What’s in a name? (21/2/2011)

Progress report: Second draft of The Black Mausoleum completed. No significant structural defects apparent. MS will be delivered on time. Possibly early to make up for the last one. However, there’s just one little detail to be ironed out…

The Black Mausoleum revolves around a smaller number of characters than the previous books in The Memory of Flames, arguably five, depending on whether you count the dragon or not. However, there are a handful of very minor supporting characters kicking about, in particular a couple of hapless dragon-riders and a band of dragon-hunters to whom bad things happen. These are the red-shirts, the spear-carriers, utterly two-dimensional and more akin to part of the scenery than an actual character. They’re speaking parts, but only just, and in some cases, their speaking is limited to saying “Argh!” Right now, they need some names. Currently they’re called Lenk, Logan, Nico (short for Nicodemus) and, er… Dave[1]. It’s possible my editor may have some issues with this selection.

So yes, they need some names. I have a back-catalogue of other people’s annoying RPG characters that I’d happily use and then gain vicarious pleasure from watching them die in various burny squishy ways, but before I do that, here’s an open invitation to all you readers out there: send me a name for someone you’d like to see stomped on by a dragon/crushed under a falling temple/burned/eaten/eaten by canibals. They kind of have to be fantasy-ish and not either obviously copyright infringements or likely to get me thumped by another author at some future con, but other than that, I’ll pick and choose as I fancy from whatever I’m offered and there might be a note on the source in the acknowledgements…

[1] Because they’re Extras and I have a mate called Dave who looks exactly like… oh never mind.

8 Responses to “What’s in a name? (21/2/2011)”

  1. MD Lachlan says:

    You once told me that everyone hates you if you deliver early!
    At the risk of being predictable, can I put up George Osborne?

  2. David Lloyd says:

    Thumbs up for the Dave that’s in there already (keep him!).
    If it contains flying castles then can you sneak in a reference to Killorn Keep (http://ultima.wikia.com/wiki/Killorn_Keep) via an NPC name, perhaps? Relk or Lobar maybe? :)

  3. Stephen Deas says:

    If I call them Tony, Gordon, Nick and David, which one of them should be the one that gets eaten by the others?

  4. Alex K says:

    I say go for something either remotely familiar Xavier, or some name that is unique Solari, Sadow, Naga.

  5. Stephen says:

    @Alex – thank-you for something sensible at last!

  6. Dan says:

    Caillain
    Lemtor
    Corby
    Mytillinir.

    I don’t think they’re used by anyone I’ve read.

  7. Bryce says:

    Hallibaster

  8. Stephen says:

    Right, sorted: Relk, Kasern, Lentor and George Osborne it is.

    Liked Sadow and Mytillinir too much to have them shoow up and get killed straight away.

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