Names

[brigdh]

So, I'm writing a story for my fiction class. (Yes, it's due in less than 24 hours. But really, is anyone surprised that I'm doing this at the last minute?)

What's your opinion: is naming a character 'Scherezade' okay, or is it the pretentious equivalent of naming her 'Princess Arwen Moonflower'? And if it is pretentious, someone give me some normal Arabic female names. The only name pages I can bring up on google keep giving me choices like 'Ibtihaj', and I think even Moonflower might be better than that.

Comments

[fadagaski.livejournal.com]

www.kabalarians.com

http://www.ivenus.com/family/LC-babynames-arab-girls.asp

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks!

[shes-unreal.livejournal.com]

Scherezade is such a generic name. Layla is a very popular name for Arabic women, if you're looking for something that sounds more "interesting," try Nour. You should have asked me :-p Most bellydancers use Arabic stage names.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Heh, I would have, but I didn't think of it last night.

And you think Scherezade's generic, really? I mean, I know it's probably the most commonly known name for Western people, if just for the '1001 Nights' character, but I've known anyone who was actually named that.

[shes-unreal.livejournal.com]

I mean it's "generic" like "I've got this Arabic girl in my story and can't think of any other name." Like using the name "Krishna" for an Indian person (even though I do know a girl named Krishna and I think it's a pretty name, that's beside the point).

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I see what you mean. I liked it because I liked the contrast between the Scherezade in 1001 Nights and my characters; they're pretty much complete opposites. And also I wanted a name that really said 'Arabic', so that anyone reading it can't assume "Oh, it's a white girl with an unusual name". Because I am so sick of everyone in this class writing about characters that are themselves, and then setting the stories in Columbus. I'm going to kill the next person who can't write about anything but their own suburban angst. These people take 'write what you know' like it's the fucking word of God.

Argh. Anyway. So even though it doesn't really matter to the story that she's Arabic and brown, I just want a character who's obviously not yet another cookie-cutter Ambercrombie & Fitch clone.

[shes-unreal.livejournal.com]

Well if you're going for a specific meaning or reason for using Scherezade then use that. I just thought you were looking for ANY name.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

*laughs* Well, it's not like it's an important reason. I always figure that if the only reason I'm doing something is a reason a reader could never possibly pick up on, it's not really enough justification to do it. I'm very willing to be persuaded by a better name.

[shes-unreal.livejournal.com]

BTW, Nour means "fire," I'm not sure what Layla means.

[p-zeitgeist.livejournal.com]

I know a Palestinian woman named Nasreen, and it's such a gorgeous name that I have a hard time not being all jealous over it. It's a flower name -- I think it means 'crocus,' but it could be lily or iris or something else; I'm having one of those blank-brain-moment days.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Oh, I do like that name. I'm having a hard time finding the balance between names that are so strange as make using them more of a bother than it's worth (I hate when characters have names I don't know how to pronounce), but unusual enough that they won't read as simply 'white-bread American with hippie parents'.

nextdooruniverse.com

[rain-watercolor.livejournal.com]

Hi ^^
I'm sorry to bother you, i tried to enter in your domain, but found I wasn't able to. My server keeps on telling me the page is nonexistent.. maybe am i wrong?
Thank you!

Kyio

Re: nextdooruniverse.com

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Heh. #^^# No, it's not your fault, it's mine. The bill's due, and I don't have the money right now to pay, so it's gone down. I'm planning on paying it by at least Christmas, though, which is why I didn't take the link down: it should be back up in a few months.

Thanks for pointing it out, though! It's always good to know people are willing to point out what doesn't work.

Re: nextdooruniverse.com

[rain-watercolor.livejournal.com]

I see.. it's not possible to read any of them, then? I really like you yami no matsuei fics, and i would be very glad to read them one of these days ^^''

Kyio

Re: nextdooruniverse.com

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Oh, no. They're all in my memories (http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=wordsofastory&keyword=Fic&filter=all).

And thank you! That's very sweet of you.

Re: nextdooruniverse.com

[rain-watercolor.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much ^^
I've finished just now reading your stuff, and.. wow. It's about time i don't read anything from you, but now I recall why I was amazed. Your fics -and drabbles, mostly- are a deep, deep insight on Tsuzuki and Hisoka. And I must say I love your Tsuzuki so much.. I could die right now, happy and contented. Really.
I know that now i'm going to bother you -again! *sigh*-, but I was curious to take a look at the comic on this page : http://www.livejournal.com/users/tsukikoushi/166332.html

Unfortunately, I can't open the windows. Maybe they've been taken down, too?

Hugs,
Kyio

PS: Sorry for my horrible english. I'm Italian, and I tend to be confused by the translation of certain sentences ^^''