A Game for Naming Monsters

There are many ways to choose names for characters. You can flick through the phone book for surnames, you can look at the census from 100 years ago, and I've even got a book of names.

However, monster names are a bit different from ordinary names. You might want your monster to sound fierce, slimy or stinky.

Here's a quick game to help you invent a monster name:

1. Get into a group of three or more and sit in a circle.
2. On a piece of paper, write down a first name (e.g. Barry, Henry, Anita)
3. Fold over the piece of paper and pass it to the person on your right.
4. Write down a funny word (e.g. 'sausage', 'wibble', 'smelly') and then a hyphen.
5. Fold over the piece of paper and pass it to the person on your right.
6. Write down a part of the monster's body (e.g. spikes, feathers, beak)
7. Fold over the piece of paper and pass it to the person on your right.
8. Open the piece of paper you were just given and read the same of the monster.

You will come up with names like:
Barry Sausage-Spikes
Henry Wibble-Feathers
Anita Smelly-Beak

If you don't think the name you read out suits your monster, could you tweak it slightly?

For example, 'Barry Sausage Spikes' is funny, but it's not quite right for a lumipoo momp because sausages are round and spikes are sharp. I could change 'Barry Sausage Spikes' to 'Barry Prickle Spikes'.

Perhaps you'd like alliterative names (names where the first letter of each word is the same) such as Barbara Batty-Beak. If so, decide on a letter before starting the game. The new rule is that you can only write down words starting with that letter.

If you're really stuck, you can try my Troll Name Generator.