Major Characters-7 Peter Bachman Edward Bachman Evangeline Margaret Bachman Felicity Palmer Amelia Bachman Jane Huxley Elizabeth Bachman Minor Characters-12 James Alexander Bachman Maria Eliza Bachman Julia Bachman Caroline Hollingsworth Walter Palmer Michael Vanderstone Peter Buchanan II David Huxley Thomas Henry Abbot Celia Abbot Paul Taylor Anne Davenport
Major: Allison Jean (AJ) Connor-Parker (MC: deceased, story narrated via diary entries.) Sst. Aaron Connor USMC (Twin brother: deceased, only mentioned in diary entries.) Zoe Jane Connor (Older Sister/narrator) Cpl. Nikki Ramierez Ret. United States Army (Girlfriend/roommate) Dr. James Connor (Father) Laurel Connor (Mother) Minor: Too many to list, but here are the biggest players... Katherine Cooke (Aunt) Carmen Ortega (Friend) Pauline (Friend) Skye (Friend) "Beast" (barfly) Jennine (barfly) Robyn (barfly) Scott Parker (MC's Ex-Husband) "Zen" (Drug Dealer) Andy (Pot-head neighbor across the hall/occasional drug dealer) Cassandra "Casey" Mae Lin (Bartender) Officer Robbins (LAPD Arresting Officer) And many others who are mostly unnamed (or nicknamed I/E "Peanut") bar flies/drug addicts.
Way too many to list so just going with the main five here: Cassie Harvey (MC) Mark Harvey (Cassie's brother) Patrick Barnes (Antagonist/MC love interest) Kendall Barnes (Patrick's wife) Lindsay Barnes (Patrick's daughter)
This isn't the final list, I'm already contemplating getting rid of a few, but here is is: Major: Derek Reilly Morgan Saddler (Reilly) Matthew Mercer Cassandra Cruz Aaron Ross Felicia Greenaway Malachy Sheehan Louis Walker Minor: Kristen Gallagher Christian Cutter David Hudson Abigail Folsom David Frost Jarrod Ross Julia Parker
Major Lasande Starwhisper Netheara Draeles Izulan Draeles Lyravoca Nuyeva Daniel Aren-Starwhisper Kylvara Suneye/Songrose Naias Tiroi Nalkai Inziah Rashik Amegant Minor Dariana Starwhisper Naltheran Shadeclaw-Starwhisper Sivad Aren Jesiah Starling Ylandris Winterfall Urulthayan Songrose Lioram Songrose Inifarn Songrose There are plenty more, but those the ones I have planned for the most screen (page?) time. As you may have guessed, it is of the epic fantasy variety.
Wow, @Howling Storm, that's quite a few mouthfuls there. To tell you the truth, if I were reading a book with those character names, I think I'd find them all becoming Blahblah Blahblah-Blahblahblah and Something Somethingorother. I think you're asking a lot of your readers. Could you give them some easier names? And maybe more distinct ones?
I'm with @minstrel, a lot of the names look the same reading down the list, plus I think a lot of them are too long. Though it's fantasy you could maybe stick with normal names for the first names but keep the surnames as are?
Main Characters Isake Dresden Kilnir Ironshield Emeril Seolran (who is also the King) Lori Togarbaec (niece of Emeril, she kind of floats between being a main character and a minor character) Minor Characters Arkalo Icegleam Lorain Metalbeater (he is a dwarfish blacksmith what do you expect!) Xanthir Dogtooth. Ibsani Steelweaver (likewise to Lorain, but he is an elf!) an unlimited supply of unnamed guards and runners an unnamed Dire Wolf (who will, hopefully, have a name and become a key character)
@ChaosReigns - I'd consider changing Arkalo Icegleam. Say it out loud to yourself. The natural inclination for someone who doesn't know your character is to immediately read, and say, Arkalo Ice-Cream, which is quite a way to break the tension Main: William Reus - MC Shadow Walker (Rucer Pelzarro) - Antag Luniah (Lea Jaro) - secondary Antag Sameera - MC love interest Arlia Grithor Seb Norlina Minor: Hayley Soliath Jorn Mar Aivee Marcus Hmm I need to give these people some surnames.... For the next story I hope to be working on, the characters are: Hotaru (firefly - MC) Arashi (storm - love interest) Hikari (light - MC's sister) Taiyo (sun - MC's brother) Haven't got anymore yet lol.
Gotta love those fantasy names... Though I agree with @Mckk : Icegleam becomes ice cream. Oh the jokes you can make about that in your story @ChaosReigns The cast of my and T.Trian's current WIP are: Main Characters Lise Armfelt (Swedish) Jonathan "Reggie" Reagan (American) Amélie Prideaux (Solus-born, parents were French) Secondary Main Characters Chris Adams (American / Belgian) Anna "Sundance" Ward (Solus-born) Oliver Hendricks (Solus-born) There's a horde of secondary characters, but it'd take half a page to list them all, so these six are enough.
@Mckk @KaTrian hmm, true, i need to think of something, especially as theres no ice cream in my story...
Major: 9 Tonya Harding - The Boss Christopher Hughes - The hacker Nicholas Blade - The Merc Victor Cros - The Schemer Evelyn Shields - The Mother Alex Mink - The Thief Eddie Bane - The Gambler Rufio Martin - Antagonist Everettia Tallow - Secondary Antagonist Minor: 5 James Striker (All American Asshole) Raymond Perillo Warren Bassett X Leah Fang
Major characters: Rose Williams (MC) Lucien Duchamps Jade (Duchamps... I guess? She's not Lucien's biological daughter; he took her in) Minor/less important characters: Ed Victoria (aka Vicky) Albert Death, Killer and Shadow (Lucien's guard dogs, they do live up to their names) Lucas There are more, but they are mostly "nameless" individuals, only referred to by gender and sometimes age.
Humans: Edward Bradshaw Walter Thorndike Father Zossimos Mona Mason Emily Mason President Henry McLeod General Adrian Jacobs Alexei Yurlov Vincent Sullivan Aliens: Senoch Rufel Hoh Axalal Melulal
I made some of the characters' names puns on suffixes of the word Para. Protagonists: Tara "Para" Leonard Norm Leonard (Paranormal) Elie Vyle Thomas Hyde Gilda Hyde Jack the Ripper Antagonists: Abner Dise (Paradise)(Also Abnormal) Lloyd Roswell (Paranoid) Clare/"Flare" Liza Hector (Paralyze) Don (Paragon) Persephone
Fyodor Andreyushkin Anastasias Pinstone Peppolin (Peppo) Pindray Kyomo Tahling Kyoko Murakin John Bell Kshlinney (The Skinny) Coralena (ship name) Eric Lodz Wilkes Schwab
Dante/Ro'shaan Dante BES Decugosan Kaleel VPOTUS Rawlings POTUS Mitchell Rep. Steward US Society Various CEOs of major tech and defense contractors.
Erik Matthews Colin Phillips Marshmallow Matthews Renee Matthews Melissa Daniels Brenda Connors Angela Lawler Lacey Lawler Mark Walters Jeff Bonaduchi Rita Landow Tom Landow Nathan Woods Natalie Woods Brian Thompson Janet Jaclyn Marty Trevors Artie Trevors Darren Phelps Karen Phelps Tiffany Busch Roger Johnson Jerold Cuthbert Rebecca Cuthbert Marty Cuthbert Cody Cuthbert Mimi Cuthbert Joanna Cuthbert Saul Cuthbert Serena Cuthbert Jeremy Johnson Jennifer Crawford
Let's see, for a short story I'm working on my major characters are: Cecilia Cross (MC) Garret Styles (MC's friend/love interest much later in the story) Madoc Leyton Blake Ainsworth Edmund Harrow Eleanor Cross (MC's mother) Conrad Cross (MC's father) Jonathan Wick (antagonist) My minor characters who are only mention posthumously (and possibly in flashbacks, I haven't decided yet) and only referred to by their last names: Kent Brand Ahrens Curtwood Martel Dabney Longstaff Hallman A slightly off-topic question, but do you think it would be a good idea to come up with first names for them anyway, even if I don't intend to use them at all?
I think it's a good idea - it's something you know about your characters (and you should know them inside and out) but doesn't necessarily need to come up in the story. A few of my characters' surnames are never mentioned in my novel but they still have them.
