Here's a situation: I've named a certain character Orville. Yet for some reason, I always think of him as "David", and have to forcibly correct myself.
Has this happened to others? Does it often happen?
Character Names
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Comments
Somewhat similar
I have a character named Tory. And I just happen to know someone named Tori. And for the life of me I cannot stop typing that cursed "i" when I write.
~Taylor Ryan
My muse suffers from insomnia, and it keeps me up at night.
Just happened to me.
Just happened to me.
I named a character Daniel then a couple of paragraphs later I used Joseph. I don't know why, but I got the image of him being Joseph.
This usually only happens when I have an infrequently occurring character or I have one that doesn't appear for several chapters.
I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime
Good to see...
Good to see that something similar does happen. In my case, I've decided on a compromise. I won't tell, because I don't want to spoil it.
-- Daphne Xu
So, he'll be Doorville? Or
So, he'll be Doorville? Or just living there?
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Um...
Only for someone who thinks up a creatively bad joke about his name. He'll be humiliated about something else, so I don't think I'll put him through that.
-- Daphne Xu
Fine. David D'Orville.
Fine. David D'Orville. You get both names at the same time, plus the pun.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Stan Lee, one of the most
Stan Lee, one of the most prolific comic book writers of all time, struggled with names. He used alliteration("Bruce Banner" "Reed Richards" "Peter Parker" etc.) but screwed up that at times by calling him "Robert Banner" for a bit before it got corrected to "Bruce Banner" again- during the height of Marvel's comic book dominance no less!
It happens a lot. I cringe at times when I read some of my errors, I think I have a couple of them still out there that I haven't corrected but they are usually one-off errors.
I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime
What's in a name? IMHO...
In my humble opinion, I think you have not "found" your character's name yet. For me, I should be able to instinctively feel if my character fits the name I gave him, and vice versa. Given that you are still unable to consistently refer to your character by name yet, it may mean that it's not his name: I sort of ascribe to that "pet dog rule," which is actually two rules: the first is that, the name I give my pet must fit him, and I can instinctively connect him with his name, and I feel comfortable calling him by that name; second is that my pet responds to that name. Sure, my pet may need time to associate the name with himself, so, like him, you have to give yourself time to get used to calling your character by that name. As to how long, it depends on you.
I have a few friends here that seem to have problems in giving their characters hames. Some apparently subscribe to a theory that a name cannot be a common, run-of-the-mill name. Maybe they feel that a name is too hackneyed already, or maybe a little derivative, or is not memorable, or doesn't sound realistic, or something like that. One particular friend goes out of her way to pick really unusual (bordering on the ridiculous) names, as she believes in this axiom that the more "unusual" a name is, the more authentic it is. I think that's a ridiculous belief, but I've not told her so because I don't want to hurt her feelings nor do I want to get into an argument.
I don't know about this, actually there may be some truth to that, but I don't think it can be a rule that can be made to apply all the time. For me, like I said, I pick one with relevance to my story, but, most importantly, that it feels right. So who cares if my character's name is a pedestrian name like "Danny" or "Nikki" or "Janet" or "Jack" or "Dave?" The point is that the name should feel like it fits the character.
Here's a trick that I got from a lecture by Neil Gaiman - give your character easy names at the beginning. And then, when you've more-or-less settled down, then you can do a find-and-replace, and change your character's name (or names). He even said that he knows a famous writer that actually finishes his stories before he settles on final names for his characters. Maybe you can do that to?
But, like I said, given you still have difficulty associating your character with the name you gave him, I think that may not be his name...
Just my opinion, of course - no need to have an argument about it...
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It seems as if...
It seems as if I do think of "David" when I think of the character, so I may use that. I'm going to try to stick to my compromise, and see how it works.
Part of the problem may be that I routinely use pedestrian names, but in this case, I have reason to give him a regal name, even if he's more pedestrian than regal.
-- Daphne Xu
Well elucidated, Bobbie.
Well elucidated, Bobbie.
A variation on the Neil Gaiman approach is to start writing with placeholders for character names, for example, MC, M1, M2, F1, F2, etc. Then do the search and replace when you settle on names that just feel right, that meet your "pet dog rule" (which I love).
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}
I could
I've heard of similar techniques and I wonder how can someone write like that? I have to be able to relate to the characters I'm writing. It's hard to relate to a character when they don't even have a name.
Have a delightfully devious day,
The point is...
P'rhaps thee has't did miss their pointeth? (lol. just trying out my new Old English Translator)
Gaiman's point (and, by extension, my point, too - see what I did there? mweheheh) was exactly that - to allow you to identify with your characters - by using names that you connect with instead of getting yourself blocked by not having the perfect name for characters or locations or things or whatever, in your story right away.
His point was to call them what you wanted for now. Only later, when you've been hit by inspiration, or have been illuminated by some bright idea, and have thought of the right name/s would you label/name them properly.
That's how (I heard) that Stephen King changed his locale of "Old Town" to "Castle Rock" and "Sheriff Smith" to "Sheriff Bannerman" in his final drafts.
And, in fact, speaking of re-using names, Steve's (see? I am such friends with him that I can call him that. Too bad he doesn't know me. mweheheh) Castle Rock is so ubiquitous in his fiction now that it (as well as Steve's other two towns of Derry and Jerusalem's Lot) has become familiar with most of his readers, so much so that there is a production company called Castle Rock Entertainment now, and there's even a series called Castle Rock (it's on Hulu).
So I took his technique to heart, and one of my characters who I named Sam Jones in the initial draft became Daniel Lewis Fairchild in the posted version (and his sister went from Samantha to Danielle Louise Fairchild). Practiceth what thee preacheth, I say... sorry, the translator's crap...
Anyway, just trying to clear up Mr. Gaiman's intent.
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Stan Lee's solution
Dr. Robert Bruce Banner. :)
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
I had to look that one up.
I had to look that one up. The Incredible Hulk. First they called him "Bruce Banner", then "Bob Banner". And the author decided to make both canonical by calling him "Robert Bruce Banner."
-- Daphne Xu
whenever I see Orville
I associate it with a ventriloquist dummy - an overstuffed yellow duck to be precise! There's nothing 'regal' about the name.
Personally I try to use names in common use where the character originates from. Often they are names of actual people I know - i'm sure there are a few readers here who recognise their names in my writing, never fore and family but one or other. My other sources are a dictionary of first names and other authors given names (I have quite a library on a database!)
In Gaby especially I keep a character list, sometimes it's many years between appearances and it maintains continuity and reduces search time! The list also includes used contractions and nicknames.
Made up spellings and exotic names, I find a distraction to reading. Okay, occasionally it's appropriate but thaty can depend on the genre. It can also badly date a piece, think all the Chelsey (other spellings available), Kylie and Paris's out there, all of an age! Traditional names are timeless and easier for readers to identify with, every knows a Dave, Sarah or Ann.
I'm often amused by how often some names do appear on here - often no doubt influenced by other stories. I'll not give examples, it would embarrass some writers!
In my experience trad names outnumber made up names at least 10 to 1 in the real world and double barrelled first names are rare outside of the USA.
Well that's my two pen'ath
Mads
Madeline Anafrid Bell
Made up spellings.. You mean,
Made up spellings.. You mean, like Kaylee? (cèilidh ) Kayleigh, etc.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Picking character names
I have that problem and I know a few of my readers have seen how I reuse a name or two. Sometimes I build the character background and try to find the right name that fits what I vision for the character. Other times, I'm half way through my writing and the next thing I know, the name has changed. I initially don't catch it right away, till I get tot he end and I look over the story and realize the second name I wrote fits better.
If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”
― Toni Morrison
"Reuse a name or two?"
Re-use a name? I don't know how that is an issue.
I think re-using a name is not actually problematic, and I don't know why that is a concern. I don't see it being any sort of an issue. But if you meant that you re-use one of your old character's full name, then I do think that's an issue.
For example, say you have a character in one of your old stories named Sam Spade: I don't think having a new character in a new story with the name of "Sam" is a problem. I don't even think having a new character having a last name of "Spade" is an issue, either (though I think the family name isn't as important as the personal name - at least, insofar as a story's concerned, and one doesn't need to expend a lot of brain cells trying to think up a family name).
However, having a new character with the same name of "Sam Spade" may be an issue, as it mostly means you deliberately re-used the name. Unless, of course, it's a sequel, and it IS the same character... heehee.
Anyway. Just an opinion.
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homage
The crime procedural TV show Without a Trace featured an FBI agent named Samantha Spade.
Reusing a Name
I think it's fine to reuse a name a couple times -- especially if most of the characters are minor characters. If the same name is used often for the same kind of character, it's difficult to deal with unless it's the same person.
I got mildly burnt using a name (Alice) in "A Bikini Beach Summer" that I had used in another story I wrote about 15 years earlier, "John's Living Nightmare". It would not be a problem, except that I decided to shout out to "John's Living Nightmare" in a testimony. I referred to Alice in that story, for some bizarre reason forgetting Alice in the current story. Elrod didn't catch it. Nobody caught it until a frequent commenter in the Fictionmania posting. I had to explain that the two Alices and the two Bruces were unrelated.
I used Bruce in both stories as well. I think of Bruce as a bully's name, or tough guy's name, and I used it as such in "John's Living Nightmare". I deliberately defied that in "A Bikini Beach Summer", and it worked out okay.
-- Daphne Xu
A Matter of Proper Manners
When I first meet a character, I say, "Hi -- I'm Jill.' and hope that they answer in the proper convention with their name.
If they don't, I'm in a pickle -- and usually have to ask around -- but that's awkward.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
I've done it
I've done it. If I recall correctly I ended up using the name I kept typing accidentally in one instance. In the other I used find and replace to fix the incorrect name when I was done writing.
Have a delightfully devious day,
When I create a character
When I create a character name I usually never change it as it has a connection to the story for me in some way and you will see me kicking and screaming if I have to make change...I mean I do this even in spelling, like using Rebekah instead of Rebecca....one has a history, the other doesn’t.
Sometimes characters just come up with their names...
... but this is not always true. Once I had two characters that shared the same (first) name, giving hard time to the readers, without that contributing anything to the story. I tried to rename one of them, then the other one - both times literally felt that the new names just were not them...