More on naming your characters.
The sound of a name says it all. For the strong, alpha, bad boy, totally masculine character you will probably want a name that sounds sharp, short and strong. Names that garner attention.
Bad boys, particularly villains, who deserve as much attention as heroes, have specific name needs.No villain should be Snidely Whiplash. Too routine, too ordinary, too boring. In fact, you might say “cookie cutter”.
The real bad boys in fiction, whether leading men, alpha heroes, or second fiddles have sharp, snappy, memorable names. Especially the anti-hero. Names that sound sharp, snappy or have sizzle built-in.
Count Dracula, the primary bad boy of fiction has a sharp sounding name. Count–with the k sound for an opener–followed by Dracula–another definitely sharp sound. The D defines and the k is repeated in Drac, brings in another sharp k. Hard edges are defined by the name. You know instinctively this guys going to be a problem.
Sometimes the sound is suspicious. Le Stat, another vampire of literary fame. The s sound is slithery, and sneaking. This character is not at all what he seems. Tah Dah! He is conflicted. Suspicious. This character is unpredictable, no one can say exactly what will happen with him next.
Long after the story ends, writers are remembered for their compelling characters. Often the properly named character is remembered once story specific are long forgotten. So make sure you ask yourself, “what’s in his name?” before you name the character.
This is one place where the use of subtext is not acceptable and encouraged.