THURSDAY'S SCRIPT TIP:
CHARACTER NAMES
Your character's name is their entire personality in 2 words - so it's important to pick the name that matches. Someday I'll do an entire article on names, but here's some quick stuff:
Number of syllables: You usually want to combine a one syllable name with a two syllable name - or do something to mix up the rhythm. Beth Kendrick is an easier name to remember than Elizabeth Kendrick. But some characters need complicated multi-syllable names. The more syllables, the less "take charge" the character becomes. Also look for melodic names.
Hard sounds/ Soft sounds: Scott Kirk is a tough guy - both names end in hard sounds. Scott Winslow isn't a tough guy, neither is William Kirk.
You want all of your names to sound different: Billy and Tommy in the same script will be confusing.
Think about nicknames - come up with a name that spawns an original nickname, or one where several similar nicknames can be used by differrent characters. Scott, Scotty, Scotty-dog, Mr. Scott - okay, that wasn't a good example! I also try to come up with names that pun into a joke - to get people to remember my name I always say "Martell, like the fine Cognac." In one of my wretched little films I have a character named Marv Riker whose dream is to buy his own island - I let the audience figure out that one.
Think of the way names sound - do they create an image? Some names have a "feel" to them: Winslow creates a different image than Walter.
Also, names can by homonyms for character traits. Matt Rohmer may be wandering the country looking for a purpose in life. I have a villain named Darquay... I love that name - swiped it from a newspaper story.
Also think about how an actor's face will look when saying the name: Billy forces you to smile, Mark is a hard name to say with a smile. It will appear as if people like Billy but don't like Mark - so make sure that fits their characters.
Names also have to match the character in your mind. Some names just feel right. Your character's name IS that character - the reader will see that slugline again and again over dialogue. Make sure the name is as interesting as the character.
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