#henry mccarty

[yourworstgf]

FUCK IT! I AM IN LOVE WITH HENRY MCCARTY AND HE IS IN LOVE WITH ME! YOU GUYS CAN ALL JUDGE ME IF YOU WANT I DO NOT CARE. I HAVE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER!!

#tom blyth #billy the kid #william h bonney x reader #billy the kid x reader #tom blyth x reader #henry mccarty #save a horse ride a cowboy #someone detain me

[foxevxid]

billy absolutely calls you “little lady.” i’ll die on that fucking hill.

#gnawing at the bars of my enclosure #billy the kid #tom blyth #henry mccarty #william h bonney #mgm+

[enviedear]

modern!farmhand billy bonney...

—fic coming soon, shoutout nonnie that requested it! here's a moodboard until i get it finished <3

#billy the kid x reader #billy the kid #billy bonney #billy the kid 2022 #william h. bonney #henry mccarty #tom blyth

[redpool]

I'll sit here and deal with the inaccuracies but only because he's really pretty.

#tom blyth #billy the kid #billy the kid 2022 #william h bonney #henry mccarty #billy antrim #kid antrim #billy mccarty

[wifeofsnowbaird]

sup guys i was wondering if I should post the billy the kid fanfic now or write part 2 first?

tell me what you think

#billy the kid x reader #billy the kid smut #william h bonney x reader #billy the kid x you #billy the kid #billy the kid 2022 #billy the kid fanfiction #billy the kid imagine #william h bonney #henry mccarty

[aswtos-yios]

The skies of Lincoln County were as blue as blue could be

And the sun that shines on you, well it used to shine on me

And I knew the smell of woodsmoke and I liked the taste of beer

The only difference now is I’m not here

#billy the kid #william h bonney #william h mccarty #henry mccarty #the regulators #regulators #lincoln county #lincoln county war #1881

[a5rora]

❤️‍🔥 | Old Flames

billy the kid x rich f!reader

word count; 2k words || dividers by @firefly-graphics

ch. 𝐈𝐈

SYPNOSIS༄In Billy’s lonesome world, comes along his significant former lover from his adolescence that he faces once again after being separated from one another. After not being with you for over a decade, he doesn’t know how to face you when he has begun a life of crime, a wanted man with many enemies. He doesn’t want to lose his lover once more, but could she ever love him along with all his flaws? Will their love prevail despite the reputation of Billy the kid?

content warning: FLUFF, angst, eventual SMUT, violence, mentions of abuse, mentions of memory loss, substance abuse¿, ollinger, mentions of alcoholism, flashbacks intended, smoking, mentions of catholicism, storytelling is inspired by the original show’s major elements/events. (billy’s birth name is henry mccarty)

Suspense collectively consumed each man in the room when the game of poker finally reached the showdown. Each remaining player placed their hands one by one until the last turn to reveal his cards was Billy. All attention was on Billy the kid.

The men watched closely with anticipation as Billy slowly placed his cards to reveal a winning hand of royal flush. The players made distinctive reactions of defeat in response to their losses.

Billy was known to be a lucky gambler among his peers but no matter how good he was, he only gambled occasionally.

He grabbed his winnings off of the table and quickly prepared to leave for another drink.

The night was the same as always. It became a habit for Billy to drink his thoughts away. It felt like his sober mind couldn’t bare the worries of the growing rivalry between Tunstall’s and Murphy’s businesses. In a room with so much liveliness, his loneliness gnawed in his chest. Billy felt lonelier, noticing his friendship with Jesse become more distant since the beginning of their time working for Murphy…

Until he saw you.

Billy couldn’t believe his eyes the moment they landed on you, there you stood metres away from the gambling den.

The lovely sleeveless silk dress you wore fit perfectly on your body, hugging the curves of your figure.

A crafted corset that matched the hues of your skirt and floral lace brushing over your smooth shoulders. His focused gaze fell upon your face and the sentiments of adulation in his soul grew for you.

It was like he fell in love with you once more.

The tempo of his heartbeat rose along with the temperature of his cheeks when he saw your smile. Billy pushed away the feelings of discomfort when he noticed Jesse beside you, clearly being friendly with you.

He slightly turned away, trying to distract himself from the current thoughts invading his mind. Billy reminded himself of the time you had spent together, growing up with each other before your individual circumstances separated you from one another. The little rebels that you once were. He remembered when you both made it a habit to venture into the wild despite the countless warnings that your parents had given you.

A particular moment stuck out to him…

The bright sunshine in the afternoon transitioned into a faint evening. It was soon that your parents would notice that you travelled farther that you both should have.

“Henry!” y/n called out from the trees. But the boy stood still, watching the thieves above the hill as they ambush the farmers who stood their ground by the stables. He was dangerously close to the hill, a clear witness to the petty crime.

“Please Henry, come here now!” y/n pleads once more, startling the boy and bringing him out of his trance. His azure eyes find hers, he begins rushing into the forest.

You took his hand as he got closer and pulled him towards you. You sat down on your knees beneath the fremont trees and gestured for him to sit down beside you.

You looked to him, his gaze focused straight into space. Bringing your hand to his cheek, you turn his face towards you and wipe the teardrops from his sad, doe eyes.

You bring his forehead to yours and he takes your hands in his. “It’ll be okay Henry, I promise.”

Ever since that occurence, you had an unspoken devotion of loyalty for one another.

Before his immigrant family moved away, you and Billy made a promise to find each other again in this lifetime. But over time, his faith and hope diminished slowly after he lost you along with the latter of his loved ones.

Now here you were, walking and smiling before his eyes. Before this moment, his life seemed to be nothing but desperate and lonely. However, being in your presence made him feel like the hope that he had lost long ago returned to his heart. Billy’s mind was piqued by the irresistible urge to be near you, to meet you and seek refuge in your comfort.

But his present reality prevented him from fulfilling his wish of coming up to you. The aching feeling grew in his heart and flooded his soul. He felt guilty from the betrayal of his promise to you while you stood there, oblivious and looking so beautiful.

Laughter and chatter repeated throughout the entire saloon as you followed your friend Jessie who accompanied you to the bar, “How does it feel to be free y/n?” the blonde smiles at you which you return.

You exhaled and leaned your elbows on the bar counter behind you, “Feels amazin’- Girl like me can only dream of being this free forever.” A genuine sigh left your mouth, in contrast to your previously bright and bubbly mood a few minutes ago.

Your friend frowns slightly at you out of sympathy. The fading conversation between you and Jessie was interrupted by a tall cowboy who entered from the other room.

He towered over you both and you take notice of his wavy brunette hair as he lowers his head to take off his hat.

When he straightened himself, your eyes met with his familiar blue pair. His intense gaze trapped the air in your lungs and you swallowed, trying to remind yourself of the confidence you walked into this bar with.

You were proud of yourself for not getting caught sneaking out from your balcony tonight compared to your weekend night two weeks ago.

At the time of the incident, you didn’t have the best luck when you were sneaking past the gate doors. Your brother having caught you just after you managed to pass by the gate entrance.

Luckily tonight, you were here to have fun. You promised not to be bounded by the standards of your status.

You wanted to celebrate your newfound freedom and feel comfortable in your appearance.

The brunette did not hesitate with his wandering gaze over your body. As much as he wanted to, he wanted to upkeep his appearance as a gentleman towards you of course.

Jessie wrapped his arm towards his friend and brings him closer to you. “This is my good friend William.” you tilted your head, confused by the feelings that consumed you when your eyes met and every moment leading up to this one. You had seen him before but you were unsure why and how he was so familiar to you.

“Names’ Y/n, Y/f/n.” you introduced, your mouth couldn’t help but to return his handsome smile.

Your heart fluttered and so did your lashes when you looked up in his eyes. You shared a moment of awe towards each other, you were lost in his captivating blue eyes.

Jesse stood awkwardly between you two, “Y’all know each other or sumn?” Feeling uncomfortable from the silence that your moment with Billy distracted you from. You shook your head no to answer his question.

Billy looked away and placed his hat back onto his head. “No, but sure would’ve been nice to know such a pretty girl like you.” You pressed your lips to a smile, feeling your heart sieze from his words.

“Luckily you’ve got lots of time to get to know me William.”

“Y’can call me Billy.” He offered. Billy’s usual cold and inscrutable demeanour was swept away when it came to you. A tender smile appearing across his face. “I’ll take you up on that cariña.”

“Well, I’ll leave ya two lovebirds to mingle.” Jessie chuckles, taking a sip of his drink before going in the direction Billy came from.

“So where’d you come from?” He quickly asks you before ordering a drink for himself. His own curiosity getting to him. He needed to know for sure that it was you, not necessarily in the right mind to feed into the thoughts that swarmed his head. It was only your answer that could give him the clarity that he was searching for.

“Damn Billy,” you giggled, “buy the girl a drink first.” You teased, nudging his arm and he grins.

“Hmm, well my family’s from New Mexico originally but we moved to New York for a bit where my daddy started a coal business back there.” You started and leaned your back against the counter, noticing Billy’s concentration on you and what you had say. You felt his sincere reverence towards you and his character seemed unlike most men- If not every man that you usually meet in the towns you had stayed in previously.

You exhaled, “Then we moved from town to town quite a bit to grow our business.” He nodded, his continued fixation on you starting to make you feel slightly nervous from how he acted towards you. “My brother and I are just followin’ my old man to take care of him wherever he goes and wherever the business takes us.” You exhaled before continuing. “Took us to here now, in Lincoln.” You explained, swirling the drink in your hand before finishing the rest of it.

“I see.” He finishes his drink before asking, “You like it here?”

You played with the cup in your hands. “I think so. I’m just startin’ to like it a lot more.” you flirt with a smile and his lips beam with shyness.

“Would you like another?” He points to your glass in your hands.

You grinned, “How could I turn down a drink from you?”

He smiles at you, ordering your drink for you like a gentleman. He grabs your drinks from the bartender, gesturing you to a seat beside him. You sit down on the barstool, Billy pushes your glass closer to you and you take it. “What about you, Billy?” You look to him beside you, swallowing his drink before clearing his throat.

“What’d you like to know?” He gazed at you with an inscrutable expression.

You bit your bottom lip, “Where are you from then?”

Your question didn’t come as a surprise but it still made his heart ache to know that you didn’t remember.

You didn’t recognize him. Which meant you didn’t remember the time you had spent together in your early adolescence. He tried to hold onto his hope but he had himself to blame for not reminding you of those memories sooner.

He drove away the doubts in his mind and turned to you. “My family immigrated from Ireland way back.” He answered shortly, in contrast to the plentiful conversation you gave him and you frown.

“What do you do? You a cowboy too?” You ask out of curiosity. But before he could reply, Jesse storms out of the saloon, he pushes the doors that start swinging hard and bang hard against the walls. The hinges squeak from the impact. “I’ll be right back.” Billy says to you before following after his friend outside the bar. You nod and let out a quiet sigh as you watched him disappear into the darkness.

“Hey beautiful, did Billy leave ya on your own?” A man said from behind you, making you flinch.

The man was Bob Ollinger. You turn to face him completely and you smelled a swift of liquor from his mouth. You tilt your head at the drunk man, “Y’know anything about what’s happening outside?” He looks at you for a moment, Ollinger seemed like he was still trying to comprehend your words. That was all you needed to confirm that he is way too drunk. You blinked repeatedly for a second before your eyes settle to the ground.

Ollinger ignores your question, “C’mon with me. I wouldn’t leave you here just by yourself.”

It didn’t matter anymore what little friendship you developed with the guy, you didn’t want to be disrespected due to his intoxication. “Best you go somewhere else Ollinger.” You drank the last of the alcohol in your glass as he stands there dumbfounded.

“Y’gettin smart on me girl, that it?” He challenged with a sour tone in his growl.

“You can go on your way to bother another poor woman with your vices.” You spat, earning chuckles from the men and women around you.

“Don’t be a fucking tease you little bitch.” There went the last bit of respect you had for him, along with your unrequited friendship. Ollinger definitely did not see you as your friend and to your trepidation, he grabs your arm and pulls you off your seat.

You wince from his hurtful grip, “Fuck off!” Tears starting to pool in your eyes and blur the corners of your vision. You came to the realization that no reaction or intervention would ever come from anybody that watched you struggle.

You scream as Billy abruptly strikes a punch across Ollinger’s face, his body falling to the floor on impact. You could see the blood immediately coming out of his nose when Ollinger picks himself up from the ground. A dark smirk appears across his face. “Sorry didn’t know she was your whore.” You watched in horror as Billy punches him once more. The two drunk men proceeded to attack one another with punches while you shouted for Billy to stop.

Ollinger’s words made your chest twinge in pain. You didn’t want to be just one of Billy’s sluts, although you reckon that they probably enjoyed it.

You tried your best to remember why he looked so familiar.

But what stuck out to you was the longing feeling in your chest of being in his presence and more.

However, that’s when you remember where you recognize Billy from. The same poster you saw prior to meeting Billy tonight was plastered along the pillar that stood next to the saloon doors.

A wanted poster for the outlaw, Billy the kid.

-

thank you for reading <33 this is my first fic on tumblr

im also taking requests for any billy drabbles & oneshots ;)

this will be a short series, follow for pt2! it’s currently in the drafts and ill make sure to post it before finals lolol pls reblog it means a lot <3

#william bonney #billy the kid x reader #william h bonney #billy bonney x reader #billy antrim #tom blyth #tom blyth x reader #billy the kid x you #fanfic #tom blyth smut #billy the kid smut #tom blyth x you #billy the kid gif #billy the kid fic #tom blyth icons #tom blyth gif #billy the kid #billy the kid fluff

[spideyhexx]

need to publicize the idea here of getting a beard burn rash from mr william h bonney/billy antrim/henry mccarty/billy the kid/love of my life

bc i feel like if it was on your face he’d feel sooooooo bad about it bc like oh his poor baby :( he has to stop kissing you for Hours if this is what happens

but if it was Elsewhere like between your legs on your inner thighs 😏

the new billy content is already driving us crazy and it hasn't even come out yet !

feel like if he's been busier or not able to be with you for longer than usual, the moment you do have time together, it's so hard to stop kissing :( in like the sweetest way possible, he's missed your lips on his and how you play with hair and how he can wrap his arms around you. You both even try to speak between kisses, but cut each other off because it's just so tempting to keep feeling one another.

We talked about it, he would feel so bad if he got a little rash on you from the kissing and his stubble, like slight pout and sad, worried eyes that you're mad about it, but you're not. Maybe a little inconvenient and annoying at first, but it was worth it getting to kiss him like that. Billy would struggle so hard not kissing you, he'd either do his best to avoid the rash and only give your lips small pecks or like you mentioned in our dsc🫶 his kisses go to your cheeks and nose and temple or your hand!!! Just so you can still feel his little kisses and he can satiate that need in him too.

hehe yeah he'd be a lot more teasing or smug about it if he gave your beard burn on your inner thigh. You'd maybe whine over it after the fact and he's like, "maybe you shouldn't of squeezed your legs so tight on my face, baby," with a stupid grin on his face when you scoff and playfully shove at him.

"Easy, easy," Billy says quieter and he gives the irritated area very light kisses, "just means I must've done really good, huh?"

He gets another shove.

#billyasks #sigh #there's a reference pic for this #bdsjkghks #billy the kid #billy the kid x reader #billy the kid x you #billy the kid fanfiction #billy the kid blurb #billy the kid smut #billy the kid drabble #william h bonney #william bonney #william bonney smut #william h bonney smut

[charlies-storybook]

Hooked

Genre: romance, western

POV: third person

Tropes: forbidden love, arranged marriage, sheriff's daughter x the outlaw, death sentence

Main Couple: Caroline Patterson and Henry McCarty

Summary:

Caroline finds herself in love with the "jailbird" her father ordered her to guard, to her luck he's in love with her, too. But sweet Caroline is betrothed to another. Caroline's father isn't taking the news happily. She is getting married in two weeks anyway and Henry is invited to the gallows.

Tag List: @gaslightwestern @lexiklecksi @hippiewrites

#my writing #my wip #Hooked #wip intro #writeblrcafe

[yourworstgf]

I see a pattern emerging with people named Billy

#billy the kid #billy the kid x reader #henry mccarty #william h bonney #william h bonney x reader #tom blyth #billy loomis #scream #billy loomis x reader #billy hargrove #billy hargove x reader #stranger things #why are they all so hot?

[foxevxid]

i love watching tom ride horses in billy the kid but not bc i find it attractive (i do). i love watching him ride horses bc he actually rides correctly and i’ve never seen someone in a show do that. he’s got it right down to the reins between the ring and pinky finger. it’s so satisfying.

#he knows what he’s doing #billy the kid #tom blyth #henry mccarty #william h bonney

[enviedear]

rivals taking Billy’s girl hostage to get at him??? forGET about it. that man would go absolutely feral and then switch to sweetie pie mode to check every inch of you the second you were back in his arms. makes me WEAK

(also your writing is gorgeous my love, thank you for sharing it with all of us!)

anon i think you can read my mind! yes, yes, YES!

request

billy bonney is such a devoted lover, it comes naturally to him to take care of you. not because you can't do it yourself but because it's what he knows. he took care of his family until he was the only one left. now that you're in his life, he refuses to let you want for anything.

so if some idiot rivals want to try and take his girl, lord help them if they hurt you, he'll become crazed. barking orders at the other regulators, grabbing any ammo and gun he can get his hands on.

and when he gets you back, he's doting on you as if he doesn't have blood spattered all over himself. just looking at you with such fierce love and adoration.

—and thank you so much! that's so kind of you to say nonnie, i'm glad you all are liking my stuff lol. i honestly didn't think anyone was into billy (just corio, and i get it he's so cute blonde) but billy is such a sweetheart i fell fast. i hope more people start writing for him soon, i'm trying to build a malitia here.

#—askolivia ! #billy the kid #billy bonney #henry mccarty #billy the kid x reader #billy bonney x reader #coriolanus x reader #billy the kid 2022 #tom blyth

[redpool]

I paused my tv to make my last post, I then look up to unpause and i'm met with this

#direct eye contact #billy the kid #billy the kid 2022 #william h bonney #henry mccarty #tom blyth #billy antrim #billy mccarty

[annabolinas]

Dorothy Tutin as Anne Boleyn in The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970)

edited by me; apologies for any remaining artifacts! I’ve tried to get rid of them all but it’s still somewhat visible in the first picture

First two pics are from episode 1 (”Catherine of Aragon”, written by Rosemary Anne Sisson); the rest are from episode 2 (”Anne Boleyn”, written by Nick Mccarty). Henry VIII was played by Keith Michell, Eustace Chapuys (in the second picture) by Edward Atienza, and Thomas Cranmer (in the last picture) by Bernard Hepton. 

#tudor era #anne boleyn #dorothy tutin #the six wives of henry viii #henry viii #keith michell #eustace chapuys #edward atienza #thomas cranmer #bernard hepton #love this anne depiction so much #so lucky to have found this trove of pics a few days ago #dm me if you want access to the collection

[dry-inkstains]

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐮𝐧, 𝐁𝐨𝐲 ✩ 𝐖.𝐇.𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐚.𝐤.𝐚. 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐝

Hello, my name is Rose. I am a long time writer but also a burnt-out student so while I try my best to write consistently, it doesn’t always work out. Anyways, here’s a Billy the Kid 2022 WIP description:

“𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲; 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡, 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞.”

꧁✽꧂

How does one’s life change by a simple, coincidental meeting? After spending months on the run as a dangerous outlaw, Henry McCarty, otherwise known as William H. Bonney or Billy the Kid, finds himself at a crossroad. He should either save himself and continue running, or save the stranger he hardly knows, at least to his knowledge…

꧁✽꧂

Evelyn knew she’d be getting into something dangerous the moment she locked eyes with the man in the maroon. Her chest had constricted and her gut twisted, yet she couldn’t look away. And she didn’t. 

==============

𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐝 𝐗 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐎𝐂

⚠️𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒⚠️

𝐆𝐮𝐧 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡, 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲, 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐲

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐝 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 𝐓𝐕 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐦 𝐁𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐡. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐎𝐂, 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝. 

Stay tuned!

#billy the kid #billy the kid 2022 #billy the kid fanfiction #william h bonney #original character #possible smut

[thethirdgenesisbooks]

Five Ways to Name Your Characters

One of the most common problems that authors, especially new authors, complain about is how difficult it is to come up with good names for their characters. Over my many years of writing, I’ve developed a few ways to name characters in stories. Here are a few. Bear in mind, some of these pieces of advice are genre-specific.

Babynames.com:

The site babynames.com is a great source for names from different countries and cultures. You can also look up name meanings or look up the names by the letters that are in them. In general, I recommend against having two main characters in your novel who have names beginning with the same letter, as this can cause confusion. For instance, you shouldn’t have both a “Robert” and a “Roger” among your main characters, because readers will mix them up. Also, while name meanings can be important, I urge you to consider the other factors as well. How does the name sound when spoken out loud? Does the name have negative connotations because of famous people who shared the name (for instance, the name “Adolph” means “Wolf,” which might be cool for some characters, but I strongly recommend against using that name because of its association with a certain, hated historical figure). Also, consider what nationality a character likely has if they have a certain name. A Caucasian boy living in modern California should not have a name like “Shinji,” unless he happened to be raised by Japanese parents, just as a native Japanese boy living in Tokyo should not be called “Stanley.”

Historical Records:

If you are writing in a certain place and time period, it can be helpful to look up names from that place and time period to create your character names. For example, when I was writing my westerns, sometimes I’d do a Google search for names of people who lived I the Old West. Then, I’d take the first name of one person and the last name of another and put them together. One instance of this would be to take Billy the Kid’s real name (Henry McCarty) and combine it with the name of another Old West outlaw, John Wesley Hardin. Together, we get the names Wesley McCarty and Henry Hardin. If you’re writing a modern story, you can also do this with the names of people you know, or other interesting names you see and hear. When you go to a restaurant to eat, pay attention to the nametags of the people serving you, as you might find a name you really like there.

Mythology:

I recommend only using mythology as a source for names if you are writing fantasy or science fiction stories. If you write a modern murder mystery and your detective’s name is “Thor Odinson,” a lot of readers are going to roll their eyes. I’d also recommend not using terribly well-known mythological names either. Names like Thor, Odin, Apollo, Zeus, Horus, Osirus, Aphrodite, Artemis, Athena, Freya, and Isis are far too well-known to be used, unless you have characters in the setting specifically point out the namesake. Names Fenris, Morrigan, Dorian, and Mordred are also far too common, and their inclusion in fantasy might well pull readers out of the story (again, unless your intention is to specifically invoke parallels to these mythological figures). However, names like Nikke, Selene, Eris, Argus, and Dia are a little more obscure and are less likely to take your reader out of the story. You can also look up the etymology of these names and find alternative ways that they were pronounced and spelled, because names in mythology certainly changed over time.

The Bible:

I know, this one is a touchy subject for a lot of people, but bear with me. For one thing, a lot of names in modern America (and in the Western world at large) come from Biblical names. Peter, Matthew, Joshua, Caleb, Paul, Aaron, John, Michael, Luke, Thadeus, and many others all come from the Bible. You don’t need to have Biblical themes in your work in order to use these Biblical names, because a great many people named “Peter” came from secular families who just happened to like the name, or who wanted to honor a loved one who had that name. Also, if you’re looking for names that sound a bit exotic but also feel familiar, the names listed in the various “begat” sections of the Bible (where it’s just one name after another) can be helpful. I’d just recommend looking up what the name means before using it. I made the mistake of not looking up a name meaning once, and named a villain in one of my stories “Zadok,” a name which means “Righteous.” Those who knew the name meaning would likely either laugh at the irony or just consider me ignorant. Thankfully, I never finished or published that story. In any event, the Bible can be a great source of names.

Alter Real Names:

Sometimes when writing something futuristic, you don’t want real names for your characters, either from modern times or earlier, neither will mythological or Biblical names work in your futuristic setting. We can’t all be Frank Herbert, who’s coming up with such names as Muadib, Atreides, Harkonnen, and Feyd-Rautha, or words like Bene Gesserit, Kwisatz-Haderach, Ginaz, and Faufreluches. Some of us are a little too grounded in reality for that, and often overly-complex words and names such as these end up confusing our readers. So, in order to make a futuristic name, perhaps start with a real name that exists today, and then change a few letters. Maybe remove some letters, add others, and rearrange some. Just as popular names in the real world change over time (see the various ways of spelling such names as “Sean” and “Geoff”), so too would futuristic names change over the years. Even so, your main character probably shouldn’t have too exotic of a name. Maybe give the main character a name that’s one, maybe two syllables long, but spelled slightly differently from its modern equivalent. For example, you may want a main character named “Nick,” but in a futuristic story it might be better to spell it “Nyk.” Or perhaps you want to name your character “John,” and a futuristic version of that name might be “Chon” or “Jahnn.” In any event, changing or rearranging letters in an existing name can be a great way to make your character feel more fantastical or futuristic.

These are just a few examples of how to name your characters. There are still many things to keep in mind, such as cultural context, the way the names sound when spoke out loud, negative connotations or associations of a particular name, name meaning, and whether the name is setting appropriate.

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