Same intital for names

seun · Sep 22, 2006

I noticed this point in this thread

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6926

and found it interesting. Are people bothered or annoyed when characters have names that start with the same intital? I have to be honest and say I've never considered this before so it's difficult for me to say it would or would not bother me.

Willowmound · Sep 22, 2006

Not so much annoyed, as likely to be confused.

If everyone has names like Bill, Bob, and Buck...

seun · Sep 22, 2006

A few of my characters in the same book are Stu, Steve and Sandra. Is that something to think about changing?

soloset · Sep 22, 2006

I think it's considered bad practice simply because it's hard for a reader to keep track if there are too many characters with similar sounding names. I'm not particularly annoyed or confused just by characters having the same first initials, though.

For example, I wouldn't have any trouble with "James" and "John", but Bill, Phil, and Will would be difficult to keep separate. You don't want the reader sitting there thinking, "Was Bill the deputy or was that Phil?"

I'd probably change "Stu" or "Steve" just because they sound similar, but Sandra I'd keep.

seun · Sep 22, 2006

Thanks for the advice. I'll see what I can come up with.

maestrowork · Sep 22, 2006

Anything that confuses the readers would be bad, and that may include characters with the same initials, especially if they're major characters. It shouldn't be difficult to change "Jack and Joe" to "Jack and Bob."

soloset · Sep 22, 2006

I've always heard that advice too -- that the same initials on major characters would confuse people -- but I can't think of a single instance where I was actually confused by this as a reader.

Probably a good rule of thumb, at any rate.

KiwiChick · Sep 22, 2006

It's never bothered me as a reader when characters have similar names or names that start with the same letter. I think it's important for the story sometimes, such as when children's names are similar to each other or to those of their parents.

Prawn · Sep 22, 2006

I actually have two characters in my WIP with the same name. One is the dead daughter of the protagonist, and it is a shock to him to meet someone with the same name as his dearly departed.

RedMolly · Sep 22, 2006

My protag and my bad guy have not only the same first initial, but the same number of letters in their names.

I'm hoping that the fact that one is male, one is female and one has put his eyes out with a stick will help readers tell the difference.

(But honestly, I've gone back and forth over changing their names. I just like both of their names Very Very Much.)

blacbird · Sep 22, 2006

This goes for surnames, too. In my one decent unpublishable novel I originally had two military officers, both colonels, named Mathes and Maxwell. At one point I screwed up and used "Maxwell" when I meant "Mathes". Maxwell immediately became Barnes with the magic of global search-and-replace.

caw.

soloset · Sep 22, 2006

Prawn said:
I actually have two characters in my WIP with the same name. One is the dead daughter of the protagonist, and it is a shock to him to meet someone with the same name as his dearly departed.

RedMolly said:
I'm hoping that the fact that one is male, one is female and one has put his eyes out with a stick will help readers tell the difference.

(But honestly, I've gone back and forth over changing their names. I just like both of their names Very Very Much.)

I think those, ah, "big shocks" will cement the characters in your readers' minds. And I can think of at least one similar example (minus the eye thing; "Matthew" and "Malingo") that never bothered or confused me.

Aubrey · Sep 22, 2006

I think you just have to make sure the names don't rhyme and the two characters have very distinct personalities and people will be able to tell them apart easily. I mean would anyone confuse Harry (Potter) with Hermione (Granger)? Or Snape with Sirius?

Allynegirl · Sep 22, 2006

Aubrey said:
I think you just have to make sure the names don't rhyme ... <snip>

I had it pointed out to me that I have an "Aaron," "Karen" and "Faren" in my short story. I didn't realize the rhyming until a critter pointed it out. *sigh*

TheIT · Sep 22, 2006

Aside from the confusion factor, I like choosing character names with different initials because it's easier for me when I'm writing. If I'm writing longhand, I can just write "G" or "T" and know which character I meant. When I type it in, I expand the names.

Jamesaritchie · Sep 22, 2006

Names

The supply of possible names is limitless, so why use ones that sound alike, or that begin with the same letter?

Saanen · Sep 22, 2006

It's not just initial letters/sounds we need to watch for, it's all the sounds in the name. I recently realized I had four characters with similar names: Clark, Larson, Butler, and Carol--all containing Ls and three with "ar" sounds as well. During the rewrite I wrote Carol out of the book entirely (she was redundant anyway) and changed Larson's name to Davis. Then dammit if I didn't start getting Clark and Davis confused while rewriting--same number of letters, similar-looking on the page. I changed Davis to Dascoli and that did the trick.

Oliveman · Sep 22, 2006

Names are tricky, and should be revealing, though not obvious unless it is intended to make their purpose obvious. Subtle but effective names do the trick. Also, pay attention to the ways sounds of words make you feel. Look through the pronounciation guide in the dictionary and think about if all of those sounds were characters, who would they be? You can come up with some very interesting names this way. Especially that æ fellow, he's quite the detached, whimsical, secret, cerial killer. The main idea is that you relate that feeling of sound to the reader, and that is subtly translated into the purpose of the character.

However, if you are trying to make a point with the name, i.e. Bob is your main character who struggles to be different, then go with that so long as you are aware of how obvious you want it to be.

But then of course you could forget about relationships and purpose for a while and copy names on little slips of paper from a Baby book, then swish them up in a hat, picking out the one you first pick. Might get you over those road blocks of Naming and give you new ideas (provided that you don't use the one you picked)... though maybe it will hinder you even more. Your call. Remember though that names and how they are said play a part in the way the reader percieves the book... NAMES MATTER. For instance, what would Harry Potter be if Harry and Ron switched names.... Ronald Weasley and the Sorcerer's Stone? I think not.

Willowmound · Sep 22, 2006

Saanen said:
... and changed Larson's name to Davis. Then dammit if I didn't start getting Clark and Davis confused while rewriting--same number of letters, similar-looking on the page. I changed Davis to Dascoli and that did the trick.

I find this rather interesting (in an off-topic sort of way). Does it usually not matter to US writers what heritage their characters have? (Or is it just you, Saanen

)

A Larson would obviously be of Swedish descent, while a Davis would be of Anglo-Saxon. And then Dascoli? What's that, Italian?

Wouldn't a character's heritage at least to a small degree impact on his personality, on who he is?

PeeDee · Sep 22, 2006

Of course, we can always remember that that nice Tolkien boy named his bad guys "Sauron" and "Saureman" and I think he did okay.I think that's the exception, rather than the rule, however.

In my novel, I have "Oberon" and I also have "Auburon" and they both wander in and out of the story. I'm okay with that, because you're well aware of which is which (I may be less okay with this when it comes to reading aloud, however. The thought has crossed my mind.)

I think you just need to be aware of the names. Don't necessarily agonize over who's called what, but keep an eye on it to make sure you don't wind up with Joe and Jake (two generic names, both boys, both "J," unless the characters are startlingly different, I could get them confused.)

allion · Sep 22, 2006

You know, I have to admit that when I first read LOTR, the Saurman/Sauron thing confused me. I figured it out, and my only defence is that I was 13 at the time.

It got better after subsequent readings.

Karen

Saanen · Sep 22, 2006

Willowmound said:
I find this rather interesting (in an off-topic sort of way). Does it usually not matter to US writers what heritage their characters have? (Or is it just you, Saanen )

A Larson would obviously be of Swedish descent, while a Davis would be of Anglo-Saxon. And then Dascoli? What's that, Italian?

Wouldn't a character's heritage at least to a small degree impact on his personality, on who he is?

I picked Dascoli out of the phone book, actually--I have no idea what nationality it claims.

My book's a fantasy, but it's set in a cosmopolitan sort of large city, and when I looked at the names I realized almost all of them were the Anglo-Saxon/Scotch-Irish names I'm familiar with from living in the southeast my whole life. Now that I've moved to western PA I'm surrounded by what seem very strange names (we're of course talking last names here), and it's broadened my, er, naming horizons a bit.

I don't know that a name would necessarily point to a character's personality ordinarily, unless the character was ashamed of his name/nationality or proud of it, or the book was set in an era or place where people didn't travel much. Even in isolated, rural areas of America nowadays we're used to families whose heritage is farflung but who are basically just Americans like us.

Willowmound · Sep 22, 2006

LOTR rings is by no means a perfect novel.

It is, however, an unusually excellent story.

If I were Tolkiens editor, I'd have him cut several scenes, change some names and tighten his POV.

PeeDee · Sep 22, 2006

allion said:
You know, I have to admit that when I first read LOTR, the Saurman/Sauron thing confused me. I figured it out, and my only defence is that I was 13 at the time.
It got better after subsequent readings.
Karen

It's one of the first things they point out in documentaries which explain all the millions of reasons why Tolkien's LOTR would Never Be Published Today. They explain all the things wrong with it.

I dunno. Given a choice between the Obviously Flawed LotR, or Robert Jordan's books, I will contentedly read Lord of the Rings any day.

Willowmound · Sep 22, 2006

Saanen,

Culture almost never disappears. It is one of the most resillient things there is. So even a third-generation American Chinese would have, deep down in his psyche, symbols and references (the stuff that often only come out in dreams and art) different from a fifth-generation Irish American. Or an Italian. Or an Arab. Or an Indian.

This can be very subtle. It can also give a character that much more depth

Same intital for names

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