Blank is a typical fantasy prince, noble, well educated with a cool sword and a beautiful horse. He's just younger than your typcical prince (13?) and he's not the heir to the throne. He's the second son. Jealous of his father's attention for his older brother, feeling small and ignored, he runs away from home in search of adventure. But I cannot come up with a name for him.

So I'm announcing that the one who successfully names blank will win a prize!!!

Blank: Great. Just what I need, a bunch of authors making a fuss over me.

Me: You always wanted someone to make a fuss over you.

Blank: Not like this. Not without a name. I feel... faceless.

Me: I think you said that already.

Blank: I feel miserable.

Me: Don't worry. It won't hurt a bit and it'll be over before you know it.

Blank: *mutters* Liar.

Prize, really?

Anyhow, I would need to see the other names in the story before being able to suggest one.

Ooo, what sort of prize? A no-prize? A cookie?

My suggestions from this morning were Jathan & Jythan.

I have to agree with Melody and Evening L. I need the other supporting characters' names in order to come up with something fitting.

I keep thinking of all these really cool names and then I realize... they're mine. Maybe you should just stick with the name Blank. After all it fits his character. He feels ignored - like he's no one important.

Don't worry, I'll keep thinking on it. For the moment I agree with the others. What's his brother and father's name?

Dreamer: *Taps her chin* How about Jathem...? I always liked that name.

Michael: How about Tom, Dick, or Harry?

Dreamer: Could you be serious for once in your life.

Michael: I was being serious.


Just ignore him... that's what Dreamer and I do sometimes.

How about Andam? (That is what my MC, Dani, suggested...) Or Awnson? Or Jeriah?

Maybe his nickname could be Blank...

I like the suggestions, but I'm not sure how Blank feels about them...

Oh. Other names. Sorry. Do I... have other names? I'm thinking about Arthur for his older brother, haven't decided yet. I don't know... typical Elleysian Chronicles type names.. Oh wait. You wouldn't know what that is. Names like Connor, Darren. That sort of thing.

How about Erren? Or Sanour? Or Ressand? Or Herrt? (These are randomly out of my head, by the way... )

Corin? Colin?

So, kinda English/Welsh/Irish names... right?

Unfortunately very Narnian too Mel. Prince Colin and Prince Corin were both in the Chronicles of Narnia.

I know, Arianna, but AFAIK they're both legitimate English names. (at the least, Colin is - as in, The Secret Garden - though Corin might have been a Lewis invention. In which case I withdraw my recommendation. ;D)

True, I just try to stay away from names people recognize from other Fantasy works. I know I would always think of Prince Corin if Janin used it in her story. That's just my personal view. However, If someone hadn't read the CoN first they would apply it the other way. I know lots of Lewis' names were his own origin, but not all. I'm not sure about Corin.

Uh, how about Dyncan/Doncan (plays on Duncan)?

Who on earth are Prince Colin and Corin respectively? The Princes from Dawn Treader and Silver Chair? I don't remember their names, but I thought they were something different...

Corin is the dumb country lad in our favorite version of Puss in Boots and when I wrote the short story Isle of Dreams the main characters name is Corin and it drove my family nuts because all they could think of was the movie.

Colin is the name of a Scottish man who's a semi-famous local musician whom I'm hoping might be performing with me for Christmas. So that's what those names mean to me, nothing to do with Narnia, and definently not Lewis' invention.

Blank, look around. What do you think? There's some good ones here.

They are from The Horse And His Boy. I have never heard of those... What does Blank think?

Corin is Shasta's twin brother whom he is reunited with at the end of the book. Colin is one of the princes of Archenland (related to Shasta/Cor). In Narnia and Archenland twins names follow a very definite pattern. Col and Colin, Dar and Darrin, Cor and Corin. They aren’t main characters, so don’t feel bad if you forgot their names. I just happen to love Narnia. They were the books that first got me to love reading. Before that my punishment for bad behavior was reading (not quite, but you get the degree of my loathing).

Blanche?

How 'bout Michael? Oh wait...That's another MC of yours. Uh...Jacyn (is this legit?)? Cameron? William? Wilford? Jonathan?

Wow! You guys are good! Can I use some of these in Lightning Ranger? It seems everyone is names either John or James or something stupid I'm not going to tell you and I'm running out of ideas for quick renaming when I come up against them in my writing. All right... naming Blank. One of these, I'm sure, will fit... mostly sure. Well, almost sure.

Cordin/Coradin
Me: Sounds royal and dignified. A bit like whats-his-name-son-of-the-king-of-somewhere...

Blank: Shut up.

Me: Excuse me?

• Derek

Me: Prince of Tamara. Married to Katherine. Get's involved with Janin when...

Blank: I've heard enough. The guy has a perfect life, not like me. Right?

Me: Wrong. He's got more problems than you can ever imagine, kid.

• Darien

Me: Cool.

Blank: bleh

Me: Be nice. These are suggestions by nice people.

• Osiran

Blank: Oh Isis uuund Oooosiiirisss....

Me: When did you start listening to my opera?

Blank: I'm bored.

Me: You're the one who kept nagging to get named!

*aside to authors* This is odd. I've never sat down and had a conversation with a character before. At least, not a serious one.

• Tynan

Blank: Greek.

Me: You don't know anything. That's Italian. Like Tybalt.

• Taleph

Me: Wise guy.

Blank: Which I'm not.

Me: or not a wise guy, just a... different one. That'd be a good substitute for Timothy.

Blank: Who?

Me: the second one.

Blank: the what?

Me: Remember? I've got too many characters who have the same name because the first draft was written by a thirteen year old!

Blank: Who was that?

Me: Shut up.

Jathan

Me: Hmmm....

Jythan

Blank: I like Jathan better.

Me: You like Jathan!??!! Why didn't you say so?

Blank: Just get through the list please.

Jathem

Blank: Still like Jathan better.

Andam

Blank: Hard to say... just a bit.

Me: Okay.

Awnson

Me: Back guy name.

Blank: since when?

Me: Since Arawn is a bad place in some welsh tale.

Blank: So?

Me: it's called association. I can't do anything about it.

Jeriah

Me: Jeremiah. Josiah.

Blank: *blank*

Me: Shut up.

Blank: I didn't say anything!!!

Erren

Me: Oooh, cool spelling! It's said like Aaron, right?

Sanour

Me: Interesting...

Ressand

Me: Girl's name. Roxanne, Rosamund, etc.

Herrt

Me: Forester, Ranger. Indian maybe.

Corin/Colin

Me: We've already discussed the life out of these two...

Dyncan/Doncan

Me: I've never liked the name Duncan...

Blank: So?

Me: What?

Blank: nevermind.

Jacyn

Me: and the golden fleece.

Blank: Huh?

Me: never mind.

Cameron
William
Wilford
Jonathan

Me: too common.
*to blank* Well, what do you think? Do you want to be Jathan?

Blank: Hm....

Me: try it on.

Jathan: I think it might work.

Me: Telvia, what do you think? Your life is saved by a young man name Jathan?

Telvia: It makes him sound... a bit older. Maybe more mature. Sulks less. Thinks more. Fights better. Can carry responsibility to an extent.

Blank: Are those good things?

Me: Stay Jathan.

Jathan: All right. Whatever you want.

Me: Wow, change of character. Cool. I think you have a name.

All: and the prize goes to... Amanda! Congratulations! You get a .....







Jathan: And thank you very much.

Ioanna: What a pretty star!! Can I have it?? Please?? Oh, and Blank, er, Jathan, I like your new name.

Me: No, Ioanna. Now go back to the character thread.

Ioanna: ::sulks::

Thanks for the prize! Jathan, congrats on your name. Glad I could be of service.

HEY!!

Amanda, what do you think you're doing suggesting Jathan!!

::beware of the sister storming::

That's Lukas' middle name!

::shrug:: I don't care. You didn't make it up, it's fair game. And anyway, I didn't know it was Lukas' middle name. I thought it was his real name, his first name, and then you got rid of that part of the plot line, so it wouldn't matter anyway!

And I'm not giving you my star!

Now now children