What happens when your character has the wrong name?

[thepainpasses]

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]

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]

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]

Have you tried the middle ground, Eve?

[Shady Lane]

Have you tried the middle ground, Eve?

Or Eva, Em, or El.

I like Ev, too, though.

[swvaughn]

Or Evie.

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

[scarletpeaches]

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]

Or Evie.

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

Eevee?


. . .must. . .resist. . .

[Shady Lane]

Eevee?


. . .must. . .resist. . .

*Holds Akuma's keyboard hostage.*

I've got him, don't worry.

[swvaughn]

*Holds Akuma's keyboard hostage.*

I've got him, don't worry.

Eevee hates Bulbasaur, Akuma. :D Try Growlie, or maybe Umbreon.

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

[Danger Jane]

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]

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.

[Haphazard]

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]

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]

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

[Tippy]

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.'

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r101/Bithiah_photo/Smilies/thbabydance.gif

[Willowmound]

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]

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:



http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r101/Bithiah_photo/Smilies/thbabydance.gif

[ccarver30]

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]

Did you call him Pansy?

You did, didn't you.

[NeuroFizz]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Did you call him Pansy?

You did, didn't you.

LOL!! It was Betty actually.






I'm kidding!

[EriRae]

You have to watch the "find/replace" if the character has a short name, or if you're putting "X." I replaced "Meg" with "Genneveive" and ended up with a "Genneveivega Mall." I couldn't work any more that day after I'd busted my last gut.

[Danger Jane]

do a couple of replacements then.

spaceNAMEspace

"NAME"

"NAME SPACE

that kind of thing. And of course scanning to make sure you didn't miss anything.

[EriRae]

Makes sense...Sheesh...I feel stupid now! But I would've missed all those laughs, had I known. It still makes me giggle.

Doesn't know how to use the find/replace function

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[Sage]

I'm with you. Just started a novel where my MC's name is DL. I had the hardest time starting it, because I wanted to start with him, but didn't want the first word of the novel to be "DL." I sat staring at that blank first page for quite a long time while I tried to work around it, but still include what I needed/wanted to include in the beginning.

[Nakhlasmoke]

You have to watch the "find/replace" if the character has a short name, or if you're putting "X." I replaced "Meg" with "Genneveive" and ended up with a "Genneveivega Mall." I couldn't work any more that day after I'd busted my last gut.


Or tick the "whole words only" box. :)

[sassandgroove]

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.
I had that too. Mine was Stephanie, but she kept telling me she is Sophia. Go figure.

[Azraelsbane]

I wouldn't worry too much about the name for now. Start writing it with what you want it as now, and then you can always change later. I wrote an 80,000 word piece with the main character's name as one thing. When I decided to send it out to agents, I changed the name. Word's Find & Replace All for the win :) It took all of 3 seconds to fix my problem.

Good luck! Naming can be tough.

[Stacia Kane]

Why not rename her Beverly and call her "Bev"? It's fairly common and doesn't start with a vowel, but is still short and has the right sound.

[maddythemad]

I think there is nothing wrong with a short name for a MC. If anything, it can be more powerful and assertive because it's not Florasandralina, you know? That being said, if you REALLY want it to be longer, have you considered giving her a second name? She could be "Ev Rose" or "Ev Kaitlen" or "Ev Maria" or whatever. (Personally, though, I just like "Ev" best.) Try not to get too hung up on it, whatever you do, and just write the book! :tongue

[BenPanced]

I'm in the "change it" camp. In a current WIP, one character started out as Shane. I knew it was a place holder because I really don't care for the name. So when the time came to finally change it to Simon, find/replace/zip/zip/all done! I can't even remember Jesse's last name right now, but I didn't care for it, either (well, I just remembered it - Wagner - but it still doesn't work!), so that got a find/replace, as well.

If the name doesn't fit the character or you don't like the flow, change it.