]!!1!!1one!1!!', you can be darn sure that most of the replying users don't want to read your story.

Why is name-sourcing a red flag? They're only seeking advice!

It might look like that, yeah. What I see, though, is an author who is 1) too lazy to think deeply enough into the lore that they are trying to sell to others, or 2) someone who lacks the creativity to make an engaging story in the first place.

Every passing character, every fictional company and brand that makes an appearance; these are all reflections of what lies in your heart. Have you had positive experiences with dudes named Esteban? Have all of the Tamaras in your life been total skanks?

This goes beyond what we covered with friend-fiction. Whether you know it or not, you have minor biases towards every name that exists in your mind. Every personality, every character you create already has a name. You just have to ask them what it is!

But I literally can't think of a name... Does that mean I'm a bad writer?

Of course not! Outsourcing is an issue because people struggle with the task — they just choose the lesser of the two solutions. As it turns out with literally everything else in this guide, persistence is the key to success!

My personal process is this: go onto the BehindTheName website, flick through the categorical and cultural meanings behind names and pick out the one that speaks to you. It doesn't have to match the character's underlying theme 100%, but any indication that you're thinking about these details will earn you brownie points in the reader's view.

Got a character in the German aristocracy? Call him Otto, meaning wealth and fortune! Maybe there's an ancient Greek woman with a talent for music? Say hello to Eumelia, short for melody!

Whether you take your inspirations from etymology (the study of words) or the history books themselves, as long as you — the author — make the creative choice, it will fit the story perfectly.

Character names are lemon-squeezy! Get to the hard stuff already!

Yeah, so now there's the actual title of your book to think about. There's no real catch-all answer here, other than it might take a long while to settle on a final answer. If you're still searching for one, a working title can be used on Wattpad — it can be changed at any time, after all!

Some days you'll know what the title is before writing a single word, while others you'll complete an entire series and not have a clue what to call the finished work. Titles can either be simple and bold, or they can be sneaky and reference a hidden motif that readers will only understand partway through.

Again, this should not be the kind of detail you'd pimp out to just anyone. Did Michelangelo spend his life working on the statue of David, only for some random critic to walk up and name it 'White dude who forgot his swimming trunks, 1504 A.D'?

I can never unsee that now.

Well, open your eyes. A title is just as important as the story itself or the front cover. While you might need artistic help on the latter, the other two fall under your own responsibility.

As the only person who knows the ins-and-outs of whatever you just wrote, your word is the law. You get to choose the aspects that your readers should keep in mind, from the very start of their experience to the last pages.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't ask for valued opinions. Seek advice from those in your life that understand and respect you; don't ask that random internet person who put in 0.2 seconds of thought and then kept scrolling.

You spent weeks, maybe months of your life perfecting every minute detail of this story. You can wait a little longer to come up with the best way of presenting it!

----

Rome wasn't built in a day. If it was, those workers were severely underpaid for the speedy job they did. Names and titles won't come to you immediately, but it will get easier each time you plan it out. Have more faith in yourself, okay?

And sure, some professional writers will let their editors change the name of their books for localization or marketing purposes. These are highly-experienced people in the industry though, not Wattpad user SparkleFlyDragonWolfXOXO. She doesn't know what she's talking about!

Boy, you're going to feel like crap when that turns out to be an actual person.

No way. I'm not even going to check. Sue me!

Wait, don't actually... sue me. Please.

I like having money.