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!