by naw21 » Thu Feb 06, 2014 8:25 am
Thinking of my personal experience for this Archer doesn't sound like a real name to me. If it's going to be one, there should be some honest history as to how he got his name. As an elementary school teacher(a profession that sees, and attaches stereotypes to, a lot of names), I've never met an "Archer." The only one I can think of is the Star Trek captain, and a flat character from an RPG-type situation(he was an archer). It does sound like a name for somebody who is action-oriented and has a strong personality. I'd be surprised if Archer was dishonest or a bad guy. There are lots of little Haydens running about these days. I associate it with females, though it's actually more popular as a boy's name(boys named Hayden may need to respond to this trend). The Haydens I have met have also had strong personalities, and the ones that are female have feminist parents(fitting the trend of making unisexual names). The word that is closest to Hayden is hoyden, which might cause some subliminal connotations for people who don't know a Hayden personally. I do like both names. As an additional resource, try looking names up at the Social Security website: http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/. As a writer, I find I easily get hung up on names, and sometimes just browsing, or trying out a name at places like this site, helps me get a feel for the name and whether or not if fits my character. Since I do have such a hard time with names, I usually have the character named Xxx for a looong time, so I understand the power of names. There are tons of "exercises" for character development. Try filling out a form or resume for your character. Describe their physical appearance. Give them a habit, such as a particular way of smoking or an item they hold in their hand. Go to a busy place and people-watch until you find one that looks like an "Archer" or a "Hayden". Read, and think about the characters in what you are reading. Hope some of this helps! reader645 72 months ago Please sign in to give a compliment. Please verify your account to give a compliment. Please sign in to send a message. Please verify your account to send a message.