Weekend Box Office #111... And I Need a Character Name
First the weekend. There are only two movies opening, and both are going to be pretty huge.
BOLT (3651 theaters). It looks like it skews a little young, but reviews have been good, and the 3D will help. My guess: $51.1 million.
TWILIGHT (3419 theaters). Huge advance sales, and a big teen audience (or at least a big teenage girl audience). It's hard to tell how far the audience will really expand from there, but the first weekend should be big. $68.2 million.
Jump in with your guesses, because either could be a lot bigger or smaller.
******
So I'm wrestling with one of the character names in the thriller I just finished, and I'm looking for a little random help.
Because it's sort of a character-thriller in which the main characters are introduced on the fly, I'm looking for a name that will fix itself in the readers' heads, so that they'll remember who he is, without it being too on-the-nose.
Here's the character: he's 22, a former jock sunk into a life of laziness and frustration, the alpha-male of the group. Nicknames are fine, and might actually work better, but aren't required.
Go.
36 Comments:
haywood strike
Zach, or for a nickname Dozer as in bulldozer. Of course Leslie is quite memorable. :>)
Assuming you need a real name, Biff (though a bit dated).
If you need a script name, maybe "Has-Been Jock" or "Paunchy Ex-Footballer".
I like this site for random names:
http://www.unled.net/
You can reload until you find one you like, and often I'll find that a name on there will spark something that works.
Also, I posted on character names on my blog a while back.
Good luck!
Try looking for a good last name for him to go by. Lots of guys do that, informally among friends, and it opens up a lot of more interesting possibilities.
Mosier
Bergeron
Livingston
Whitford
Patterson
Boost.
Plaxico.
Elijah.
Sullivan.
Crash.
Payton.
Buford.
Stone.
Tappen.
Reesen.
-- Harry (my name, not a suggestion :))
This sort of thing fascinates me, because I'm terrible at remembering names.
You can give him a name that's unexpected, like Quentin Frost. Or tie it into an unusual celebrity name, like Elvis Kolchinski. Or Zack Presley, and he says, "No relation to Elvis." (Maybe too heavy-handed)
Axel
Prescott
I also like Patterson from the other guy's list.
Nothing's really struck me yet.
Some further refinements: I only need one name (though going by his last name is interesting).
It should be more working class/red state than preppy.
I had a friend who was named MANNIX. Named after Joe Mannix a hard boiled detective from 70's TV show. Always thought the name looked and sounded cool.
Or you could go with Columbo or Kojak.
My ex's oldest son is Boomer.
I have no idea what his real name is.
- Bill
"Twilight" looks like SHIT, all buzz and NO COMPELLING story. If you don't find the leads good looking, expect little else.
Where's all the "good" movies? It seams like all we get these days is dullary. Are we now feeling the affects of the strike? When's the "good stuff" coming?
As far as names go I like the name, Dax.
- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA
Jake Grippenburg "Gripp"
Working class/red state?
Butch
His name is "Trip".
DALLAS
LAMBERT
ASH
KANE
PARKER
GARRY
RED
PHIL
MIKE
WALTER
FUCHS
MAC something
NAILS
BEN
SEAN
MATT
FRANK
PERRYMAN
SCHNEIDER
SID
ZACK
ROLLAND
CHRISTIANSEN
TURNER
CARPENTER
ROSEMEYER
JEFF
RYAN
MARTY
HOOPER
JIM
JONAS
ELIAS
BURKE
DAVID
PETERSON
HARRY
SAM
SONNY
ISAAC
MURRAY
ROY
DAWSON
TRACY
JOE
WILMER
BLAKE
CHARLIE
CORMAN
HICKS
BRETT
M.
Meat.
Buck
There's something real about a blue-collar guy with a fancy last name. First name, no way, but last name? Sure. A mechanic called Whitford or Myer or Crosby is kinda cool.
When I'm stuck I look at baseball rosters.
Jocko
Rip
Scooter
Charlie
Ray
Craig
Travis
Wilson
Tommy
Gil (for Gilbert)
Hines
Murphy
Jackson
Duke
Clint
Bennett
Jake
Gavin
Caleb
Rex (alpha maleness)
Cord (could be short for 'Record', as in he broke a lot of athletic records in high school. Or he is built like a cord of wood.)
Thanks all (though keep 'em coming if you got them).
There's something about "Dallas" that strikes a chord (though Marco, Schneider? Really?). I like "Cord" as well.
Twilight made $35 million yesterday, counting Friday night's midnight screenings.
Cole
(And yes, it is my name, but I get comments on it wherever I go.)
Dane
J.D.
Brady
Dell
Cooper
Porter
Wade
Austin
Cody
Colton
Logan
Wyatt
Deacon
Brick
Davis
Blades
Dallas?? Will his friends be named Pony Boy and Soda Pop? C'mon Francis -- leave S.E. Hinton alone.
marco, alphabetize please! Tough otherwise to see if my name has already been listed.
Krunch Buttsteak
Scout
Chet
Baker
Lambo
Max Power
Emily, how'd you miss this one ?
His name is Blake. Could be his first or last name. I'd go with last name and that's what everybody calls him.
Dirk Underwood
Brock
If you like Dallas, what about Austin?
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