What happens when your character has the wrong name?

thepainpasses · Jul 1, 2007

So I'm in the early stages of planning out a novel (i.e. setting up the characters, getting their names together and such). Now, names are a huge deal to me. I can't just give someone a name. It has to fit them.

My protag is a teenage girl, and the name that seems to fit her best...I don't really like in the context of a novel. Her name feels to me like it should be something close to "Evelyn," but that it should be abbreviated to "Ev" as that just seems right to me for the character.

The only problem? Ev doesn't seem long enough to command the presence on the page that a main character's name should. Like I've said, to me, things like this are important. Being the main character, I feel like she needs a bit of a longer name, because the two letters don't seem to stand out enough.

I've also considered "Avery" which seems like it would work for me, but the character feels more like an Ev than an Avery, so I'm a bit torn.

But really...on broader terms, has anyone ever had a similar problem? Where something that fits the character best doesn't seem to work well in the actual novel? What would be your suggestions on fixing that?

fjeastman · Jul 1, 2007

I would say that, as a reader, no name is too short for an MC. Actually, really, the shorter the better. You want your reader to identify with your MC, I would assume, and a relatively unassuming name is a pretty easy way to do that.

My current WIP character won't have a name for the first half of the book or so. I know what it is, but the reader won't (and neither does the MC).

In the Spenser For Hire series, Parker never reveals Spenser's first name. He's just Spenser. He HAS a first name, characters KNOW his first name, but it isn't revealed in the text of any of the books.

--fje

Penguin Queen · Jul 1, 2007

Write your novel now with the name that you find fits the character best... and then once you're done writing, change the name.

I find names hugely important, like you, and I spend quite a bit of time in the early stages of writing finding the exact right name.
Ive been in your situation before, ie. I had a name that I knew wasnt right for the piece but was right for the character. So once I was done I did a global search & replace.

Akuma · Jul 1, 2007

Have you tried the middle ground, Eve?

Shady Lane · Jul 1, 2007

Akuma said:
Have you tried the middle ground, Eve?

Or Eva, Em, or El.

I like Ev, too, though.

swvaughn · Jul 1, 2007

Or Evie.

I knew a chick went by Evie. Also, there was that Evie in The Mummy.

scarletpeaches · Jul 1, 2007

I wrote a character called Stephen once, only I kept writing Simon by mistake. Seems the character decided his own name there.

Names don't matter that much to me as even with my urban fantasy I use 'normal' names, but if a character insists, "No, this is my name," I listen.

Akuma · Jul 1, 2007

swvaughn said:
Or Evie.

I knew a chick went by Evie. Also, there was that Evie in The Mummy.

Eevee?

. . .must. . .resist. . .

Shady Lane · Jul 1, 2007

Akuma said:
Eevee?

. . .must. . .resist. . .

*Holds Akuma's keyboard hostage.*

I've got him, don't worry.

swvaughn · Jul 1, 2007

Shady Lane said:
*Holds Akuma's keyboard hostage.*

I've got him, don't worry.

Eevee hates Bulbasaur, Akuma.

Try Growlie, or maybe Umbreon.

Oooh, yeah. Eevee and Umbreon erotica. It's all the rage.

Danger Jane · Jul 1, 2007

I just change the name when I find/think of one that doesn't bug me so much.

Akuma, I'm sad for you.

Devil Ledbetter · Jul 1, 2007

Thanks to that nifty little search-and-replace feature, a name change is the easiest thing in the world to do.

I changed the name of one of my minor characters.

Hapax Legomenon · Jul 1, 2007

Yes, of course, main characters can't have any names shorter than at least three letters... wait... In Fullmetal Alchemist, Ed and Al worked fine.

I think it's not that Ev is so short, it's that ending with a 'v' is a very uncommon thing for an English word to do. I dunno, I'm thinking maybe Evy, if that words for you. However, Evy sounds kind of like an old lady name to me...

David I · Jul 1, 2007

Is it in third person?

I assume you're writing in third person.

The way it looks on the page matters far less in first person, since it is seldom seen.

If you're in third, consider coining an offbeat nickname rather than a diminutive.

spacejock2 · Jul 1, 2007

I try and avoid names starting with S, because they make 'said' that much more visible.

Tippy · Jul 2, 2007

That's what I love about Microsoft Word. If "Tina" after 30,000 words feels like she's morphed into "Ingrid," it's a simple matter to click and 'Replace All.'

Willowmound · Jul 2, 2007

Haphazard said:
Yes, of course, main characters can't have any names shorter than at least three letters... wait... In Fullmetal Alchemist, Ed and Al worked fine.

Franz Kafka's The Trial features main character "K."

Bufty · Jul 2, 2007

What about M in the 007 series?

Hey, I spent more time watching this dancing dude than I did on reading this whole thread. :snoopy:

Tippy said:

ccarver30 · Jul 2, 2007

Yeah, I really don't think it is too short- especially if it fits her.

On a side note, I found that a name I named a male character was actually a girl's name. I decided to keep his name for I found ONE website that said it could be either gender.

I was in a panic for a while though! LOL

Willowmound · Jul 2, 2007

Did you call him Pansy?

You did, didn't you.

NeuroFizz · Jul 2, 2007

If agonizing about names is keeping you from writing the story, write in "name1" and just finish the first draft. Then worry about it. If you put your energy into writing the story, I bet the best name will emerge.

seun · Jul 2, 2007

Glad I'm not the only one who's had this. One of my characters was a Nick and although the book is finished, I'm not sure if he really was a Nick. He's staying one until I think of an alternative...Mick? Dick? Pri -

Lyra Jean · Jul 2, 2007

My female MC's name is Louisa. My male MC's name is Alaric. I used to agonize over names but no longer since choosing names kept me from writing the story.

aadams73 · Jul 2, 2007

NeuroFizz said:
If agonizing about names is keeping you from writing the story, write in "name1" and just finish the first draft.

Good advice. I usually just put an "X" in as a placeholder until the right name presents itself.

ccarver30 · Jul 2, 2007

Willowmound said:
Did you call him Pansy?

You did, didn't you.

LOL!! It was Betty actually.

I'm kidding!

What happens when your character has the wrong name?

Break the rules.

Rare Writer Pokemon

my name is hannah

adrift

Rare Writer Pokemon

my name is hannah

adrift

Come on you stranger, you legend,

Lightly salted

Where have the last ten years gone?

Nicole Castro

Lightly salted

The grad students did it

Horror Man

Two years old now.

A Work in Progress

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