What pitfalls and guidelines are good to know when picking character names?
I'm getting close to writing my first novel (plotter here - I develop the book first), but I do not yet have names for my main characters. I found this question, which helped me in that area, but now that I'm starting to find names, I have another question.
A comment on that question said that names (specifically fantasy names) should not start with the same letter, or the reader will confuse the characters. That's obviously the comment author's opinion, but it got me wondering: are there rules or guidelines I should be aware of when naming characters? I'm thinking specifically of fantasy or sci-fi works, where the names will be largely unfamiliar, but this question can apply to any genre.
Are there rules/guidelines for naming characters?
Note: And before someone asks, no, this is not a duplicate of the above linked question. That question deals largely with discovering names, and answers can and do include such things as brainstorming, translating, and name generators. This question deals with finding the right name. Once I have a list of names that sound half way decent, I want to make sure I get the right one.
Overlap: That being said, there is some overlap. Strategies discussed in this question might (and probably will) be useful in finding names.
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