Mentioning the reason for a protagonist's unusual name? Infodump?

Morwen Edhelwen · Jan 15, 2012

OK, so I am beginning to work on the second idea I have planned. The male protagonist has a highly distinctive name. Would saying something like "I don't mind my name, which is after you-know-who" count as an infodump? I'm not mentioning who he's named after, because everyone's likely to know who it is. I'm looking for opinions- this isn't an advice question!

Katrina S. Forest · Jan 15, 2012

I'm a bit confused as to what you mean by, "This isn't an advice question." (You mean you don't want anyone to suggest you give him a more normal name?) People will answer what they want, you're certainly free to ignore suggestions you don't like.

Anyway, does the dialogue where he explains his name sound natural to you when you read it? Given the fact that you've posted this question, I'm guessing it's bugging you a little. Try cutting it. If it reads better without, then there's your answer.

Morwen Edhelwen · Jan 15, 2012

Well, what I mean by that is that I don't want to sound like I'm looking for advice on whether it's an infodump, because on my SYW crits, people comment that I'm dumping too much information in.

Alouette · Jan 15, 2012

How about someone else comments on his name, then he explains it? Make it brief though, so it sounds natural. People don't tend to veer into lengthy explanations of their names.

Morwen Edhelwen · Jan 15, 2012

it's a journal entry. I love the diary format.

Alouette · Jan 15, 2012

Well, he could still record the conversation in his journal, no? If he's introducing himself in the diary then it might sound natural but at the end of the day, only you'll be able to judge that without us reading it.

SaronaNalia · Jan 15, 2012

I think there are ways that it could be worked into a journal format without seeming too much like an infodump. For example, someone might make a comment about his unusual name, and he might feel the need to vent about it in his journal. Something like, "I wish people wouldn't comment about my name so often. It's like they think I don't know it's strange." And then maybe an explanation could fit in.

But I could see how just bringing it up out of nowhere could be viewed as an infodump.

jmlee · Jan 15, 2012

If everyone knows who he's named after, won't it be automatically obvious that it was intentional or that it's strange?

i.e. if I name a character "President James Monroe" I don't think I really need to come out and say "I was named after President James Monroe" ... And if it's in diary format why would a person say something about that anyway, since it's a diary? I would imagine the content would be more about the character's feelings about having that name. Or maybe recounting an event that happened that day/week/whatever in which it became relevant.

Morwen Edhelwen · Jan 15, 2012

He doesn't say the name of the person he's named after, because it's that distinctive- he just says "you-know-who"(And his name is the name of a well-known historical figure.)

frimble3 · Jan 15, 2012

If he's a teenager (YA - right?) why would he mention his name at all, at this point in his life he's used to it. Unless something changed - someone made a snarky comment on it? Girl he loves laughed at it? Namesake in the news? Otherwise it should have been back in the past, when he started the journal.

Morwen Edhelwen · Jan 15, 2012

frimble3 said:
If he's a teenager (YA - right?) why would he mention his name at all, at this point in his life he's used to it. Unless something changed - someone made a snarky comment on it? Girl he loves laughed at it? Namesake in the news? Otherwise it should have been back in the past, when he started the journal.

You're right- maybe I should make it so that he gets a very-obvious joke again for the first time in years. BTW, I'm a girl- this is one of the first ideas I've had with a male protagonist/narrator.

Morwen Edhelwen · Jan 15, 2012

Now I'm waiting for someone to ask me what his name is...

frimble3 · Jan 15, 2012

Morwen Edhelwen said:
I'm not mentioning who he's named after, because everyone's likely to know who it is.

Morwen Edhelwen said:
Now I'm waiting for someone to ask me what his name is...

I was curious, but I assumed that that bit from the first quote was to let us know you deliberately didn't want to mention the name.

Morwen Edhelwen · Jan 15, 2012

yeah, it was. It is kind of. He gets called by his name, and the person is mentioned once. Then he says "I always get those comments when he's mentioned." (He= his namesake)

Mentioning the reason for a protagonist's unusual name? Infodump?

Morwen Edhelwen

Katrina S. Forest

Morwen Edhelwen

Alouette

bad apple

Morwen Edhelwen

Alouette

bad apple

SaronaNalia

jmlee

MIA

Morwen Edhelwen

frimble3

Heckuva good sport

Morwen Edhelwen

Morwen Edhelwen

frimble3

Heckuva good sport

Morwen Edhelwen