There are many different kinds of writers in the world we live in, and each writer has their own style, feel, imagery, and ideals. But there is one thing that all writers share in common, and that is the need for outside resources. What they use those resources for varies with their individual writing ideals, but every writer uses them, for they are a great necessity if you want to get anywhere in your writing journey. This is the first part of a compilation of several resources I have used to help me in my own personal writing journey. These are all sources that I find I am using over and over again, no matter what I’m writing. This article will focus specifically on building characters, as that, for me at least, is the first step in writing anything.

Sources I use Frequently

Behind the Name

This is a very useful site for finding names for any of your characters. It provides the pronunciation of the name, the meaning, the origin, and many nicknames and different forms of the name from all over the world. It also might provide comments from readers, giving their opinions on the name and sometimes additional information.

Hero Forge

This site is typically used by RPGers who want to make and print figurines of their characters, customizing them to fit the way they imagine them. But I find it very useful in making characters for my stories. It is a simpler way to craft a character than trying to sketch them, and it is satisfying to see your character ‘come to life’ in a way no other site I’ve found has done.

Wikipedia

There will come times in a writer’s life that he/she will need information on cultures, styles of dress, traditions, history, how certain animals act, and many other things, and I have found that Wikipedia is often my go-to source for this kind of information.

Google Translate

When I find that I need a name for something but I want it in a different language, I simply go to Google Translate, type in the meaning that I want for the word in the language that I want, and combine the words that come up to a completely made-up word that will work. I find it a very useful tool if you want to get inspiration for names of places, titles, plants, cults, groups, or countries.

Old English Translator

I found this site when I discovered that Google Translate did not have Old English as an option. I use it in a similar way that I use Google Translate, and if you have any characters who need Old English-sounding names, or if you have a country that is based in the Old English language, this is the place to go.

I am absolutely certain that there are other resources out there that I have not found, but that you have found are great for you. Feel free to share in the comments below the resources that you have found most helpful in creating your characters.

I hope you found this article helpful, and until we meet again, keep writing, keep learning, keep growing.