[.ca] The Writers Digest Character Naming Sourcebook (ISBN 1582972958)

Wonderful resource!:
Out of all the books for writers I've come across, this is one of the few that remain within my grasp, on my desktop at all times. It's simply that useful. Before this book came out I had to put up with quite a large collection of baby name books when I was selecting names for my characters. I am a female author and, let me tell you, hearing people at book stores ask me when my baby was due as soon as I brought those books to the checkout got old very fast. Especially since I'm only 125 lbs! LOL Not to mention, baby name books are great for some purposes but finding one with first and last names is rare. Then I spied "The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook" and I was in heaven! Granted, some theories by the authors are more amusing than helpful (while others are dead on and very helpful indeed) and some of the names are classified under the wrong sex or with the wrong meaning (very few); but overall -- considering the wealth of information and names provided -- it's a very helpful book. I especially like how the authors seperated names by language/country and include a short list of surnames as well as the history of that particular area's names at the beginning of each category. The Table of Contents and Index are both very helpful. Sometimes I'll just page through the book to the area I want (i.e. French or Celtic names), close my eyes, and drop my finger to find a name (I do the same thing with the index). Other times I'll have my nose buried between pages for hours. I've already reread the book from front to back twelve times and I must admit, I've never found it the least bit boring. In fact, I actually manage to learn something new each time. It would be nice if the author's included an Index for name meanings. I think that would make this book truly complete. But it's still a wonderful resource that I highly recommend to all authors.

Such a Great Resource:
This book should sit atop your desk alongside your thesaurus & dictionary. It is wonderfully full of descriptive names!

Excellent:
The best book that there ever was or wll be for naming characters, wouldn't trade my copy for anything when it comes to reference material for the aspiring writer.

A Ton of Names:
I started using the Character Naming Sourcebook when I was a wanna be author in middle school. Now, I am in college and I still use this book. It is so easy to find names, because they are arranged according to ethnic background and country of origin. I have hardly written a story without looking up names in the CNSB. The price is a little steep, though. As wodnerful as this book is, it's probably not going to be worth 80 bucks to someone. I would advise you to check and see if your local library has copy before you buy it.