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Pick a Name

semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
I'm trying to decide on a name for a character in a book and decided to reach out to you guys to see if you had any opinions. Use any criteria you like to make your choice.
  1. Pick a Name24 votes
    1. Indra Coy
      37.50%
    2. Shelby Coy
      37.50%
    3. Indra McBee
      12.50%
    4. Shelby McBee
      12.50%
ThacoBell

Comments

  • deltagodeltago Member Posts: 7,811
    With just the name, Shelby Coy.

    Shelby McBee rhymes too much, and depending on the age of the person Indra, doesn’t sound like a common name.

    But age, ethnicity, family background, region of birth and parents conservative level “not political, but more exhibition/flashiness” lplau a large part in a person’s name.
  • KamigoroshiKamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870
    edited September 2018
    Indra Coy, because even the King of Gods can act coy sometimes.
  • LadyRhianLadyRhian Member Posts: 14,694
    I'd need to know more about the character to say.
    O_BruceProont
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    @LadyRhian: I've avoided giving any information because I want to know what the name looks like on its own, to someone who doesn't already know everything about the character. This is about your subjective feeling about the name.
    ThacoBell
  • O_BruceO_Bruce Member Posts: 2,790
    LadyRhian said:

    I'd need to know more about the character to say.

    What Lady said.

    But aside that, as a writer you need to choose a name that would fit a character. I think you are the only one here that understands that character, but I on the other hand, have no data to work with. Nothing about character, nothing about the setting. So I can't help you there.

    From "that sounds good" standpoint, Indra sounds good to me. McBee is a surname I wouldn't want to name my characters, had I ever wanted to write my original story.
  • voidofopinionvoidofopinion Member, Moderator Posts: 1,248
    Shelby McBee is adorable!
    [Deleted User]semiticgoddess
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited September 2018
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  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,367
    Indra Coy just sounds interesting. Shelby McBee reminds me of a certain vocalist for Fleetwood Mac...
  • LadyRhianLadyRhian Member Posts: 14,694
    Fine. Indra Coy sounds fine to me. I like unusual names, and Indra is a fine one.
  • Permidion_StarkPermidion_Stark Member Posts: 4,861
    edited September 2018
    Indra Coy is a great name. The others aren't.

    To expand a little, Indra Coy is interesting. I have never heard the name Indra so I don't know if the character is a man or a woman. Coy is also interesting because I have never heard it as a surname but it sounds like it plausibly could be one. It is also interesting because I assume that it is one of those names that will prove to be ironic - the character will be anything but coy (like calling your hero Coward or calling a big guy Little).

    To me Shelby is an old guy name (the only Shelby I have ever heard of is Shelby Foote). Shelby McBee sounds like a sidekick name or a down at heel attorney. It is a comic character name.

    Indra Coy could be a private eye, a society hostess, a female action hero or a millionaire playboy and I would buy them all. It's a really cool name.
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    Shelby Coy. Shelby is a fun name, and makes me think of someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously. Coy suggests playfullness or sarcasm.

    Indra sounds made-up, as well as possibly belonging to a severe personality.

    McBee is fantastic, but it gives me the same feeling as "Shelby", so its comes across as redundant.
  • ArctodusArctodus Member Posts: 992
    I went with Shelby Coy, because McBee rhymes too much, bit what about Shelby McCoy ?
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  • TStaelTStael Member Posts: 861
    I picked on assumption that the char to be written is a positive protagonist, without being cutesy (excludes "Coy" for me).


    This said, at par with writing genius of Peter O'Donnell it could be picked.


    He specifically juxtaposed Modesty Blaise's first name to the gumption and sovereignty of her character, and very coolly had her pick her surname "Blaise" in reference to the tutor of Merlin, a wizard.

    Just wow how loaded that name is, narratively.


    Coincidentally, until picking up Wasteland 2 very recently, I have actually never had to name a full party, save my lead hero that honours my best friend and Mme de Staël.

    Pièce de résistance of my squad was the soldier boy "Kylion Dunlop."

    Informed by "In Cold Blood" - this is how American white male not highly privileged and somewhat evangelical enlisting in the army named himself in my post-apocalyptic head-canon.
  • LadyRhianLadyRhian Member Posts: 14,694
    Just like Mokoto Kusanagi from "Ghost in the Shell". "Kusanagi" is the name of the sword of Japanese regalia. Its name means "Grass-Cutter". It represents the virtue of Valor.
  • NeverusedNeverused Member Posts: 803
    I like Shelby McBee just because I can imagine the character just being so fed up with her parents with their name choice (A guy in my town's high school was named Ferris Wheel, I kid you not,) or just being so desperate to marry out of it. Or if she is married, constantly teasing her husband about how she must love him to willingly take on his last name.

    I might be a sadist. :tongue:
    [Deleted User]voidofopinionProont
  • TorgrimmerTorgrimmer Member Posts: 331
    Come on its got coy in it.
    [Deleted User]voidofopinionThacoBell
  • NimranNimran Member Posts: 4,875
    Shelby Coy?
    She’ll be coy!
    :smiley:
    [Deleted User]ThacoBellProontContemplative_Hamster
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  • fluke13fluke13 Member Posts: 399
    For me,

    ...y ...y = too much y
    McBee reminds me of McGee - which reminds me of Anchor man and the surname you give random people you don't know, like old Jim Baldymcgee down the road.
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