Using AI Tools for Fiction: Diverse Character Names
You don't have to use John or Jane for all your protagonists
When I write science fiction, I like to imagine a future where Earth has become even more globalized than it is today. Sir Arthur C. Clarke said that communications would make the world collapse to a single point, and we’ve seen that already—international business is far more common and much easier than it was even a few decades ago.
The problem is, it is hard to write about people with different backgrounds because you aren’t immersed in their culture. You really don’t want to write a Chinese hacker named “Bill,” and there’s a real trap of falling into cliché names (e.g., not all Dutch people are named Hans, nor are all Spaniards named Juan.
This is one place where AI can really help you do some deep research. Like always, you need to validate its results, but it can really help.
Here’s an excerpt from my book on using AI as a tool for writing:
I'm writing a novel. I'd like a name for a male character who would be South Korean. It would be fitting if the name had some tie-in to "the last" or "the end". Can you suggest a few with Romanized and Korean names, along with why you picked them?
What This Prompt Is For
Character names do more than label—they communicate tone, culture, symbolism, and even plot. This prompt helps you:
Find names that reflect your character’s ethnic or linguistic background
Add thematic meaning to the name
Understand what the name looks like in both Romanized and native script
Avoid awkward or implausible naming choices (e.g., an ancient Chinese sorcerer named Steve)
One of the results for the above prompt was:
Jongil (종일 / 鍾一)
Romanized: Jongil
Hangul: 종일
Meaning: [Jong (종, 鍾) can imply finality or being last in a sequence. “Il” means “one.”
Why it fits: This name can poetically be interpreted as “the last one” or “the final one.” You could play with destiny or inherited roles, especially if he’s the last of a family line or legacy.Of course, there are also suggestions about follow-ups about nicknames, how friends or family might address him, and so on.
The AI Prompting Field Guide for Writers has many prompts you can use to add strength to any writing: creative writing, business writing, non-fiction, and academic writing. Check it out!