Pronunciwhaticka? Creating Character Names in Fantasy and Sci-Fi

I think several writers come up against this problem every time they create a new character: giving that character a name he or she can live by, an unusual name that rolls off the tongue, that personifies everything that person has been through and embodies the difficulties to be faced in the coming pages. Many writers I've known, even published ones, sometimes overlook the simple matter of pronunciation when they dream up a character's name, to the eventual confusion of their readers.

Let's face it, if a reader can't read it, there's two possible outcomes. One, they'll stop reading the story, and that's something no writer wants. Two, they'll make up a simple alternative name to say in their head each time they read the character's name. When I began reading Deborah Chester's The Sword, half of the first sentence was a main character's name, and I had no idea how to pronounce it.

Tobeszijian.

I worked my way through it until I thought I had it right, but halfway through the chapter I found myself calling him Toby in my head--not nearly as regal and exotic as the name of the half-elf king was meant to be. (For those who are interested, the author pronounces the name TOW-bez-ih-GEE-uhn.)

One solution for this could be to take J.K. Rowling's path and pronounce the name as part of the story, like she did in Goblet of Fire, when Hermione taught Viktor Krum how to correctly say her name. Jacqueline Carey spelled her protagonists' names differently when foreigners spoke them to show pronunciation (Kushiel's Dart and sequels). Charlaine Harris simply included a pronunciation guide in her heroine's inner monologue for the name of her French-Cajun werewolf Alcide Herveaux: "Al-see, with the d barely sounded." (Club Dead).

It's easy to go overboard here and begin to patronize the reader, slipping in descriptions for pronouncing the name of every stablehand and chambermaid in your story. It's the names of your main characters that need the closest attention.

If it's important to you that your readers understand your character's names, take in consideration how the name looks on paper, not just how it sounds in your head. Exotic names can add flavor and texture to an alien world, but only if your readers are able to enjoy them. Ask friends and family how they would pronounce the name. If most of them are right, you've got a winner.