Need Input and Ideas
@whimsystoryteller (1743)
United States
August 9, 2007 11:37pm CST
I've just started working on a new children's story that is largely made up of animals in a forest. I'm trying to come up with good character names that are somewhat unusual and I need ideas for animals that start with the first letter of those names. For example, I want to use a name that starts with "z" but the only animal I've been able to think of so far is a zebra and it won't work in this story. I need an animal found in a forest. Even if the animal type doesn't start with a "z" I could use your ideas.
1 person likes this
2 responses
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
10 Aug 07
As far as I know only zebras start with the letter "z"--but as far as names how about something like zenia the unicorn...LOL...of course if you want to go whole hog...invent an imaginary type animal...sort of like Rowling did in her Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with that Hippogryph...part bird part horse--then you're imagination could really fly..uh, no pun intended--I have a short story myself and I invented a creature with a specific name I gave it
One can come up with great names ...like I did by doing some research into the latin names for flowers and birds....like Larus...which is the name for gulls...but change around to Laria, Larian, Lariana, Larius..etc..get the idea...heeehheee...and its really fun to do--even common words can be twisted around...like in Rowling's books--Diagon Alley for instance is a play on the word diagonally
1 person likes this
@whimsystoryteller (1743)
• United States
10 Aug 07
While I appreciate the idea of the fantasy animals, this isn't that sort of story. I can use that idea in another fantasy story I have in the works but this is for small children and I want to stick with real animals. However, I can use trees, plants, flowers and insects so if you have any ideas on that, I'd appreciate them.
By the way, pyewacket, I'm going to have a black cat of my own soon. My neighbor's cat had kittens two days ago and there's a black one with white on its face and paws like my little Gaston was a few years ago. I just can't resist having another black cat. They are so sweet. Why people are afraid of them, I will never understand. I've had three before and they were all very sweet. I'm looking forward to this new member of the family.
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
10 Aug 07
well you could always make up one fantasy animal in your story and work it into the story how this fantasy animal happened to be there a bit like a cute little animal that came from another planet ot just from another animals fantasy or another time perhaps, Zimmy the Zonka, Zen the Zincerala, Zoosh the Zillion...but you would have to make sure it was made clear it was a fantasy animal...
@whimsystoryteller (1743)
• United States
10 Aug 07
I appreciate the suggestion but this is a specific story about forest animals and it's for small children. It's not a way out type fantasy story. I do have another story that I can create fantasy creatures for so I may take your ideas for that one. This story is one in a series of stories about a particular forest I created and I want to keep the animals, insects, etc. real. I think small kids need to get grounded in reality a bit before they take off into fantasy. If they get into too much fantasy when they are real small, they have a harder time differentiating between fantasy and reality later on from my experience.
