He called me, “Heather with the laughing eyes.” Although my name is actually Kimberley, the name my Dean called me the night we played shuffleboard in the campus games room was a name that I adopted in my heart.20 years later, I christened the main character in my work-in-progress novel, Blind Trust, with the name Heather Williams.
Heather’s last name comes from a Welsh/German background that means, “By following the truth.”In Bible times, names had significance. They usually indicated a personal or physical characteristic or related incident to the birth of the child. When Sarah was ninety years old, God told her that she and Abraham would finally have a child. Sarah named her first-born Isaac, which means “He laughs” because she laughed when God told her she would bear a child in her old age. Isaiah’s name means “The LORD saves,” and Eve means “Life-Giving”. God changed the names of Sarai to Sarah, Abram to Abraham and Saul to Paul – just to name a few. This was to show that they were new creations and somehow changed after their encounter with God.
The names of Bible characters and saints have become popular in our society today. Leading all saints names are Mary, William, and John. My brother named his firstborn son, Benjamin, which means “Son of My Right Hand.”When writing fiction, it’s important to choose a name best suited to your character. I named the antagonist in my novel, Rod Kramer. Both his first and last name give the reader a glimpse into his character. Rod is short for Roderick, “Famous Power” and his surname comes from Irish/German ancestry.
There are a number of websites on the Internet that offer anything from the origin and meaning of the name to popularity rank by year.Baby name books make a wonderful gift for bewildered parents hunting for the perfect name for their baby. They also work wonders for writers who are looking for the exact name that will fit the personality of their characters.So before you name your heroine or villain, make sure you know her history and choose the perfect name that holds true to her character.Kimberley (forest clearing) Jane (God is gracious) Theresa (of the harvest)
Looking for a place to feel inspired and challenged? Like to share a smile or a laugh? Interested in becoming more familiar with Canadian writers who have a Christian worldview? We are writers who live in different parts of Canada, see life from a variety of perspectives, and write in a number of genres. We share the goal of wanting to entertain and inspire you to be all you can be with God's help.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Popular Posts
-
Write Canada is more than a professional networking conference. It’s a safe place where beginning and intermediate writers can learn ...
-
Inspiration hardly strikes on an empty stomach. For this, and other reasons, writers must eat. And if you like minced beef (and you...
-
This spring I have decided to read through some classic works that I have never actually perused. I thought I'd start with C.S. Lewis. ...
-
Writers—especially those who aspire to write books—are currently being told that the publishing industry is undergoing a massive change. Th...
-
By Rev. Dr. Ed & Janice Hird By Rev. Dr Ed and Janice Hird What if most of the people in your family died from incurable illnes...
-
On Thanksgiving Sunday, our daughter and son-in-law blessed us with our first grandchild. My heart sings as I gaze in ...
-
Last week, I read this quote, “ Don’t regret growing older, it’s a privilege denied many.” I though about the truthfulness of this quote....
-
Commercials and television ads define their products with slogans. The Coke ad says, “Coke is it.” KFC says, “We do chicken right.” ...
-
“Why do we have so many ways to talk about the ending of life?” a writer asked a while ago. “A person croaked, kicked the bucket, bought th...
-
"Philosophers are finding fresh meanings in truth, beauty and goodness", John Cottingham tells us ( The Times , June 17, 2006): ...
No comments:
Post a Comment