When I wrote Anathema I named my main character Mina. Why? I knew someone with the name and I thought it was gorgeous and unusual. When I read Dracula this summer for the first time, I found out why Mina was such an usual name....who wants to be named after Mina Harker?!
Now that Anathema will see the light of day, I want my main character to have a new name. But I have no idea what to name her. (My husband probably doesn't believe this considering the extensive list of names I had for our daughter.)
This is where I need YOUR help. Name my main character for me! I'll thank you in my book and you'll win a signed hardcover copy of Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. It can't get more awesome than that.
Here's some info about Soon-To-Be-Renamed-Main-Character:
- teenage girl
- dark hair
-amber eyes
- shy
-doesn't always believe in herself
- she's been a slave her whole life
This is a fantasy story, so anything goes. It can be a real name or a made-up name. First name only.
All you have to do for each name suggestion/entry is either blog about this contest, FB it or tweet it - with a link to this post. Just one shout-out for each entry. (This means you need to help me spread the word by linking to the contest somewhere. I'd love to see lots of name suggestions!) If I don't know you, please leave contact information or send me an email using the link to the right. You aren't required to follow me on Blogger, FB or Twitter, but it's always appreciated. If the same name is submitted twice, I will go with the person who suggested it first. The same name spelled differently is counted as a different entry. I also have the right not to choose a name if I don't see one I like.
I'm going to run this contest until January 13th and I'll announce the winner on January 17th.
Good luck and thanks for participating!!!!
You want just a first name, or a last name too?
ReplyDeleteFirst name only. Thanks - I'll add that to the post. :-)
ReplyDeleteTwo names already entered off of Blogger:
ReplyDeleteShinai
Rell
Keep 'em coming!!!
Lilith
ReplyDeleteMelora
ReplyDeleteRylance
ReplyDeleteAbda - Muslim for slave girl
ReplyDeleteor
Amara (ahm-AHR-ah)
Can I enter more than once?
Hey Freethinker & Christine - your Blogger profiles don't tell me who you are so I can't verify if you either blogged, tweeted or Facebooked about this contest. I also don't know how to contact you if you win... :-)
ReplyDeletembrandt - you can enter as many times as you like, but each entry must be accompanied by either a blog post, tweet or Facebook link to the contest. ;-)
Hmm...just had a glitch and lost my whole post! Grr--on the other hand, I probably needed to tell you where I heard about the contest and give a little credit to those who are really spreading the word:
ReplyDelete(so here is what I saw on my facebook wall)...
Karly Kirkpatrick via Michelle Sussman
Enter this contest and help author Megg Jensen name the main character in her upcoming release! You could be (kinda) famous! And follow her blog too, because I know you're nice people!
I am excited for you and really want to help you get a name if I can and help me get a mention in a book (not to mention get a free book).
Okay...so when I think of a dark haired girl with amber eyes. I am thinking exotic. This makes me picture someone who is maybe Latin, Spanish, Italian, Greek/Mediterranean or even a name from the Islands.
Quickly I will tell you that the simple, but not overdone name Gina means earth worker, farmer. Not only is it only a letter change away from your original "Mina", but I can picture a dark haired beauty toiling away. As a name it is derived from Giorgina, which maybe sounds a little more exotic to some and Luigina which means "famous warrior" (something tells me your heroine isn't going to be downtrodden forever).
Now aside from that...maybe you want to keep an "M" name and so maybe you want to consider a name like Melania/Meleana--\m(e)-la-nia\ is a variant of Melanie (Greek), and the meaning of Melania is "black, dark. Again I am going with her description, but also that there is a darkness to being enslaved.
Finally, there are the Island type names or names of Islands:
Alcina ... a sorceress who rules over a magical island
Ila/Isla ... "Island."
Elba ... a small island off the coast of Italy
Ramsay ... "Raven island; ram island."
Seemingly, I could go on and on. I love the name game. So finally (thinking what you said about naming your daughter) I'm going to throw my own 13 year old daughter's name into the pot. Her name is Julia (meaning soft haired) Faye (my middle name, but it also means fairy). Yes, I literally named her "soft haired-fairy", but her father is also Italian and so she's becoming more of a dark haired beauty every year!I think she might like to be quasi-almost-semi-famous (if only that imitation, no matter how, is pretty flattering) and there are many creative ways one can spell the traditional name of Julia (if it isn't exotic sounding enough). Thank you for the opportunity to enter and to be a part of YOUR creative endeavor--this was fun!
Best of Luck to you in find your girl's name and best of luck to me--I'd love to win the contest!
Smiles, Lisa
"Mina" could easily become "Mira", which means wonderful or peace. It is either sanskrit (which conjures up images of dark hair) or latin.
ReplyDeleteI retweeted your tweet under @writersblocknz :)
I tweeted under Sharpschruter. :)
ReplyDeleteI tweeted your link, but I didn't include suggestions there - should I have done so? Anyway, here are a couple thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes like to use Hindi transliterations when hunting for names, though I imagine the phonetics aren't perfect.
Sevaka is a Hindi word for "slave"
Azadi is a Hindi word for "freedom" or "independence"
Azada is basically "free" or "independent"
Svayan is "herself"
Also Dienaar is a Dutch word meaning servant.
Just a few thoughts. Looking forward to see what you come up with!
How about Sahara? (Tweeted the link, too)!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the entries Lisa Faye, Anthony and Brenda. :-)
ReplyDeleteRemember Lisa Faye & Anthony - one name per tweet, FB post or blog entry. You can either retweet over the next few days or choose your favorite name (or I'll just take the first one).
Thank you so much for stopping by! :-)
Okay, I owe you four RT's :)
ReplyDeleteHow about Moira? I've always liked that name.
ReplyDeleteTweet: http://twitter.com/Sparima/status/23904809107066881
spav05(at)gmail(dot)com
Whenever I'm stumped for a name, I go to a baby naming website: http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/ and search for a meaning that represents my character.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
You can always stick with Mina if you really like it, but perhaps a different spelling of the name, like "Meara", which is celtic for 'merry'.
ReplyDeleteI also love the names Hannah and Clarie.
Good luck on the name search, hope you find something you like.
I put a link on FB to your site...my suggestion is Ayn as in Ayn Rand. Have always loved the name...
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTwo more names through Facebook:
ReplyDeleteReychel and Vincenta/Cinn for short
I wrote this name down a while ago...not sure what I might do with it..but it caught my attention.
ReplyDeleteLevania - l(e)-va-nia is a variant of Levana (Latin), and the meaning of Levania is "to rise"
And you could call her "Nia" for short.
I retweeted your post. Love the cover!!! It's so awesome!!!
That's my post above. Don't know why it just says Kathy...I blame it on Monday :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathy!!!!! :D
ReplyDeleteOkay, I RT'd you about 5 more times - I think that covers all my entries :) Can't wait to see what you decide on!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much to everyone who participated! I'll announce the winner on Monday, along with introducing my book trailer. :-)
ReplyDeleteAiyana
ReplyDeleteNora Barteau
msnorabarteau@att.net
Who won?
ReplyDeleteHey Christine, Check out this post
ReplyDeletehttp://meggjensen.blogspot.com/2011/01/anathema-book-trailer-contest-winner.html
For all the details! :-)