The Power and Thrill of Naming

I freaking love naming things.

If I could do only a single thing with writing, it would be to generate names for things. The best part about starting a new writing project, whether it be short story of exposition, is the naming of things within the worldbuilding process.

To show you what I mean, I'm going to try a quick writing exercise. I found a science-fiction book title generator (https://www.imagineforest.com/blog/sci-fi-book-title-generator/) and proceeded to generate a random title. Here it is.

Distant Android

Now, I have five minutes to create an introduction. Three minutes to write it up and two minutes to edit. Ready? Go!

This point of space was so cold. It was too bad that the Sylian Fields were as dead as his companions. Darkened eyes frosted over, chrome lips void of sound, antimatter cores cooled to near the heat death of the universe. There would be no sunrise for them, as for him.

Epsilon-387, the last Hellbender Android of the Icescape Lancer Corps, sat in the gathering snow. Humanity had no need of him now. He looked at his left wrist bracer, tuned to the rhythms of the Cyclotron-Creator Ship. It'd be Spurring-tide now.

Wow, that was fun. At least five names of things right off the spot. I could do this all day. Let's try one more, this time with fantasy (https://www.imagineforest.com/blog/fantasy-book-title-generator/).

King of the Silver Ocean

"Blow me boys, blow!" the ring-metal clad man danced across the spars, urging the crew onward.

Black smoke belched from the Helioscope cannons, launching their dire projectiles into the hide of the approaching beast. The towering leviathan, fresh from the Ghoststriven Islands, was an ancient offspring of one of the last of the Bewilder Beasts. It had been sent from the Underwater Pantheon to harry the King's quest. Snorting and drawing up water into its dread maw, it drew closer.

Seeing that the beast would be upon them before the cannons could mount enough damage, the King of the Silver Ocean leapt down from his perch and drew up his shining reserves.

"Strong magic is required here," he breathed. "I've a mind to break open the Chamber of the Underground Sea and spill its wrath this day. The chains of Beleshian will be no more."

Fantastic. I have to admit that I dallied on the second one though. I needed another minute or so to wrap things up.

That then, is the power and thrill of naming things! Why don't you give it a try? I'll provide some fodder to get you started on.

Twisted Galaxy

Steel Planet

Unknown Jupiter

Infinity Invasion

Prehistoric Gravity

Witches of the Broken Worlds

Lost Warriers of Elysium

The Dragons of the Cursed Kingdom

Wizards of the Broken Ocean

The Secret Tree

Comments

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