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English Names – Male

9/16/2016

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So often when writers are on the hunt for names, they have to resort to visiting baby name websites. And that's all fine and good—because there's probably way more babies being named than characters—but visiting sites like that can get a little... awkward. Today I decided to remedy this problem by doing the dirty work of sifting through baby name websites and onesies and pacifiers for you, and provide you with a list of English names on a purely writerly site. Maybe it's not a complete fix, but it's a Band-Aid. And a Band-Aid makes everything better (just ask any 3-year-old).

​Without almost any further ado, here's a list of male names and meanings for your characters. The reason I chose to do English names is because they're useful for just about any genre of writing, and it's also one of my favorite ethnicities for naming. I can't guarantee that they're all strictly English, or that their meanings are all spot-on, but this is a good place to start, even though this list is by no means complete. If you need female names, this is the list for you, but a few of these are unisex, like Ashley, so this list might prove useful even if you're naming a female character. I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to leave a comment if you do!

A
Addison – Adam’s son

Ainsley – from the field of hermits
Albany – coming from Alba
Aldway – noble war
Alexavier – protector of the home
Alfred – advice from elves
​Amory – home power
Archer – bowman
Arlen – oath
Arley – hare’s meadow
Arlo– between two hills
Arnette – little eagle
Arthur – noble and lofty hill
Ashby – coming from the ash tree farm
Ashley – meadow of ash trees
Ashton – ash tree settlement
Atkins – home of the relatives
Audrey – noble strength
Averey – noble bear
​
B
Bailey – governor; bailiff
Bartley – barley meadow
Bates – boatman
Beaman – beekeeper
Beck – living near a stream
Berry – from a fortified castle
Biff – fighting playfully
Birley – meadow with the cow barn
Blake – dark or fair
Blakely – dark meadow
Braden – broad valley
Bradley – broad clearing
Bramwell – bramble stream
Brandon – beacon hill; raven
Braylen – a broad valley
Brenner – little raven
Brent – one with the brand
Briley – briar wood
Bryson – Brice’s son
Butch – butcher
Byram – cattle yard

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Making Your Own Book Soundtrack

9/1/2016

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Movies have soundtracks, so why shouldn't books have them too? To celebrate the one-year anniversary of my blog here at Katelyn Buxton Books, I thought we'd do something fun—and no party is ever complete without music, so that's what we're going to talk about today!

First of all, imagine with me for a moment. You're driving, and the radio is turned on to your favorite station. Amidst the crackly jumble of familiar tunes, DJs, and ad interruptions comes a song that makes you grip the steering wheel a little tighter, because suddenly you're thinking about your favorite character. It describes their situation perfectly—it just breathes the essence of them.

I think every writer is guilty of this phenomenon, just like dreaming about the day our stories are committed to movie form (much as you might dislike it when that fate befalls your favorite book). If that ever happens, then your book will have a soundtrack. But is there really any reason to wait?

I'll start with an example. Anyone that has read my book Finding Hope knows that it's largely about a tortured teenage boy named Allister that comes to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, just when he felt like he was drowning in the overwhelming difficulties of life. The heavy, marching beat of Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains) by Crowder perfectly embodies Allister's dramatic journey to the foot of the cross, as do the powerful lyrics. I have long thought of it as his song, and my sister will be the first to tell you I've often worn a goofy, authorly grin while listening to it.
"All right, one song down, but aren't we missing a few?" you're saying. And in thinking that, you'd be correct. We need more songs for sure. But you have to start somewhere, right? Even though Lift Your Head Weary Sinner doesn't come chronologically 'till later on in the book (Allister's moment of salvation), it gets the wheels turning, and helps me think of similar songs, or other songs that I haven't yet connected with the story.

There's really no step-by-step formula for this, just get creative. You're the one that knows your story best. A fun thing to do with the completed soundtrack would be assemble it into a playlist or burn it to a CD for listening. Then press play, sit back, and enjoy. (More like fangirl/boy over your own masterpiece).

The point of this post, as well as its similar predecessor, When Writers Minecraft, is just to provide you with ways to add another dimension to your story, even if it isn't yet published. Writing it is just the tip of the iceberg. Minecraft lets you see it—music lets you hear it. Maybe this fun little excercise will help you reignite the passion you had for that project in the first place. It's a refreshing change of pace. Movies are no longer the only art form that have soundtracks—after all, books are the original movie.
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    Welcome to Katelyn Buxton Books! I'm a Christian author and blogger, with a passion for writing stories that are not just enjoyable, but also lead people closer to Jesus. Feel free to look around, and enjoy your stay!

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