Awkward moment when you realize you must change a character's name

Devil Ledbetter · Apr 20, 2012

It's happened to me twice in this book. I had a minor character (a child) named Carlos Junior. I asked in some thread conversation here whether it was too close to Carl's Jr.[SUP]TM[/SUP] and before I'd finished typing the paragraph, I knew the answer. So I changed it.

Today though, it came to my attention that my main character has the same unusual name as the character in a hit Broadway show. I'd heard the show (Rock of Ages), but never paid any attention to it (they lost me at '80s rock). Well, now they're making a movie of it, and I read in the newspaper that Tom Cruise is playing the role of Stacee Jaxx.

And my WIP's main character is a rock star named Stacey. :e2paperba

How did I not know about this?

Has anyone else had one of these "culturally, I'm apparently a moron" moments?

Shadow_Ferret · Apr 20, 2012

I change my characters names because I think of something better, not because it might be similar to a name already out there. In both your cases, I see no reason for the change. Ive never even heard of Carl Jr. Who is he?

Mclesh · Apr 20, 2012

Okay, I'll raise my hand. (A little embarrassed.) I was going to name a character in my WIP Miguel Cervantes. I thought there was a nice ring to the name, until my son looked at me as if I were a giant idiot, and my husband reminded me that Miguel de Cervantes was one of the most famous and influential writers of all time.

That's probably why I liked the name so much. :tongue

Sage · Apr 20, 2012

I don't know that Stacey is such a big deal, tbh. If it was Stacey Jacks, I'd rethink it

I just had to rename a character. I started the novel ages ago and named a character a name I really like. Nowadays there's a coworker with that name, but I didn't really worry about it. I also chose another coworker's name for a throwaway character...who then became really important to the novel. Since these coworkers are pretty close, I decided to change one of them. And, man, it was hard to find a new name that was perfect for that character.

Richard White · Apr 20, 2012

It's a chain of fast-food restaurants (Carl's Jr.). They also own Hardees.

Shadow_Ferret said:
I change my characters names because I think of something better, not because it might be similar to a name already out there. In both your cases, I see no reason for the change. Ive never even heard of Carl Jr. Who is he?

ccarver30 · Apr 20, 2012

I have changed names when I just wasn't "feeling" the name or I was trying to fit a square peg in to a round hole (usually the latter).

fireluxlou · Apr 20, 2012

No but I tend to change names if they are similar in characters to someone I knew or know. (Like say I pick Sharlene its similar to Charlotte or Mikala but it's similar to Michelle, or Davina but it makes me think of David etc) I just can't because then I associate the characters with those people.

Lucky there are so many names in the world.

Lighthearter · Apr 20, 2012

The only character I've considered name-changing is one of my three mains.

Considering he shares my first name(a relic of when I made him back when I was like 6). Unfortunately, changing his name would be such a PITA that I just leave it as is and plan on what I'd do if an agent expressed an issue with it. All my readers tell me it just makes them chuckle, so meh.

Although I did name a guy "Wayne Bahruce" at one point, but the Batman reference was intentional.

-Lighthearter

buz · Apr 20, 2012

(Nick)named a character Thundercat without a thought. Then realized...*slaps face* I still have it as a placeholder because I can't think of anything equally as fantastic. It will eventually go though.

HoneyBadger · Apr 20, 2012

Though I have absolutely no basis in this belief, I feel that character names are like titles in terms of editorial changing, so I don't worry about the fact that I basically gave two characters the same name, which is also my pen-name. (Ian. Enid. Writing as En. Who fucking knows what I'm thinking at any given time? (Spoiler: it's probably about myself.))

amschilling · Apr 20, 2012

I've never named a character something that later turned out to be famous, like Carl Jr. But in my current WIP I did unintentionally have five characters whose names started with D. All of them but one were relatively major (including the two MCs). Oops.

Two were an easy fix. Two more I decided I could live with because the names themselves are not alike except that one letter. The last I'm still trying to figure out. I can't come up with anything else that works, but it's really got to go.

writingismypassion · Apr 20, 2012

I have yet to change a character's name completely. But my dad began a story about a boy named Harry several years before the first Harry Potter book came out, and he changed the boy's name to Henry.

My problem is I end up with a name that doesn't seem very popular, but then I see it everywhere after begining the story. For instance, in my SHARDS OF GLASS novel, the MC's name is Emily. After I wrote it, I saw that name everywhere. Now I'm starting another story and the MC's name is Kallie. It was going to be Callie, but I've seen that name a lot recently, even though I don't recall seeing it ever before. Just the way it goes.

ccarver30 · Apr 20, 2012

amschilling said:
I've never named a character something that later turned out to be famous, like Carl Jr. But in my current WIP I did unintentionally have five characters whose names started with D. All of them but one were relatively major (including the two MCs). Oops.

Two were an easy fix. Two more I decided I could live with because the names themselves are not alike except that one letter. The last I'm still trying to figure out. I can't come up with anything else that works, but it's really got to go.

I've done this too but usually with last names. Or the first and last name between characters start with the same letter. i.e. Dan Smith, Darla Sage, Dorkly Smegma

FabricatedParadise · Apr 20, 2012

Sage said:
I don't know that Stacey is such a big deal, tbh. If it was Stacey Jacks, I'd rethink it

I just had to rename a character. I started the novel ages ago and named a character a name I really like. Nowadays there's a coworker with that name, but I didn't really worry about it. I also chose another coworker's name for a throwaway character...who then became really important to the novel. Since these coworkers are pretty close, I decided to change one of them. And, man, it was hard to find a new name that was perfect for that character.

Years ago I started a wip and named the MC Adam. At the time, I didn't know a single Adam. A year later, the wip had been put down in favor of schoolwork, and pretty much forgotten about. I met a man, fell in love, got engaged, and my fiancé left for bootcamp. When he left, I was trying to find ways to occupy myself. So I pulled out the old WIP and went, "Crap, I have to change my MC's name.". My then fiancé, now husband is Adam.

Couldn't have him getting a big ego, thinking I wrote him into a book.

Dreity · Apr 20, 2012

Yeah, I'm thinking I'm going to have to change one of my character names. Roland Mance. Sounds totally cool, but Roland = Dark Tower and Mance = Song of Ice and Fire.

dawinsor · Apr 20, 2012

I absolutely hate changing a character's name, though I've had to do it once or twice. Their name becomes fused with their identity really quickly and changing it is a wrench. Proper names are all like that really. The character or place or thing coalesces around the name somehow.

Devil Ledbetter · Apr 20, 2012

Shadow_Ferret said:
I change my characters names because I think of something better, not because it might be similar to a name already out there. In both your cases, I see no reason for the change. Ive never even heard of Carl Jr. Who is he?

Carl's Jr. is a chain restaurant.

The issue with Stacee/Stacey is that it's not just the femininish male name, but both characters are rock stars and both are on the run (although for very different reasons). Le sigh. At least characterization-wise, it sounds like they couldn't be more different. I guess I'll be hauling out the old baby names book this weekend.

I don't have an issue with similar names per se (someone suggested a character name from another book of mine, Saint Wozniak, was "too close to Steve Wozniak." Lol, no. Not changing that name for Steve's sake; that book is set in Michigan where Wozniaks are a dime a dozen.)

But yeah, Stacey's got to go.

I just don't get how I missed this. I created this character over 5 years ago.

dawinsor said:
I absolutely hate changing a character's name, though I've had to do it once or twice. Their name becomes fused with their identity really quickly and changing it is a wrench. Proper names are all like that really. The character or place or thing coalesces around the name somehow.

For this particular character, this is the very reason I'm bummed out.

Hip-Hop-a-potamus · Apr 20, 2012

I had this problem a few months ago. And since I write fictionalized bios, I discovered to my complete chagrin that I had about five characters named "Bill," all of whom were important in the story.

WC Fields was one, so I kept him the same. Billie Burke, who was married to Flo Ziegfeld was another. I kept her Billie. The character had a younger brother named Bill or William, so I gave him a nickname. There were another two in there as well, and I think I gave them nicknames.

Plus I had two guys named Jack. I kept one Jack and called the other by his initials, J.F.

The next one I started working on? TWO, count em TWO, main characters named Valentine, fer cryin out loud. I kept one Val and gave the other a nickname.

LJD · Apr 20, 2012

I decided it was a bad idea that one of my main characters was named Kate...so I changed it.

Also decided in my trunked novel that Alyssa and Alexis were too similar, so I changed one.

But I've yet to do it because I'm culturally a moron. (Even though I am. And I do Google my main characters' names like crazy when I make them up.)

Oh! Almost forgot. When I was maybe 11-12, I was toying with the character name of "Hugh Grant". Then later that day I saw a picture of Mr. Grant in the paper. But I was young, so I'm not counting that as being a moron, even though it's pretty ridiculous.

Devil Ledbetter · Apr 20, 2012

LJD said:
I decided it was a bad idea that one of my main characters was named Kate...so I changed it.

Well, I appreciate you changing the name from Kate. MCs named Kate/Katie/Kaitlyn/Kat are bookwallers for me. Lovely name, done to death.

SomethingOrOther · Apr 20, 2012

At the very start of some projects, I give characters ridiculous names. Xylophone Richards. Tom Vagina. Henry Syphilis. Karen Poopinsky. Michael Woofwoof. Buttock Cheek. Because that sort of thing helps force my internal editor away when I'm having writer's block. Those are quickly changed.

auriel · Apr 20, 2012

I had to change my characters' names because I realized they too similiar. The spellings were vastly different, but sounded almost the same. (Kaia and Clara.) I hated to do it, but it needed done. Whenever I've changed names in the past, they've always reverted back because the original name became the character.

I've never to my knowledge named a character after someone or something famous, but I'm sure it's happened because I'm kind of a a cultural hermit.

Wait - I take that back. One of my characters shares a name with a small university in Texas. But that wasn't major enough to bother me.

Buffysquirrel · Apr 20, 2012

I did have one interesting moment when I discovered a protag's name was the same as a famous cricketer's. Now I'm good because he doesn't play cricket, but it was a shock for a few moments. It's like, that's MY name that I thought up! What're you doing with it?

Someone on another board recently pointed out that the name Ren[FONT=&quot]é[/FONT] is indelibly associated in the minds of many Brits with a character in a long-running comedy. But I'm keeping it anyway. The surname is different and I don't see why I should be driven away from what is after all a popular name in France, whence my character comes. Yet I know from my own experience that these associations can be hard to shake off.

thebloodfiend · Apr 20, 2012

Not because the names are famous, but because they're too similar. And I can't bring myself to change one of the names, yet. When I started the story, it was intentional. The characters were mirrors of each other. But some have said it's rather distracting. The names are Rachel and Rochelle, btw. Why I did that to myself, I don't know.

The Stacee/Stacey thing doesn't bother me, though. Probably because I've never heard of Stacee, though. I guess it's like Jimi and Jimmy for a big rockstar.

lolchemist · Apr 20, 2012

writingismypassion said:
But my dad began a story about a boy named Harry several years before the first Harry Potter book came out, and he changed the boy's name to Henry.

Same with me, I had to change my (MC's romantic interest) Edward to Eric. Even though it's a common name, I just don't want readers remembering the sparkly vampire while reading my book.

Awkward moment when you realize you must change a character's name

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