Warrior Cat Clichès

Part 3 - And this one is called Stupid

Ohhh great StarClan above.  The names that I have seen in fanfiction stories . . . In case you hadn't realised yet, I'm going to go over how to pick a suitable name for your cat.  Next will be appearances, but I wanted to cover naming first.  Some of the names I have seen are completely unrealistic and/or stupid-sounding .  Here are a few tips for naming cats, and then we're going to fix Sparkleshine.  Yes, we are going to make a habit out of fixing Sparkleshine.  

Tip # 1 - Be careful with animal prefixes

I never ever want to see a cat named Dogwind again in my life.  Ever.  Most animal names are fine, but Cat- and Dog- are off the list.  I bet you've never seen a kid called Human, have you?  And dogs are considered the idiotic slobbering enemies of cats.  No queen would name their kit after a dog.  Apart from those two, think about what animals your character actually knows exist.  No Coyotekits should exist in a forest Clan.  In an African Clan that lives on the savanna, sure.  But really, guys, use your heads.  Can your cats expect to see this creature in the story that you've written?  If no, then don't use that name.  The only execption, of course, is Tiger-, Leopard- and Lion-, since they appear in Clan legends.  In general, try to stick to prey (mouse, kinds of birds, vole, rabbit, ect.) and common predators (fox, badger, ect.) if you want an animal prefix.

Tip # 2 - We do not live in fairyland

You know what I'm talking about.  Glimmer, shine, sparkle, glow, star, shine, dream, gleam, ect.  If your name has any of these words in it, then think seriously about it.  Often, they are Mary Sue-associated words.  Use these name components above and try to make a non-Sue-sounding name.  Stargleam?  Sparkleshine?  Glimmerdream?  Even if you only use one of these, it still ends up sounding iffy.  Cloudsparkle?  Starfur?  Blackgleam?  The only one of these that is acceptable is -shine.  Not Shine-.  Even then, think about if that suffix best represents your cat.  There is probably something else that sounds less silly and magical, but makes your cat seem more normal and likeable.

Tip # 3 - Emer-what?  

Think about what a cat actually knows exists.  Cars are monsters.  Gemstones of any kind are shiny coloured rocks.  Swords are sharp, hard, silver sticks.  Speaking of weapons, they do not make good names.  Please, especially, do not use any gemstone names.  Combined with the previous point, you end up making the most unrealistic-sounding name in existance.  Another thing that I see a lot of is Ocean-.  Remember the sun-drown place?  That was an ocean.  As well as the obvious, twoleg, things, there are things in nature that cats who are living in certain areas will not have seen.  If you are making a desert Clan, Treekit may not be the most appropriate name.  Similarly, think about the different prey in different environments.  Out of place names are always a big killer.  

Tip # 4 - Less is more

Sometimes, you don't need the longest name to stand out.  Blackclaw is a better name than Penguinshine.  Trust me.  A simple name can convey more about a cat than you think.  Blackclaw tells us that this cat is black in colour, and is probably a fierce warrior.  Penguinshine tells us virtually nothing, aside from the fact that this might be an Arctic cat.

'But Lazerkat,' you say. 'Blackclaw is a boring name for my awesome protagonist!'

I say nay to that.  Which sounds like a more interesting character?

- Stormflame 

- Leaftail

- Dappleflight 

If you couldn't decide, good job.  Personally, I think that Leaftail is a more appealing name than Stormflame or Dappleflight.  Lazerkat's secret to cool-sounding-but-simple names:  Choose one, prefix or suffix, to make 'fancy'.  The thing that makes most iffy names iffy is that both parts of the name are trying to be fancy and therefore clash.  

Let's fix Sparkleshine: Naming edition!

Yes, it is now time to turn a horrible name into a decently normal name.  Sparkleshine is a soft, fluffy, sparkling silver tabby with round ice blue eyes and a perfect figure.  Ignoring her appearance, for now, let's work on her name.  The appearance of the cat is important because it helps suggest names.  For example, a brown cats might be called Hawk-, Mouse- or Brown-, even, depending on their personality.  The personality is also important when you consider names.  Sparkleshine is a kind, gentle, caring but strong and intelligent cat.  So, let's brainstorm.

Appearance - Silver, Gray, Stripe, Frost, Willow

(Pelt, Fur, Tail and such are always options, no matter the cat)

Personality - Heart, Soft, Shine, Flame

Because of her appearance, I won't use any warm-sounding names.  Flame may not be suitable.  Gray- or Willow- would be a better start.  For the suffix, -heart or -stripe seem like they would fit her.  Let's come up with some names now.  Willowheart, Grayheart, Willowstripe and Graystripe are our options. Graystripe is a major canon character, so no to that.  Out of the remaining three, I think that Willowheart would fit her the best.  

Well, there you have it.  Sparkleshine has been turned into Willowheart.  Sound better?  I hope this has helped you find more suitable names for your characters.  As a side note, enjoy your April Fools day!