Regular readers of the blog know about my obsession with character names. They know about what happens when I have to change a character name due to market concerns. They know about my old trick of dealing with a recalcitrant character — I recast him or her with a new name. I am very fond of recasting. Rare is the character whose disposition cannot be improved upon once he or she has been christened anew. There was one character I had to change the name of three different times over the course of writing him. My editor initially thought I was nuts when my response to an early suggestion of “I think this character needs work,” was “Okay, I’ll change his name.” She has, however, learned that to me, changing the name of the character is more like changing the key of a musical piece. You end up with a very different guy. He’s a very different person now. A better person for his role. We both like him, and his name, very much.
In writing Tap & Gown, I was struck by how differently Poe behaved when I called him Poe on the page than when I called him Jamie. He’d been Poe for three books. My brain, apparently, switched over no more easily than Amy’s. Occasionally (a peek behind the curtain), I’d type the scene out with “Poe” then go back and switch it to Jamie. This is a similar trick that many writers use when trying to get into deep POV. They type out the scene in first person, then go back and revise it into third. It helped me a lot when writing Poe’s dialogue, to make sure that he was still authentically Poe.
I’m writing a new book now, and I’ve been faffing around with names for quite a while without success. This one character refuses to be any of the names I’ve attempted to give her, and none of the names will be the character I want her to be. It’s most difficult.
In other naming news, I changed the name of a minor character in Rampant late in the revision process. I did this because, due to other name changes going around, I realized that I had two names that were very similar, so I switched this one. I’m actually far happier with the new name than I was the old one, character-wise, though it’s the only non-legally mandated name change (yes, I’ve had to change character names for legal reasons) I’ve ever made that did not spring from the character himself. I feel fortunate that this opportunity arose for me to revisit this minor character and really think about what his name should have been, and it made me realize that I didn’t think hard enough about this in the original formulation of his character. Which is odd for me, especially given this book, where every single person’s name, first and last, means something in the context of the story, and the very idea of naming is a plot point. So now his name means something. (Though right now, certain parties are only thinking, “Yeah, a headache.”)
And now, I ask you: why can’t I be as obsessed with titles?
November 11th, 2008 at 8:33 am
It is very bizarre. I love hearing you talk about your writing process cause it is so completely different to mine. Like names. I don’t think I’ve ever thought for more than half a second about any character’s name.
Titles though I agonise over. And then they are changed by my publisher. *Sigh*.
Mental note: Call everything X.
November 11th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Justine: you are a strange platypus. Especially given how much you love your own name. Perhaps that’s why I care. I was given “Peterfreund”
November 11th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I’ve changed names a couple of times, but it didn’t change the character. It did however, take me weeks to find the new name since I needed it to fit the character.
I’ve never thought about writing a scene in first person and then changing it to achieve the deep POV. That’s a fabulous idea and I’m very thankful you posted it.
November 11th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Nah, Diana, YOU is the weirdo.
I love many of the names I give my characters. Love isn’t precluded by not spending much time thinking about it. I just believe that characters (and children and pets) grow into their names. So I don’t worry about it so much.
I feel like the characters bend the name so that it suits them. I know lots of Lilys (some spelled with two i’s some with three l’s) and they’re all very different. Yet their name suits all of them.
I’m prolly not explaining this very well.
November 11th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Glad I could help, vicki! I think that’s an old Suzanne Brockmann trick. I know Julie is a fan.
Justine, I don’t think that’s true. You didn’t like the character’s original name, if I remember correctly and, having read the book, you must agree he works as is.
November 11th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
I actually just did a similar thing. I’ve been really trying to get into my WIP, but my MC’s name never seemed right so I felt like I was doing a terrible job at writing her. Just yesterday, I came up with the perfect name for her and the words have been flying onto the page. It’s strange what a difference a simple, little name can make.
November 11th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I often think I hate a name but then I read a book where the main character’s name is the hated name and very soon I don’t notice cause the author makes the name their own.
Being asked about names in the abstract is very different to how you experience them when reading a novel.
Sorry if I’m still being unclear.
November 11th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
I have a love/hate relationship with titles. A good title intrigues me and makes me want to know more about a book so I absolutely believe in the power of a good title. Unfortunately, the “hate” part comes in the fact that I have a hideous time coming up with titles for my own work that doesn’t seem cheesy, contrite, or just plain lame.
November 11th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Diana’s name obsession is not so strange…though I don’t take it to the same extreme, I’ve had the same experience. Once had a hero whose named was Spencer and he totally wasn’t working. My editor read the first draft and came to the same conclusion–he wasn’t working. Could I change his name?
I did and it worked. He became Simon and somehow, I was able to change other parts of the manuscript to make him come to life. He just wasn’t a Spencer.
For what it’s worth…