How fantasy and science fiction writers choose character and place names

Close up photo of scrabble tiles on a table spelling QWEN
Photo by Markus Winkler on Pexels.com

Last year I was on a panel at Bristolcon titled What’s in a Name? about fantasy and sci-fi names, how authors create them, and what their significance can be. I’ve been wanting to write a post on the topic ever since, since not only did the other panellists make some really interesting points, but in preparation for it I wrote notes on way more things than I would ever have time to mention, and I justified the indulgence by telling myself I’d turn it into a blog post later. Now that October is nearly upon us again, and the next Bristolcon looms, I thought I’d finally pull out those notes and dive a little deeper.

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Exotic Names: 7 Languages That Inspire Fantasy Authors

You open a book and come across an unusual place or character name. Maybe it’s got some strange consonants packed in. Maybe it even has an apostrophe or two. You’ve got no idea how to pronounce it… but if you’re used to reading fantasy this probably hasn’t fazed you. Exotic invented names are commonplace in this realm.

Some fantasy names might stand out in your memory: perhaps famous ones like Isengard and MordorAzkaban and Quidditch, Targaryen and Dothraki. Others might not. Regardless, the majority of them are not as made-up as they seem. Continue reading