Ask the Author: Sydney Witbeck
Answered Questions (3)
Sydney Witbeck
This is a great question! Actually, finding names for my characters is one of my favorite parts of starting a new story…there is a kind of satisfaction in finding a name and seeing how it is just right for your character. There are really 3 places I go to find names/inspire names:
• Genealogies – especially from the Bible! (The early chapters of Genesis, Numbers, Chronicles…) Esther, Hezron, Seth, Nathan, Joram – all their names came from the Bible. But if you are interested in family history and have those genealogies, check them out!
• Baby name websites! This is a fun place to find names. What I like to do is figure out first what the culture of my story is and then look up names after. Even if your story is set in a fantasy world, pick an aspect of their culture that matches a historical culture (Arabian, Medieval England, Irish, Colonial America…etc As a side note, Irish/Celtic/Welsh names are some of my favorites! Even if your story is set somewhere else, you may find a regal sounding name there if you need one!)
• Reading! Now obviously here, you have to be careful. You probably don’t want to give your main character the last name “Pevensie.” But look at what names you like most. Short, simple names? Long names hinting at another culture? Common names? Rarer names? Reading non-fiction sources helps, too. I’m writing a story set in a Scandinavian/Nordic culture. I found a book called “The Northmen: The Viking Saga, AD 793-1241.” I haven’t read straight through it but read portions here and there and some of the names catch my attention!
Hope this helps! :)
• Genealogies – especially from the Bible! (The early chapters of Genesis, Numbers, Chronicles…) Esther, Hezron, Seth, Nathan, Joram – all their names came from the Bible. But if you are interested in family history and have those genealogies, check them out!
• Baby name websites! This is a fun place to find names. What I like to do is figure out first what the culture of my story is and then look up names after. Even if your story is set in a fantasy world, pick an aspect of their culture that matches a historical culture (Arabian, Medieval England, Irish, Colonial America…etc As a side note, Irish/Celtic/Welsh names are some of my favorites! Even if your story is set somewhere else, you may find a regal sounding name there if you need one!)
• Reading! Now obviously here, you have to be careful. You probably don’t want to give your main character the last name “Pevensie.” But look at what names you like most. Short, simple names? Long names hinting at another culture? Common names? Rarer names? Reading non-fiction sources helps, too. I’m writing a story set in a Scandinavian/Nordic culture. I found a book called “The Northmen: The Viking Saga, AD 793-1241.” I haven’t read straight through it but read portions here and there and some of the names catch my attention!
Hope this helps! :)
Sydney Witbeck
That’s a great question! My main answer is: your faith and your family. These are your biggest assets in writing. The most important thing is to commit your story to the Lord. It sounds simple, but the answer can be just going to God. After all, He is the best and most wonderful Author! Ask Him for you perseverance and commit to write this story for Him.
Share your struggles with your family. Ask them for ideas, tell them where you are in your story. When I got stuck, my mom helped me so much! She helped me, gave me feedback, and helped me with ideas. As I am working on my newest project, at night, my dad asks me how my book is coming along and that has really encouraged me. Your family would love to help you and support you, so take advantage of that!
If you want some "in the moment" solutions for being stuck, there are a few other things you could try. Find instrumental music to listen to while you write (Find music that matches your story/scene. If it’s set in Ireland, try Celtic songs, sad music for sad scenes, dramatic music for a climax...). Go back to your first idea, remember why you wanted to write this particular story (What sparked the idea? A scene? A piece of dialogue? Was it based off something you read? A song?). Go for a walk and talk to yourself about your story (it sounds crazy, but I do it! Sometimes it's praying, saying dialogue., asking questions, or even just remembering certain parts of the story that I am excited about). I don’t know about you, but I am a bit of a perfectionist, and it carries over into my writing :) If this is you, remind yourself that it doesn’t have to be perfect the first time around or even the second. You will be able to come back to it when you're editing! Move to the next scene. Also, you don’t have to write a chapter or long section every day! It’s okay to write a small snippet or scene at a time.
I hope this helps. Keep writing! I pray that God would use what you write to touch many hearts for His kingdom!
Share your struggles with your family. Ask them for ideas, tell them where you are in your story. When I got stuck, my mom helped me so much! She helped me, gave me feedback, and helped me with ideas. As I am working on my newest project, at night, my dad asks me how my book is coming along and that has really encouraged me. Your family would love to help you and support you, so take advantage of that!
If you want some "in the moment" solutions for being stuck, there are a few other things you could try. Find instrumental music to listen to while you write (Find music that matches your story/scene. If it’s set in Ireland, try Celtic songs, sad music for sad scenes, dramatic music for a climax...). Go back to your first idea, remember why you wanted to write this particular story (What sparked the idea? A scene? A piece of dialogue? Was it based off something you read? A song?). Go for a walk and talk to yourself about your story (it sounds crazy, but I do it! Sometimes it's praying, saying dialogue., asking questions, or even just remembering certain parts of the story that I am excited about). I don’t know about you, but I am a bit of a perfectionist, and it carries over into my writing :) If this is you, remind yourself that it doesn’t have to be perfect the first time around or even the second. You will be able to come back to it when you're editing! Move to the next scene. Also, you don’t have to write a chapter or long section every day! It’s okay to write a small snippet or scene at a time.
I hope this helps. Keep writing! I pray that God would use what you write to touch many hearts for His kingdom!
Sydney Witbeck
**This question was submitted by Grace (319 books). However, I accidently hit "skip" when I meant to hit "reply" which is why it is coming from me now. Sorry, Grace!**
Thank you for the question!
I have always loved imagining stories. My first book's plot sprang from a single scene I’d come up with in my head – a princess riding as fast as she could away from her palace with enemy soldiers hot on her heels. I began asking myself questions such as, “Who is this girl,” “Why is she riding alone,” and “Why is she so desperate to escape?” For the second book, I wanted to focus on the life of a minor character who appeared in the first story. One character made made a significant decision to step away from his old life. Once more, I asked myself questions about this person. (“How would others see/treat them because of their past?” “How would they react?” “What would happen if they were confronted by someone who knew them before they changed?”)
And, yes, I have always known I wanted my stories to be set in a medieval setting! I am fascinated by that time and the people who lived in it! Although that may change in the future as I find different settings and time periods to write about, my first love is a medieval-esque era!
Thank you for the question!
I have always loved imagining stories. My first book's plot sprang from a single scene I’d come up with in my head – a princess riding as fast as she could away from her palace with enemy soldiers hot on her heels. I began asking myself questions such as, “Who is this girl,” “Why is she riding alone,” and “Why is she so desperate to escape?” For the second book, I wanted to focus on the life of a minor character who appeared in the first story. One character made made a significant decision to step away from his old life. Once more, I asked myself questions about this person. (“How would others see/treat them because of their past?” “How would they react?” “What would happen if they were confronted by someone who knew them before they changed?”)
And, yes, I have always known I wanted my stories to be set in a medieval setting! I am fascinated by that time and the people who lived in it! Although that may change in the future as I find different settings and time periods to write about, my first love is a medieval-esque era!
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more
Apr 20, 2024 11:13AM