Mordecai

Meaning: (Warrior, Little Man, from "Mara Dachya" meaning "Pure Myrrh", the aromatic resin which was used in incense.)

Origin: (Biblical, Hebrew, Persian, Aramaic)

Pronunciation: (MOHR-də-kiy, mor-də-KIE, MAWR-də-kie (English), mor'-de-ki, mor-de-ka'-I, mordekhay)

Gender: Male

I am so surprised I haven’t added this very nice strong Biblical name before. A relatively new friend Cameron *see on list of posts* told me that if he ever has a son in the future he would want to name him Mordecai. Mordecai in the Bible was the cousin of Esther *see on list of posts* and many years ago we had a Biblical drama about Esther and Mordecai at one of our religious conventions. I like the strong meanings of this name and the whole general look of the name is very nice.

I think Mordecai would do well in a historical fiction novel as it has a strong biblical history.  If used in a historical fiction novel and dealing with sensitive topics of the past it would do well on a character thats perhaps down and out, but comes back strong. Though also it seems like it would do well in a science fiction / fantasy novel set in space as it would be interesting to have that very old name be set in the future on a character. A cute nickname could be Mordy. 

Hazen

Meaning: (Sandy Meadow, From the Hedge Enclosure, Smooth, Beautiful, from Hasin, a pet form of a Germanic personal name, Haso, derived from haswa 'Gray', 'Black'; or from the plural of Haas.)

Origin: (Dutch, Germanic, Old English, Sanskrit)

Pronunciation: (HHEYZAHN, HAY-zən)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I forget where I saw this name but when I saw it I thought it was unique and pretty cool looking. It has really lovely meanings and has a look like Hazel in a way so maybe twins or siblings Hazel and Hazen would be cool. All in all I like this name and would love to see it used more often in novels.

Natira

Meaning: (Nature, Left, Last)

Origin: (Filipino)

Pronunciation: (nah-TEER-ah)

Gender: Female

This is a Star Trek name but I think from the older Star Trek TV series. The meanings I could find I can’t really guarantee are right but they are nice and all I could find. The name and pronunciation is very fantasy like. I can see a princess on another world being named this. It is such a very lovely rare unique name.

Theobald

Meaning: (People, Race, Bold, Brave, God, Derived from the Germanic elements Theud "People" and Bald "Bold". The Normans brought the name to England, where it joined an existing Old English cognate. The medieval forms Tibald and Tebald were commonly Latinized as Theobaldus. It was rare by the 20th century.

The Latinized form was recorded in the 11th century Domesday Book. The name was borne by Theobald of Bec (-1161), an archbishop of Canterbury; he was of Norman origin. Medieval forms of the name include Tebald, Tedbald, Tibert, and Tybalt. The form Tybalt or Tibert was known as the name of the cat in the French folklore Reynard the Fox, thus giving rise to the nicknames Tibs and Tibby being used for cats. The form Tybalt was later used by Shakespeare for the name of Juliet's cousin in Romeo and Juliet (1595).

Recorded in over one hundred forms ranging from Theobald, Tudball and Dyball in England, to Thibald, Thibaud and Thibout in France, Thibou in Belgian, Theobald, Thibaut, and Diebald in Germany, Tibold in Hungary, and many more, this interesting surname is of pre 7th century Germanic origins. It derives from the the elements "theudo", meaning people, and "bald"- bold or brave, and as such was a very popular name in the period of history known as 'The dark ages'. The personal name and the subsequent surname of the 12th century is believed to have been introduced into England by followers of William, The Conqueror, after the Norman Invasion of 1066, and it was in that country where the earliest examples of the surname recording are to be found. Examples of the recordings illustrating the hereditary surname development include: Hugo Tebaud, in the Pipe Rolls of the county of Lincolnshire in the year 1202; William Theobald, in the court rolls known as the Feet of Fines for Suffolk in 1250, and Simon Tebalde in the register of Ramsey Abbey, in 1255. In Germany Stammfolge Theopolt was recorded in Hildburghausen in 1420, Thiebaud von Worms in 1435, and Christoph Theobald of Rudolstadt in 1529. Examples taken from early surviving English church registers include: the marriage of Francis Theobald and Judith Conquest on February 20th 1622, at St. Dunstan's in the East, Stepney, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name anywhere in the world is believed to be that of: Tomas Teobald. This was dated 1199, in the Pipe Rolls of the county of Gloucestershire, England. This was during the reign of the famous King Richard 1st of England, known as "Coeur de Leon", 1189 - 1199. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling. http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Theobald )

Origin: (English (Rare), Ancient Germanic, French)

Pronunciation: (THEE-ə-bawld (English), DHIY-owBaoLD)

Gender: Male

I was watching a movie the other day and I’m not sure if the character had this spelling but when they said his name I saw it in my head as this spelling so I added it to my list. The meanings are strong and the look of the name is old fashioned but is handsome and brave looking as well. I really like this name a little more each day.

Tudor

Meaning: (God’s Gift, Gracious Gift, Welsh form of the Old Celtic name Teutorigos, meaning “Ruler of the People” (cognate with Theodoric). As a surname it was borne by five monarchs of England beginning with Henry VII in the 15^th Century.)

Origin: (Welsh, Celtic, Greek)

Pronunciation: (ˈtü-dər, tyü-dər, go to this link and run your cursor over the name to hear how it is pronounced: http://howjsay.com/pronunciation-of-tudor )

Gender: Male, Possibly Uni-Sex

Again this is not a name I would have thought of as a given name but the other day I was looking around and some professor on C-Span had the given name Tudor and I was like what I’ve never seen that before. The meanings are very beautiful and strong. Most people know of the monarchs in England with this surname so they should be familiar with the pronunciation though I still can’t see this as a given name for some reason. I did a report in my last year of high school many years ago on Tudor architecture which I found to be interesting, just thought I’d say that, lol.

Brandt

Meaning: (Sword, Torch, Fiery Torch, Beacon, Dweller on a Burned Clearing, topographic name for someone who lived in an area that had been cleared by fire, Middle High German Brant (from Brennen 'to Burn').)

Origin: (Middle High German, Old Norse, Scandinavian, Old English)

Pronunciation: (BRahNT)

Gender: Male

I saw this on TV but I forget where but I thought it was pretty nice when I saw its spelling on the screen so I decided to add this to my list. The meanings are all nice and strong as is the name in general. It seems a name that would do well in a fairy tale retelling or perhaps in a story with a strong German mythology in it.

Essex

Meaning: (Regional name for someone from the county of Essex, which is named from Old English east 'East' + Seaxe 'Saxons'. In England the surname is now particularly common in Birmingham. Place name: a county in England that gave its name to many towns in America. There was a kingdom of Essex in Anglo-Saxon England. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essex )

Origin: (Old English, Middle English, Anglo-Saxon)

Pronunciation: (es-sex, go to this link and run your cursor over the name to hear how it is pronounced: http://howjsay.com/pronunciation-of-essex )

Gender: Uni-Sex

The other day I saw some celebrity named their child Essex and I wouldn’t think this would be a first name as I know it as a county name in England but apparently it is a surname so it’s no surprise I guess to be used as a given name. It has a decent meaning and the name is pretty strong and recognizable by a lot of people so it should be easy enough to pronounce. It’s a very preppy name but it has an appeal in a way.

Claremont

Meaning: ('Cler' or 'Clair' meaning 'Bright' or 'Clear', plus 'Mont', a Hill i.e., a Prominent Hill Standing out from a Plain.)

Origin: (Old French)

Pronunciation: (KLAYR-mont, go to this link and run your cursor over the name to hear how it is pronounced: http://howjsay.com/pronunciation-of-claremont )

Gender: Uni-Sex

This is the name of a street near my place of worship and when I was driving by the other day I came to really see this name and said it is nice and decided to add it to this blog. The meanings are very pleasant and the look of the name itself is very posh and sophisticated. I can see a very gorgeous blonde woman in a red coat walking down a very picturesque European city street in the snow being named this, weird I know, lol. All in all this is a very lovely name.   

Eiliwedd

Meaning: (Saint Eluned (Welsh: Eiliwedd; Latin: Almedha or Elevetha), also known as Aled and by other names, was a 5th- or 6th-century virgin martyr from modern Brecon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Eluned )

Origin: (Welsh, Welsh Mythology)

Pronunciation: (eh-lee-eye-wed, ee-ah-lah-wedd, ee-ah-lah-weth)

Gender: Female, Possibly Uni-Sex

I saw this name when I was looking up the name Brychan *see on list of posts*. Eiliwedd was the daughter of King Brychan. I think this is a pretty interesting looking name and the information I found about it was interesting and it has a long history of use that would make it great in a Historical Fiction novel.

Now the pronunciation I am not sure about at all and could find no pronunciation except for the first part Eili and so I did my best with the pronunciation and on the last one this name being Welsh I am assuming Wedd is sounding like weth slightly, not sure if I have that right at all. If anyone knows the real pronunciation please leave a comment in the comment section of this post and please let me know what it is.

Farewell to a Tear Stained Year……2016

This has been a particularly rough tear stained year and I am writing and posting while still fresh off another teary moment. I’m half expecting something worse to happen in the next few weeks of 2016.

I haven’t added a year end list of the good, the bad, and the ugly in a few years but I thought I’d add this year end list. The last time I added a list it was only on my Book Worm blog but I decided to add my list to both my blogs this year.

This has been a year where I remember crying more than I have ever cried in 28 nearly 29 years of my life. I’ve at moments cried and prayed so much for Jehovah God to end the pain and half felt like the Biblical man Job.

Though I know my moments of pain pale in comparison to others and I’m not making light of theirs. Each person’s down moments are life shattering to that person.

The Good:

• In February some friends at our place of worship helped us pay some of our bills!

• In March my mom got a new job when she desperately needed one!

• In April my dad got his foot infection healed!

• In June we had an exceptionally wonderful 3 day religious convention!

• In August I made a new friend from one of my favorite countries I’ve always wanted to visit, England!     

• In November I pioneered for the first time! Go to the I pioneered post to read all about it! http://tabularasacoker.blogspot.in/2016/12/i-pioneered-in-november_6.html

• I got to make and post about my new crafts all year!

The Bad & The Ugly:

• In January my nearly 17 year old cat Missy died.

• In March my nearly 15 year old dog Precious died.

• I’ve been jobless all year which led to major family drama.

• In February my dad got a bad infection on his foot. We nearly lost our house this same month as we couldn’t find jobs.

• In May my best friend Kendra moved away.

• In July through to now I’ve been trying to determine if this guy likes me which I don’t like and see if his brother is keeping other guys away from me.

• In December both my grandparents who have Alzheimer’s are in nursing homes or hospitals. My PaPa got in a car crash and my granny can’t remember why she’s in a nursing home and gets scarred.

• In December the friend from England had to break off our conversations but not because he really wanted to but it was said to be the right thing but it broke my heart and I feel as if someone I loved as a friend died. I can’t go into the details though. He’s still a friend and alive but I can’t contact him any more. When I make friends I go all in and put my whole heart in and when I can’t contact friends any more it really saddens me.

• 3 times a year January, April and May I entered short story and poetry contests only to not win.

• My bank was fee hounding me all year so I had to cancel my accounts out.

• My parents are having health problems.

• I only have 1 friend who I can trust to confide in now and she’s busy with her life so try as she might she can’t always contact me and I know she can’t because of her responsibilities.

• In December I’m about to turn 29 years old.

Hopes and Quotes for 2017:

When you hit rock bottom the only place to go is up! I keep thinking that with everything going on that things had better get better because I can’t handle any more badness.

“A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

Though my soul may set in darkness,
It will rise in perfect light,
I have loved the stars too fondly
To be fearful of the night.
~Sarah Williams

 

We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open. – Jawaharlal Nehru

When you come to the end of all the light you know, and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown, Faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: Either you will be given something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly. – Edward Teller

What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step. – C. S Lewis

“May the love hidden deep inside your heart find the love waiting in your dreams. May the laughter that you find in your tomorrow wipe away the pain you find in your yesterdays.”

Lynlee

Meaning: (Lake, Beautiful, Affectionate, Adoring, Coming from the Castle, Pool below a Waterfall, Ruddy-Complected, a form of Lynn.)

Origin: (English, Welsh, Irish, Gaelic, Italian)
 

Pronunciation: (LYNN-lee)

Gender: Female

I was reading an article the other day that said a baby girl named Lynlee was the first baby to be taken from her mother’s womb and had a surgery and then was put back in the womb, so she was the first baby to successfully be born twice. She has thus far reached all her milestones and is healthy so I found that to be really quite interesting and I really came to like her name Lynlee. The meanings are all very gorgeous and feminine and exude a delicate beauty as does the name itself. I see an artistic shy girl with an amazing imagination being named this. This is a lovely name that I wouldn’t mind seeing a bit more often.

Dorcas

Meaning: (Gazelle, Deer or Doe or at least denoting an animal of the deer kind. Famous bearer: The New Testament Dorcas who 'abounded in good deeds and gifts of mercy,' was a charitable woman raised from the dead by Peter.)

Origin: (Greek, Biblical)

Pronunciation: (DAWR-kəs (English), dor'-kas, DOHR-kis, to hear how this name is pronounced go to this site and run your cursor over this name to hear how it is pronounced: http://howjsay.com/pronunciation-of-dorcas )

Gender: Female

In “The Winters Tale” by William Shakespeare this is the name of the shepherdess in the play. I first heard this when I was watching Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 when America Ferrara’s character Carmen *see on list of posts* played Dorcas in “The Winters Tale” when she went to some acting camp thing. Then the other day I saw it again and I decided to add it here even though it might not be the most beautiful sounding or looking name. The meanings are decent and definitely exude that feminine aspect from long ago when deer’s and gazelles were supposed to be delicate and so certain women were described similarly, doe eyed, delicate, graceful like a deer, ect. Good nickname options are Dora or Dory / Dori.

Unfortunately it sounds like dork and everyone in message forums for this name have basically said it, a lot, so that could be a pain for the author or character and reader alike, but it could be used and show the struggle of having such a name. Maybe too the characters parents can be lovers of the bard and they chose the name because “The Winters Tale” is their favorite William Shakespeare play.

Nicodemus

Meaning: (People's Victory, In the Bible, Nicodemus assisted Joseph of Arimathea with the burial of Jesus Christ. The name was widely adopted by English Puritans in the 17th century.)

Origin: (Old Greek, Biblical, Biblical Latin)

Pronunciation: (nik-ə-DEE-məs (English), ni-kə-DEE-məs, nik-o-de'-mus, NihK-ah-DIY-MahS (English), nih-cuh-dee'-muhss)

Gender: Male

I think I saw this in my bible first but added it after I saw it another time. I like the meaning and the historical and biblical aspects side by side with the heavy use by Puritans in the 17^th Century makes this a name that could be used in a wide variety of eras though it might be interesting to see how an author might use it in the 21^st Century or even in the future. However if Nicodemus were used in the current era or even the future a few good nickname options to make it more modern can be Nico (nik-uh or nee-ko) or Nick or Nicky.

Charlton

Meaning: (Peasants' Settlement. Derived from a surname and place name based on the Old English Free Men's Town. Famous bearers: American actor Charlton Heston.)

Origin: (Old English, Germanic)

Pronunciation: (CHAHRL-tən, KAHRL-tən, CH-AARLTahN, to hear how this name is pronounced go to this site and run your cursor over this name to hear how it is pronounced: http://howjsay.com/pronunciation-of-charlton )

Gender: Male, Possibly Uni-Sex

A friend of a friend of mines name is Maureen *see on list of posts* and the funny thing is she is married to a man named Charlton. Both their names are also names of famous older actor and actress from classic movies, Maureen O’Hara and Charlton Heston! I’ve added Charleston *see on list of posts* before but never Charlton. I like the meanings as they have significance to another era of fighting for what you believe in kind of thing. Though an older classic name like Maureen Charlton doesn’t to me sound like a name that would fit as well in a historical fiction novel, though it could fit in a historical fiction novel I don’t like it as much in one.

Maureen

Meaning: (Dark, Black, Bitter, Anglicized form of Máirín, a pet form of Máire, which is the Irish cognate of Mary, which is in turn derived from the Hebrew Miriam. It may also be a feminine form of Maurice.)

Origin: (Irish, English, Hebrew)

Pronunciation: (maw-REEN, MAWR-een, moh-REEN)

Gender: Female

A friend of a friend of mines name is Maureen and the funny thing is she is married to a man named Charlton *see on list of posts*. Both their names are also names of famous older actor and actress from classic movies, Maureen O’Hara and Charlton Heston! Maureen is a nice older classic name with decent meanings! I do think of an old classic Hollywood type when I hear and see this name as I do think of actress Maureen O’Hara! I can see a historical fiction novel surrounding a country girl who moves to Hollywood or Manhattan looking to break into the 1920’s – 1940’s screen or stage scene!

Ashton

Meaning: (Ash Tree Town, “the man who lives at the farm or dwelling near the ash tree". Transferred use of the surname meaning “Belonging to Ashton.” The name originated from the English place-name, which is composed of the elements æsc (Ash Tree) and tūn (Town, Settlement, Village, and Enclosure)

Origin: (Old English)

Pronunciation: (ASH-tən, ASH-tuhn)

Gender: Uni-Sex

Last month I mentioned my other friend Cameron *see on list of posts* having the middle name Irie *see on list of posts* well I have another friend named Kameron *see on list of posts*, two different guys and one spelled the traditional way with a C and the other spelling it the non-traditional way with a K. To find the names it’s put as Cameron / Kameron on this blog. Anyway this Kameron has Ashton as his middle name. When I learned that it made me view the first and middle name Kameron Ashton as a very preppy name and made me think too of actor Ashton Kutcher, lol! I don’t mean it to sound like I am downing Ashton as a preppy name I am simply pointing out that Ashton hasn’t been put up on my blog until now because it’s a little too common and preppy. I do however have Aston *see on list of posts* because at the time I put that one up I wasn’t ready to add Ashton quite yet and Aston was as close looking to Ashton for my taste at the time.

Now I am seeing preppy names as slightly handsome and sexy in a way and preppy to me goes outside of prep schools. To me it seems it could be noble / royal names, like Lord Ashton, that seem a little snooty / preppy but kind of hot in the same regard. I am so complicated on what I like and don’t like and I am in a yes / no with preppy names such as Ashton but anyway I do like the name Ashton. I like the meanings and I’ve actually had names on this blog with this same meaning before. It also has a nice older history at least as a last name. All in all I like it and at least it’s simple and pronounceable as that is a plus to any authors out their contemplating using this name as their characters name. And also this would work on both genders.

Tinsdale

Meaning: (Tin: A Great Thinker, the Latin name stannum originally meant an alloy of silver
and lead Dale: Little Valley, From an English surname which originally belonged to a person who lived near a dale or valley.)

Origin: (Croatian, Latin, Old English, Middle English, Gaelic)

Pronunciation: (Tin: teen, ten Dale: DAY-əl, DAYL Tinsdale: teens-DAY-əl, teens-DAYL, tens- DAY-əl, tens-DAYL)

Gender: Uni-Sex

This is the last name of Christopher’s girlfriend on the TV series Gilmore Girls which I love watching re-runs of.  I had to break up the name to get meanings for them but all the meanings are really nice especially A Great Thinker. This would be interesting if used as a first name as maybe the character is named for a family last name. I can see a brainy book reader type with this name that then gets caught up in a wonderful adventure and falls for a bad boy type, lol.

Tymber

Meaning: (Wood, variant of Timber.)

Origin: (English, English Nature Name)

Pronunciation: (Tim-bur, Tim-ber, TAM-ber, TAYMB-er)

Gender: Female, possibly Uni-Sex

I was watching an episode of Law & Order: SVU (Special Victims Unit) and in that episode one of the main abused characters sisters was named Tymber and I really kind of love it with a Y instead of an I. The meanings are normal and decent and it has a very cool nature look and is easily pronounceable if one can realize Tymber is actually Timber with a Y. For some reason I see a character of nobility being named this or perhaps a fairy or woodland prominent creature being named this. I can see a logger naming his child Tymber, lol! Can you imagine someone being named Tymber being a huge hugger, tree hugger, lol!

Trevor

Meaning: (Prudent, Industrious, Tight, Large Village, Goodly Town, also a habitational name from any of the numerous places in Wales, in particular the one near Llangollen, from the Welsh tre(f), meaning "Homestead", or "Settlement" and a form of mawr, meaning "Large, Big". Transferred use of the English surname meaning "belonging to Trevear." Trevear is a place-name in Cornwall meaning "the Big Farm, the Big Estate." It is derived from the Cornish and Welsh tre (a Homestead, an Estate) and mear, mawr (Great, Large). Alternatively, Trevor was used as an Anglicized form of the Irish Treabhar (discreet).)

Origin: (Welsh, Irish, English, Cornish)

Pronunciation: (TREH-ver, TRE-vər (English))

Gender: Male

I saw a movie advertised the other day and the male lead actors first name is Trevor and this is a name I associate with both a handsome slightly sexy guy and a very preppy guy as well and that can be handsome and sexy in a way too. I love all the meanings a lot and it has a good interesting history. It’s a name though that is too common for my actual character naming tastes but I don’t mind seeing it in other author’s novels and at least it’s easily pronounceable.

Troian

Meaning: (Father of Triplet Sons, Woman of Troy)

Origin: (Slavic)

Pronunciation: (Troy-ann, Troy-in, troy-en, trow-en)

Gender: Male, Possibly Uni-Sex

I saw this as the name of one of the actresses on the TV series Pretty Little Liars. Though I’ve never seen the show nor do I know anything about the actress I do like her name. The primary meaning seems very masculine obviously but I read that the second meaning can be used as well and that is feminine now so I put this as a possible uni-sex name. I like the over all look of this name and it has a look of several names in one giving it a unique yet attractive look.

Musings of a Lonely Writer! ----- Characters with Mental Illnesses or Perceived Mental Illnesses!

It has been a while since I’ve done a Musings of a Lonely Writer segment post and I’ve missed it but I’ve been forced to put it off for a while as I’ve been a tad busy and really had to think of a topic I found interesting enough to discuss as well. But I am so glad to be back and adding this topic to my Musings of a Lonely Writer segments.

So since I write mostly Young Adult Novels I’ve begun to wonder about this as when I’ve been looking at novels lately I’ve found quite a few with this similar theme, characters with mental illnesses or perceived mental illnesses and locked up in mental hospitals. I think if used appropriately it can give depth, challenges, anxieties and difficulties to a character just as nearly 1 in 5 real life Americans alone each year suffer from a mental illness but I find many of the stories aren’t like that but rather the character is locked away in as some say in the novels a loony bin, whack shack, or other derogatory term and they aren’t crazy but are there for some insane reason which really seems a way to just get the character where the authors wants them so the character can uncover some deep dark secret or conspiracy and get to the adventure of solving the issue.

I mean there was a story I contemplated writing that had three different possibilities of where the character is, either a mental hospital, living the life of a ballerina who looses her senses and leaves the ballet to live on an old farm or is whisked away to an alien planet and the same man is in all possibilities and she falls asleep in one only to awaken in one of the other three with no clue as to which is true and I leave the readers questioning her sanity and sometimes their own, or rather I was going to if I ever write the story, lol.

So you see even I’ve played with the idea of mental illness or perceived mental illness but stories now seem like they are trying to make the character have a perceived illness to make them interesting but the character falls flat as they are just too perfect and it’s the whole worlds conspiring against them kind of thing which I don’t really like. I would rather a character straight up have an illness even a little bit or make it more interesting as to why they are locked away not just because some insane government agency or person wants the main character gone as they are the key to saving the world or something.

So I am hoping that the perfectly perfect character locked in a mental hospital thing isn’t the next fade in YA literature unless it’s handled in a way that makes it different and unique but I’ve yet to really see that.

This has been Musings of a Lonely Writer! If you have any thoughts on this topic please leave a comment in the comment section of this post! Keep Reading, Keep Writing, and Keep Inspiring!

Edit November 5, 2016:

So fellow blogger Jasmin Weaver left a comment on this blog post and I replied but thought some of what I added should go under this edit so I better explain my views on this topic.

I try not to handle such weighty and complex subjects as mental illness unless I’m willing to put in the time and effort into doing plenty of research and interviewing professionals, ect. In a rare case I have had a character that slowly drove herself to insanity as did her mother through a serious of events but I never really tackled it straight on but rather from the sidelines kind of thing.

I don’t think every author tackles mental illness the same way as I have seen some that have handled weighty subjects as mental illness, sexual assault, murder, and suicide in as proper a way as one can with such subjects. But then there are authors that have romanticized it too much and made it only a perceived illness so as to not really get into it and handle it as a proper illness or disorder and to show it’s ok to have an illness, well its not what anyone is supposed to ever have but because of inherited imperfection people have such illness for the present time but not in the future, but show a person can live a fulfilling healthy life even with a mental illness or disorder.

I’ve seen two instances where it was handled oddly to me. First one the character was locked away in some big bad mental hospital but through some handsome orderly or something she finds out she’s a Princess from a different realm and isn’t crazy. Which I think romanticized it and didn’t handle illnesses in such a great way. The second story showed people locked away all willy-nilly for not choosing the right group of people to be with, a weird reason to lock people up in mental hospitals for.

I think mental illness and hospitals that house mentally ill individuals would be interesting but not to just entertain or to say someone needs an illness to be interesting or anything but rather to tackle a real issue but in a unique but honest way but I haven’t found a YA novel that does so fully but maybe just not fully to my satisfaction but I need to realize I can’t get my way when it comes to other peoples stories but I can only have a strong opinion, lol!

The blogger mentioned Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’ or ‘Hamlet’ but I only read what was required Shakespeare reading in school so I never read those but I have heard of them and how those characters were.

What I find interesting is ‘A Tell-Tale Heart’ by Eagar Allen Poe which basically I like the narrator trying to convince everyone of his sanity but all the while his murderous activities were anything but sane. In those kinds of gothic literature novels of that era and later very much had a lot to do with insanity and manipulation into insanity which really was handled in a creepy but interesting way in my opinion.

The blogger Jasmin Weaver mentioned gaslighting and yes I have heard of the term gaslighting and even seen the 1944 movie which I was just talking about the other day, lol! I saw the movie some years ago and I found it to be really interesting how that was played out and how the phrase came to be and what it means. I even have a soon-to-be-written story called ‘The Gas Light Murders’ set in 1890’s London or I’m thinking of moving it to America but same era and my character is hearing about a rash of murders and as the investigation lands on her husband her sanity is called into question as little things and then big things begin to point to her as the murderer and she fears what she’ll do and worries for her sons life but as the story will unfold the lead detective begins to figure things out after basically being a victim of gaslighting and the reader figures out my main female lead has also been a victim of gaslighting by the real murderer who is closer to her home then she thought. The title of the story has to do with that phrase gaslighting but also the murderer leaves notes on gas lamps within the city to lead the detectives to his crimes and as a way to mock them as well.

So anyway I agreed with her that gaslighting would be an interesting take on mental illness but also psychological abuse.

If I have any further thoughts I’ll come back and edit again! If anyone has any thoughts on this post, edit, or comments again leave a comment in the comment section of this post!

Edit November 12, 2016:

 

The Gas Light Murders novel details have changed as I no longer want a murder mystery but am going with a different type of mystery so I won’t be incorporating murder or the gaslighting phrase in that novel now, so just wanted to say so, lol!

 

If I have any further thoughts I’ll come back and edit again! If anyone has any thoughts on this post, edit, or comments again leave a comment in the comment section of this post!

Brychan

Meaning: (Speckled, Spotted, Brychan Brycheiniog was a legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog (Brecknockshire, alternatively Breconshire) in South Wales. Celtic hagiography tells us that Brychan was born in Ireland, the son of a Prince Anlach, son of Coronac, and his wife, Marchel, heiress of the Welsh kingdom of Garthmadrun (Brycheiniog), which the couple later inherited. Upon his father's death, he returned to Garthmadrun and changed its name to Brycheiniog. Brychan's name may be a Welsh version of the Irish name Broccán and that of his grandfather Coronac may represent Cormac. The Life of St. Cadoc by Lifris (c. 1100) portrays Brychan fighting Arthur, Cai and Bedivere because of King Gwynllyw of Gwynllwg's abduction of his daughter St. Gwladys from his court in Talgarth.

He is occasionally described as an undocumented saint but the traditional literature does not call him a saint, referring to him as a patriarch instead, and he has no churches named for him. A 15th-century stained glass window in the parish church at St Neot in Cornwall, supposedly depicts Brychan, seated and crowned, holding in his arms eleven children. This, however, has been described by a standard modern guide as "God with Souls in his lap". ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brychan} Brychan is a derivative of the English Bryce.

This is a locational surname. It can be English, Scottish or Welsh. It may originate from the village of Brecon in the former county of Breconshire or Brecknockshire, East Wales, or from the village of Bracken in Yorkshire, or the town of Brechin in Tayside, Scotland. The English and Welsh origins are probably the same from the Olde English pre 5th century word "braecan", which does mean bracken. The town in Scotland is from the Olde English word "breac", a break or new arable land, and the diminutive suffix "-in"; hence "A patch of new arable land". It is also possible that for some name holders the origin is from the Gaelic O 'Breacain, meaning "a male descendant of Breacan", a personal name translating as freckled or speckled! Early examples of the surname recordings include Magister Hugh de Breychin who witnessed a confirmation by Symon Loccard in Scotland in the year 1180, whilst in Swansea in the year 1292 and then written as Sweynssaye, we have the recording of Nicholas de Brachan. In the surviving registers of the county of Yorkshire we have the recording of Mary Brecken who married John Green on June 19th 1715 at Middleton by Pickering. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Ysaac de Brechyn. This was dated 1178, during the reign of King William, known as "The Lion" of Scotland", 1165 - 1214. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was often known as the Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling. http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Brychan)

Origin: (Welsh, Gaelic, Celtic, Scottish, English)

Pronunciation: (BRIYCH-aeN)

Gender: Uni-Sex

Here is another name I can’t quite remember where I saw it but I really like it and apparently I have added quite a few Welsh names this go around which is funny as my new friend Cameron *see on list of posts* is of Welsh background, lol! Anyway this name is very interesting and I like the spelling and the meanings a lot as I love the name Bryce *see on list of posts* which this is a derivative of. Brychan has a great long history of use and for that reason it would be amazing in really older medieval historical fiction novels!  

Gwenaëlle

Meaning: (“Blessed and Generous” from Breton Gwenn “White, Fair, Blessed” and Hael “Generous”. Saint Gwenhael was a 6^th Century abbot of Brittany. Modern feminine form of Breton Gwenaël, feminine form of Gwenaël.)

Origin: (Welsh, French, Breton)

Pronunciation: (gwen-a-EL (French))

Gender: Female, Possibly Uni-Sex

I forget where I saw this name first but I really liked the look of it and of course it has the Gwen at the beginning as a lot of Welsh names have it and so this is a great alternative to the more common Gwen names. The meanings are very beautiful and lovely! The male original spelling has a long history of use and so I assume one could maybe get away with using this more modern feminine spelling in a historical fiction novel or I even think this would look absolutely lovely and perfect in a fantasy novel. See similar names Gwendola, Gwenllian, Gwen- Gana, Gwenora, and Gwendolyn *see all listed here on list of posts*.

Aladar

Meaning: (With Germanic roots, including Aldemar and Adalmar, from elements meaning Old and Famous, or Noble and Famous. If it's the latter, that connects Aladar to a huge family of names. Servant of Allah, Paragon of Faith, and Aladár is a variant form of the Arabic and English name Aladdin. It is also a common Roma (gypsy) name.)

Origin: (Germanic, Hungarian, Arabic)

Pronunciation: (aa-L-ahDAAR, AL-uh-dar)

Gender: Male, Possibly Uni-Sex

There was a movie I liked some years back about these talking dinosaurs and one of the dinosaurs was named Aladar and just the other day my parents were watching the movie and I heard the name again and decided to add it to my list. I like the meanings a lot on this name as well as they are very regal and strong and the whole look of the name does give it a dignified look. I didn’t know it was a common Roma (gypsy) name but I can see that now as there are a few names I’ve like and used over the years that are common gypsy names but I didn’t know for a while.

With this name I can see a very handsome dark haired dark eyed character with a shady past but that has risen to a dignified position but is threatened by his past mistakes. For some reason I see this fitting into the 19^th or early 20^th Centuries better than the present era.

Noam

Meaning: ("Pleasantness, Sweetness, My Delight" and while started as the male version of the female No'omi — (English: "Naomi" or "Noemi") today it is a very common Hebrew name for both males and females alike.)

Origin: (Hebrew)

Pronunciation: (Noe-ahm, NOHM, NOH-əm, NOW-aeM)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I think I saw this as a wrestlers ring name some time ago but I can’t remember but wherever I saw it I instantly liked it. The look is unique and definitely rare and the meanings are very lovely but it has a strong look about it as well. I wouldn’t have thought it were a Hebrew name when I saw it as it looks to me as more of an Irish, Scottish or Welsh name to me. But all in all I like the look and meanings a lot and it is short and has different variant pronunciations to choose from which may help readers and authors alike.

Brandewijn

Meaning: (From Branden ‎(“to Burn, Distill”) +‎ Wijn ‎(“Wine”), A brandy, type of strong liquor distilled from wine or another alcoholic beverage.)

Origin: (Dutch, English)

Pronunciation: (Brand-Wyne, Brandy-Wyne)

Gender: Female, Possibly Uni-Sex

I think I was looking up something to do with the name Balor *see on list of posts* and stumbled upon this one somehow. That is so cool that in Dutch this is basically in reference to Brandy. Its interesting this basically means burned wine but I’ve used other words that basically mean a type of liquor before like Sangria *see on list of posts*.

I really like the over all look of this name though as it has a very old look like it could have come from the Irish or Welsh origin rather than Dutch though really Dutch names can be old as well. I can see this as the name of a mountain in a fantasy novel or maybe the name of a brave and strong heroine who is very much as strong as any liquor, lol!

I had to look up Wijn to see the pronunciation which I found to be Wyne so I paired that with the suggested pronunciation for the first part Brande which is Brand or Brandy to create the pronunciation above under pronunciation. I prefer Brand-Wyne.

Balor

Meaning: (Sea Giant, (modern spelling: Balar) was king of named Fomorians, a group of supernatural beings. He is often described as a giant with a large eye in his forehead that wreaks destruction when opened. He has been interpreted as a god or personification of drought and blight. It is suggested that Balor comes from Common Celtic *Baleros, meaning "the Deadly One", cognate with Old Irish at-baill (Dies) and Welsh ball (Death, Plague).

He is also referred to as Balor Béimnech (Balor the smiter), Balor Balcbéimnech (Balor the strong smiter) and Balor Birugderc (Balor of the piercing eye). The latter has led to the English name Balor of the Evil Eye.)

Origin: (Celtic, Irish, Irish Mythology)

Pronunciation: (b'-lor, BAL-or)

Gender: Male

I was watching WWE wresting a few months ago and there is a wrestler with the ring name of Finn Balor and I really liked the look of the last name. When I learned about the meanings and origin it is quite a bit of a dark and destructive name but that might be what an author is looking for or maybe to name a character this whose personality is quite the opposite, who knows, so I decided to add this so that it may be able to be the perfect name for an author out there that has been looking for just the right name and hadn’t yet stumbled upon this one. It definitely has an interesting albeit disturbing history and mythology behind it.

Harleen

Meaning: (Meadow of the Hares, Within the Love of God, One Absorbed in the Lord's Love, Feminine of Harlan.)

Origin: (English, Indian, Punjabi)

Pronunciation: (HAR-leen, HHAARLiyiyN)

Gender: Female

With the movie ‘Suicide Squad’ having recently come out this name has been everywhere as it is the full first name of one of the characters in the movie, also in the comics and cartoons, Harley Quinn. Harley *see on list of posts* is a good nickname for this name. The meanings are very nice and some are very beautiful indeed! I don’t see ever using this name but it is a good name that is rarely used which I would like to see used more often in novels if used on the right character.

Airlie

Meaning: (Promise, variant of ERROL. A place name in countries including Australia, Scotland and the US, for example Airlie Beach in Queensland, Australia and Airlie Castle in Scotland.)

Origin: (Scottish, Irish)

Pronunciation: (AIR-lee, EHRLiy)

Gender: Uni-Sex

When I was looking up Harley *see on list of posts* and Harleen *see on list of posts* I came across Airlie. I think this is actually a very beautiful unique looking name and I really kind of love it a lot. The meaning is lovely and it’s very interesting this is a variant of Errol but that would be amazing if a characters father was named Errol and Airlie was used in honor of the father or maybe even the grandfather.

The pronunciation is easy enough for most but I still want to say it ARE-lee instead of AIR-lee for some reason so I might have to try and rewire my brain to take the proper pronunciation just as I will have to for Irie *see on list of posts*, lol! I can see a very proper lady being named this for some reason like, Lady Airlie or Duchess Airlie.

Irie

Meaning: (Jamaican Creole (Iyaric) derived from the phonetic representation of "Happy". Used to mean “Powerful Feelings or to describe anything that is good." Positive and Powerful, It’s All Good, Blessing, and Favor. Irie is used in the music and culture of Jamaica. The meaning is to have no worries or be at peace with everything around you. You hear the saying feeling Irie in many Reggae songs.)

Origin: (Jamaican, Japanese)

Pronunciation: (Eye-ree, IE-ree (Jamaican Patois), Ee-ree-eh (Japanese))

Gender: Uni-Sex

I have a new friend from England named Cameron *see on list of posts* and well his middle name is Irie. When I first saw the name I thought it would be pronounced like eerie like that is so eerie but it is actually eye-ree which makes sense and sounds a bit better but I still want to say eerie, again it’s my American brain that just gets stuck on a certain pronunciation and won’t give it up, lol!

It is Jamaican but I found evidence of it maybe being Japanese as well and even found a Japanese pronunciation. I really love the laid back go with the flow no worries man meanings a lot as it is so much the Jamaican vibe! I can get a very island flare alls good feel with this name and I really like that a lot! I can see a character with a very fun active no worries personality that kind of surfs and travels the world a lot! When I see it though I tend to see it as a female name but my friend is a male and has it as his middle name as I said so I am putting this here as Uni-Sex so an author can choose what gender they so choose for this character name.

All in all I really love this name a bit more each day I hear it but as of right now I don’t see any characters I have being named this and I tend to try and stay clear of certain names of friends of mine but there have been exceptions so if the right character shows themselves this may be a name that fits said character!

 

*****

Side note: This is my 1000^th post and I am super excited about it! This is an amazing milestone to have reached! Thank you so much to all of my followers and blog readers alike! Here is to hoping I have 1000+ more character names in me to add, lol! ;~)