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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/46195
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

If you read names from popular novels you feel like the names define characters. They fit perfectly to the personality of character. For an e.g. Harry Potter, Robert Langdon, Jason Bourne, etc.

I have a character who is a professor of psychology, is chubby, easy going, interested in mystical things. I named him Rufus Drake...Rufus is name of my friends son, Drake I took from Professor Shaledrake. But then as I write I discovered it sounds highly pretentious. Like a vampire novel, which I am not writing. So I changed it to Michael Brown, which I believe to be a realistic sounding name in the UK. I also tried different last names of my English friends but its not giving justice to my character.

I also have a French guy as a character. I named him after my friend but the last name I just made a Google search of French last names and it sounds pretentious.

I also have to design email ID's and gaming zone names for these characters.

I am asking what's this art of imagination? Can something be done or do I just have to practice?

Original score: 17