Ash and Amber

[zeafiyr]

A/N - Checkpoint #2:
If you've made it this far, thank you for giving this story a chance. That alone already means more to me than I could ask for. I sincerely hope the story is to your liking. Feel free to skip this if you already have the general idea for the name meanings. Either way is a win for me.

Let me preface this by saying that naming characters is one of the first things I do when creating a novel. Sometimes it takes from minutes; other times, hours. It depends on whether the name "clicks": how it sounds, how it feels, and whether it fits the character. Most of the time I mixed random etymology unless I developed it within the world first, even then the names usually come first, so yeah.

At its core, naming is mostly a vibe check, and it depends on my skill as a writer. But when it does click, it's just really satisfying to see developed as it goes in the story. The best names feel resonant and fitting, even if they aren't particularly unique. Half of the times, it can be generic but fitting, which then I'll add my own flavor (by giving it a good surname or nickname) or the way the character embodies it, even then it might not be "unique" enough.

My goal is to not make it special but make it distinctive enough in the story to have its own character. Ideally, when readers encounter a name before meeting the character, they already form an impression of who that person might be. Whether or not it's a really good fit is up to you the reader, to judge. I can only hope I've done the character justice.

Character Names (up to Ch. 28)

William Aizan Sera Katla Morta Solomon Vane Vasha Gideon Rook Lucia Vervain Tristan Rostam

• "William" is intentionally classic and familiar. The idea is to make him approachable enough that readers can easily project themselves onto him, while still allowing him to develop his own distinct personality. The name itself comes from Wilhelm meaning "protector" or "resolute protector" which suits his role well. Aizan is more abstract, "Ai" comes from Japanese word for love, while "zan" was mostly added for sound and sharpness. It's somewhat a random connection but it feels memorable and distinctive enough in the story.
• "Sera" comes from names and terms associated with angels. "Seraphim", "Seraphina" (most common), "Seraph". The name carries a soft, almost celestial feeling that fits her character. Guess what these 3 have in common, it works partly because of her fragmented memory and incomplete sense of self.
• I chose "Katla" mostly because of how it sounds. It has a hard, heated edge to it, almost sounding like a "kettle" or something boiling beneath the surface. I later learned it's also associated with volcanic meanings in some languages, which ended up fitting her.
• Morta was one of the names that clicked unexpectedly. I had several alternatives in mind, but they're not "doing" it. Then I remembered the phrase, memento mori. Mori, Morta. Only later, after proofreading, did I know that Morta is connected to the Roman Parcae, the fates. Maybe I encountered it somewhere before and unconsciously drew inspiration from it.
• "Solomon" sounds generic, traditional and grounded, but also fitting. The name carries strong associations with the biblical king known for wisdom, which can stand by Morta's ancient power through presence.
• "Vasha" originated from "Vash", which sounded beautiful, authoritative, and powerful. I modified it into "Vasha" to give it a softer, more feminine sound because of what she is.
• "Gideon" sounds Marshal-y sound. It also has references to the biblical warrior who stood against overwhelming odds, which parallels aspects of his character.
  "Rook" comes from the chess piece that moves only in straight lines or laterally. It suits him given of what he has done up to this point.
• "Lucia" is lux, light referring to what she is (institution-wise). "Vervain" are herbs used in purification rituals, protection against evil.
• Tristan (Arthurian, more on this later :>), "Rostam" or rustam is an Iranian epic hero. It feels somewhat fitting.

At the end of the day, these are just names and they can be replaced with anything. Their point is to be resonant to the story, to their characters. A lot of character's names were chosen through instinct as much as thought, and I think that unpredictability is part of the fun of writing them.

Even if some names sound simple or familiar (maybe that's exactly the point?), my hope is that the characters themselves will eventually give those names weight and identity. A good character can make the simplest name unforgettable.

Once again, thank you for reading this far and for spending your time with this story. I will be providing author notes maybe more frequently. I want to connect more to the readers (maybe future me as well?) by sharing my thoughts on certain aspects and the writing process behind it, I'd greatly appreciate any feedback you may have, and feel free to ask me anything as well.