Ever accidentally named a character after someone you know?

Kenzie · Sep 3, 2009

I recently introduced a new character into my novel and the first name that popped into my head happens to be the name of a friend-of-a-friend. Additionally, this friend-of-a-friend is pretty well known as a magazine writer/ TV writer and radio presenter. And it's quite an uncommon name, so it would seem to me that - should my novel be published - people would immediately know that I had named this character after her, and maybe wonder why, or look for elements of her in the character.

But of course the name is so perfect for some reason and I can't make myself think of her any other way. So my solution for now is to continue writing her with that name, and then do a find and replace at the end with some other name.

I did something similar earlier on in the novel where (and this is somewhat sillier, but still a legitimate concern), I named a new character without thinking and then remembered that it's the same name I have always had in mind for my son, if I ever have one. Of course I may never have a son, but I certainly didn't want to have to forfeit the name because I'd already used it in my novel (the character is not a very nice person).

Have you ever done something like this?

DeadlyAccurate · Sep 3, 2009

Most of my friends have very common first names (like Mike and Dave), so I don't ignore those first names for characters. But I did once name a character with the first/middle combo of Andrew Ryan. Even after I played Bioshock it didn't hit me until one day I just happened to associate the two. I changed his middle name.

Also, my MC's dead mother has an alias that's the same as my agent's real name. Car accident with a cement mixer. Terrible tragedy. (But hey, another one of her clients zombified her; at least I left her dead).

JLM · Sep 3, 2009

Mine are all intentional. I write fantasy so I either spell the names differently or rearrange/substitute some of the letters. My husband, my sister, her husband, my brother and the name I used when I went to Mexico are all in there.

I forgot, also my grandparents and my husband's grandparents.

lauraannwilliams · Sep 3, 2009

I tend to do this too. As soon as I realize it's someone I know, I have to change it.

C.M.C. · Sep 3, 2009

It wasn't an accident.

lucidzfl · Sep 3, 2009

Replace accidently with on purpose, and finish the sentence with "And killed them off in a horrible way" and you have my writing style.

narnia · Sep 3, 2009

It is never by accident. I used to stumble over picking names, now I use the names of people I know with some variation. I also have a list of names I have come across that I would like to use at some point, and it also includes the names of people who (upon hearing you are writing a book) want you to use their name. (I always tell them of course, then ask what their preference is, murder victim, good guy, bad guy, etc.

)

I also mix it up a little, for example a married couple (relatives), one of whom has a first name that could be a last name: Vivian Blake.

And I am careful to not use for the names of bad people anyone I know will give me grief later. :tongue

narnia · Sep 3, 2009

lucidzfl said:
Replace accidently with on purpose, and finish the sentence with "And killed them off in a horrible way" and you have my writing style.

Yes, that too!

~*Kate*~ · Sep 3, 2009

I have called my best friend by his last name for 15 years, and his little brother by a nickname. I named a character and his brother, and a week later realized: Duh. That's my best friend's first name, and his brother's real name.

I'm telling myself that missing huge things like that in the first draft is okay, as long as I catch them later. Right? Right??

barbilarry · Sep 3, 2009

I have one character in a story I have on hold. She is so unique I would have to use that name or not write the story. She was a one armed lesbian that I loved dearly. I had rented a house from her 25 yrs. ago. I'm sure they have passed on by now. Since there were no living relatives I will use her name. She and her partner to this day still remain in my memory as the most awesome characters I ever knew. The story is a ghost story by the way. And true to boot. LOL
Jane

Ellefire · Sep 3, 2009

Not quite the same, but I had to change a character name because of the sticky end he came to. When my nephew was born, she gave him the same name as this character and I felt bad killing him off. New name and no such problems. Character now dead, no chance of sister getting offended. Sorted.

icerose · Sep 3, 2009

I once named a character the same name as a rather famous character in the same genres of film I was writing so I obviously had to change it.

The weirdest part of it? I had never once seen this movie or heard the name. It was pointed out to me by someone else. How ironic is that?

Stew21 · Sep 3, 2009

I have realized later -- much later -- that when I named two characters they were actually the names of two of my ex's best friends. They were roommates and really great guys. I just had no idea when I named them and hadn't even thought of either of them in years.

I didn't change their names. No reason to, they are both common names and people I haven't seen in a decade.

Stargazer · Sep 3, 2009

I wrote a short story ages back and also did a film script adaptiation of it. I was writing about a marriage going bad for all the wrong reasons. I used my wife's and my names as placeholder until I could find somethnig appropriate.

When Maria read it, she went ballistic. She thought I was prediciting the break up of our own marriage and held it against me for a some time.

Problem is, I've gotten so used to our names being there, I'm not sure I could ever bring myself to change them.

I try to be a little more careful now, I'll sometimes choose a name at random or I may find something that has a distant meaning or connection.

Rob.

S.J. · Sep 3, 2009

lucidzfl said:
Replace accidently with on purpose, and finish the sentence with "And killed them off in a horrible way" and you have my writing style.

Same! Usually it's my sister's name...

AnonymousWriter · Sep 3, 2009

I try to avoid giving my character's names of people I know...

Darzian · Sep 3, 2009

I take special care to make sure that I do not name any characters after people I know. If I did, the person's characteristics would start leaking into my character. That, I do NOT want.

Stargazer · Sep 3, 2009

I heard in a commentary track for an episode of X-Files, that Chris Carter used named of old college girlfriends for the names of the murder victims in the episode teasers.

I can just imagine how the class reunion would go. "Oh, hey Chris, I hear you wanted me dead..."

Risky business this writing lark.

AdamH · Sep 3, 2009

Well, in a new novel I'm working on, I introduced a secondary character with her married name. At one point, I explore her back story a bit and come up with a maiden name.

Only last week did I realize that if you put her first name and maiden name together that it's the name of a woman I work with and only partially know. I didn't even realize what her last name was until I noticed her name on her desk one morning and thought...that's my character's name!

What really sucks is that I think the character's maiden name really rolls off the tongue when you say it but this woman is a complete opposite from my character. Now it's a struggle to continue to write this character without thinking about this woman. I think I'm going to have to change the maiden name.

gothicangel · Sep 3, 2009

Years ago I moved jobs only to find out that a member of staff shared his name with my anatagonist.

I quickly changed his name, lest my colleague assumed I had based my villian on him!

Darzian · Sep 3, 2009

AdamH said:
Now it's a struggle to continue to write this character without thinking about this woman.

Exactly what I prefer to avoid.

MGraybosch · Sep 3, 2009

Kenzie said:
Have you ever done something like this?

I did it on purpose. The first girl I ever dated was from Somerset, England. Her name was Naomi L---. I ended up putting into an early version of Starbreaker a character named "Naomi Bradleigh" to flatter the Naomi I was dating. When we broke up, Naomi Bradleigh's character began changing. She got her own look and personality, and ended up becoming the heroine of the story.

Siddow · Sep 3, 2009

A few years ago for nano, I wrote a book for my son and had it printed up on Lulu, back when they used to give you the free book for winning...anyway, it was a big hit with him, so he took it to school and shared it around, his teacher even let him do a book report on it...

Anyway, it was a mystery/adventure type story, and I used the names of my son and his friends for the hero and his sidekicks. There was another character who appeared briefly, long enough to be called a 'social retard' and dismissed as unworthy of bringing into the group. I just pulled the name out of the air.

So...guess who was the new kid at school, the kid who came in and started hanging out with my son and his friends, between the time I wrote it and the time it came back from the printer? Yep, the social retard.

It was totally accidental, but try telling a ten-year-old that.

Honalo · Sep 3, 2009

I did find out that my names were being used elsewhere - and these I made up, believe it or not, more than 30 years ago.

Last summer a plane buzzed overhead on the beach with a banner advertising Nanina's pasta sauce. Nanina has been a central character in one of my WIP's.

At the whole foods store, I found Pran candy bars. Pran is the shortened version of the name of another MC: Prancule. I use the shortened version quite frequently in the book.

Then there was the day I heard a rock band introduced on the radio - for the life of me I can't remember the name but I said, is this for real? Another name I had chosen for the book.

The universe and me: working in tandem

~*Kate*~ · Sep 3, 2009

I always felt bad for the real Harry Potters of the world. I know there were several.

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