Names themselves have great power. Teachers and students of language know that certain words resonate and have the power to make connections to forces that cannot always be identified, or, at least, named. Names are certainly in this category of words--they define an individual, tell who he or she is, and connect a person to his or her ancestors and past. The magical power of names and naming is recounted in myths and stories from ancient cultures. An opening day exercise for a writing class is described. It begins by asking students to write down their names, then brainstorm lists of words, images, and feelings conjured up by their names. After a classroom discussion and reading of stories and articles by the teacher, students then write their own name stories. Through these exercises, students can experiment with their writers' voices, explore their personal histories, and identify images that speak to them, providing a historical context and personal meaning for their own writing. (Contains 5 references.) (CR)