Learning the MC's last name

Hansey · Feb 14, 2012

I was re-reading (for the 8000th time) the first chapter of my WIP during revision and suddenly noticed something that I hadn't noticed on the previous 7999 read throughs. The MC's last name isn't learned until about 4000 words in, when she introduces herself to another character. Up until that point, all references are only to her first name.

How important is it to the reader that this is information they know right off the bat? I certainly have an opportunity to provide it right in the first scene, heck, the first sentence even, but when I make that change, it suddenly sounds forced, though that may be because I've reread this bit of text so many times that I've almost memorized it.

The few people who have read this so far have not commented at all on this, so it apparently hasn't bothered them, but now that I've noticed it, I'm wondering if it's a big deal or not.

Thoughts?

Brickcommajason · Feb 14, 2012

Robert Parker wrote almost 50 novels about a character whose last name we never learn.

It's no big deal.

kaitie · Feb 14, 2012

Doesn't really matter. I've read entire books where the narrator's name is never given at all. As long as the reader has an easy way to identify him, that's what matters. Come to think of it, I actually have a couple of books written using the same characters, and I don't even know the last name for one of the major players, other than "it starts with S." It wouldn't come out until the third book of the series just because it isn't relevant until then.

rugcat · Feb 14, 2012

I have four main characters in a four book series.

None of their last names are ever mentioned, and nobody's ever commented on that.

DoctorK · Feb 14, 2012

Brickcommajason said:
Robert Parker wrote almost 50 novels about a character whose last name we never learn.

It's no big deal.

I thought it was his first name we never learn? (I'd go back and re-read the dozens I've already read, but at this point, it's hard to distinguish those from the ones I haven't.)

IceCreamEmpress · Feb 14, 2012

It's not at all a big deal.

Much better this way than the classic newb error of beginning your book "John P. O'Leary, Jr. heard gunshots from over the ridge" or similar.

Katrina S. Forest · Feb 14, 2012

The only time my character's last name ever comes up is when someone calls her parents Mr. and Mrs. [MC's last name]. Actually, most of the adults in my novel never have their first names mentioned. ^_^

Heck, Stephen King went through The Gunslinger calling his MC nothing but... well, the gunslinger.

Don't try to force the information to show up earlier if it doesn't need to. Especially information as trivial as a character's full name when no one in the cast would call them that.

Hansey · Feb 14, 2012

IceCreamEmpress said:
Much better this way than the classic newb error of beginning your book "John P. O'Leary, Jr. heard gunshots from over the ridge" or similar.

Yeah, this is exactly the problem. That's the way her last name *could* be worked into the initial scene, but it's definitely off putting. And I don't see any place sooner in the story where it would be appropriate to provide it without it screaming out "HEY I'M TELLING YOU MY SURNAME NOW".

I will keep it the way it is, then. Thanks everyone.

sol_ · Feb 14, 2012

That's no problem at all. I'd get a kick out of casually learning a main character's surname way into the novel

CAMueller · Feb 14, 2012

It isn't a problem at all. Just like other details about your character, you don't need to dump everything on the reader immediately. As long as they can identify the character, there's no reason learning his last name later in the story would be an issue.

crunchyblanket · Feb 14, 2012

Personally, I find it irritating when the writer shoehorns a surname in for no good reason. Unless his name is something wicked like Flex Plexico, or Max Fightmaster.

The Seanchai · Feb 14, 2012

I'm happy as long as I know the MC's first name. If I never learn their last name, that is totally fine.

jaksen · Feb 14, 2012

We never learn the name of the MC in the classic novel, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

Buffysquirrel · Feb 14, 2012

Don't see a problem. It'd only be a problem if you were withholding the surname at points where it ought logically to be revealed, for some plot purpose, perchance. My protag's full name comes out pretty early on in book #1, but for good reasons. Not sure anyone would care if it didn't, though.

wyndmaker · Feb 14, 2012

I dont care what the persons full name is, nor does anyone else that reads, it is much more important to know what the MC feels, thinks, and how they will act and react to any situtation.

Becky Black · Feb 15, 2012

In my last release the first name of one of the main characters didn't get revealed until over halfway through. The narrative and everyone used his last name. Once I realised he hadn't told the other main character (or indeed the reader) his first name it became a Thing. And the other main character - his lover - could have found it out easily, but stubbornly waited for him to offer it. So it was a Thing for a while and then when he finally told him the name it was a Big Deal. Fun

areteus · Feb 15, 2012

Readers can find out a name when it is organically appropriate to do so. i.e. when the teacher calls the register or a policeman refers to them by their surname because that is what policemen do...

In the Matrix, you only find out Neo's real name when the Agents arrest him.

Stijn Hommes · Feb 15, 2012

No problem. You didn't write it earlier, because your reader doesn't need to know any sooner. Your MC's gender on the other hand should be mentioned from the start to avoid awkward revelations.

Corinne Duyvis · Feb 15, 2012

As others have said, you can even get away with never having the last name at all. Even if it was essential, though, 4000 words is still in the first 5-10% of a novel, which is really early on. Don't worry about it

Buffysquirrel · Feb 15, 2012

You can hide the gender if you have a purpose in doing so. A story I recently chose for the WorldSF blog does this. It works for the author's story; I actually think it's fun, too.

GFanthome · Feb 15, 2012

Brickcommajason said:
Robert Parker wrote almost 50 novels about a character whose last name we never learn.

It's no big deal.

I'd have to agree. The only reason you learn my MC's last name is because of a conversation she has with someone about his last name, which gives readers some important background information on him. He later asks what her last name is... and then promptly insults it because she insulted his.

IceCreamEmpress · Feb 15, 2012

Buffysquirrel said:
You can hide the gender if you have a purpose in doing so. A story I recently chose for the WorldSF blog does this. It works for the author's story; I actually think it's fun, too.

Sarah Caudwell wrote several great legal mysteries in which the gender of the protagonist, law professor Hillary Tamar, is never revealed (Professor Tamar is English and over sixty, so "Hillary" is a gender-neutral name in this case).

Domino Derval · Feb 15, 2012

I think names become more important as the size of the cast increases. The more characters, the more likely there are to be similar-sounding or spelled first names, so more is needed to distinguish the characters. I'm not sure how many authors these days are going FULL DICKENS with their casts, tho.

Phaeal · Feb 15, 2012

It depends on your POV. An omniscient narrator can drop full names as needed. In first person or third limited, I'd find the MC using his full name artificial, the more so the tighter (more internal) the focus on that MC. Unless, of course, he's the kind of character who thinks of himself by full or last name.

A first person narrator explicitly telling his story to an audience might also give his full name right off the bat.

ExplodingRunes · Feb 15, 2012

Unless the character has a job title that makes it so they're used to introducing <First Name, Last Name> it's fine.

Think of it like this, when you meet someone do you said you're full name, or just your first name? In casual conversation it's fine to leave out the last name until scene/plot require it.

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