Hatrack River Writers Workshop: character name issue

This is topic character name issue in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by Alias (Member # 1645) on :

In narration is it ok to refer to the same characters with multiple names.

For example

Evander was looking at the room through the spectacles.

later

Evan saw his shadow in the light.

is this ok?

Posted by EricJamesStone (Member # 1681) on :

As I understand it, in general it's not a good idea.

If you are using multiple viewpoints, however, using the name that your viewpoint character uses for the person being described can work, as long as it's clear to the reader.

If your character's name is Evander Doe, but his friends call him Evan, then you might refer to him as Evander when the scene is from his viewpoint, and refer to him as Evan when the scene is from the viewpoint of one of his friends. You'd refer to him as Dad when the scene is from his kid's viewpoint. And you'd refer to him as Doe from the point of view of his boss who calls everyone by their last name. You'd refer to him as 234-56-7890 from the point of view of the Social Security Administration's sentient supercomputer that is observing him through ATM-machine cameras, and you'd refer to him as "the target" from the point of view of the assassin who's been hired to kill him.

[This message has been edited by EricJamesStone (edited July 22, 2003).]

Posted by mags (Member # 1570) on :

I agree with Eric.

However, I will add some more exceptions.

If you start the story as "Evander Jones, known as Evan to his friends and neighbors, gets up every morning and has breakfast" then after that, you can go with Evan anytime that the narrator is talking about him... if you are staying in the same POV.

If you switch from Evander to Evan and occasionally call him Jones in your narrative, while keeping your same POV it can actually end up looking like three different people. And yes, there are authors out there who will have an Evander and an Evan in the same story... I think they do it because they can't think of any other names personally.

Now, if what you are talking about is that some people will address him as Evander and some as Evan, then that is acceptable, as long as you make sure that the reader knows that his mother always calls him by his full name, and his gf uses the shorter one.

Posted by Infyrno on :

Well, let's put it this way. If I were reading it, I would see that, and be confused for the rest of the story and I like to see myself as the kind of person that most readers are so I agree with Eric as well.

"And yet you scuttle along with Sneyke whose very ambition stands amid the wickedness wrought upon those who could restore what you speak of wanting to refurbish, into the times as they were before. You ask for one thing whilst you act to bring about another. You will not dare to ask of me that which you are too blood thirsty to carry out on your own!"

Vycye

Posted by Jules (Member # 1658) on :

In a novel I work intermittently on I have a character called Mike Lantz. I do use both names to refer to him, even though the story is primarily from his POV, and I think it works OK. I see the names as representing two different 'hats' that he wears from time to time - Mike is used to refer to him in scenes that are about his personal life, Lantz is used in scenes where it is his work (a starship captain) that is the focus. As the main action of the story derives from that work, he is always Lantz in any action scenes. Do you think this would work, or would it get too confusing?

Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :

In my opinion, using more than 1 name for a character is confusing. Exceptions are that different people can refer to the same person in different ways, but this is reflected in dialogue, not in someone's head. In your own head, do you think of yourself by two different names, even if sometimes you're at work and sometimes you're at home? You may act different, talk different, etc., but don't you still think of yourself with the same name? For example, I am always Christine. It's easier for me because there are few situations when people call me anything else, but there have been times when people use my last name. I achnowledge it, and respond to it, but I'm still Christine. On line I have a few nicks I use from time to time. My favorite is not_a_witch, but I'm still Christine.

Anyway, there just isn't any real reason to confuse the reader like that. We'll get used to other people calling Mike "Captain" in the same way we get used to other people calling us different names, but we'll sort of assign Captain to Mike inside our heads and think of it that way.

Hope this helps.

Posted by EricJamesStone (Member # 1681) on :

Jules,

I think that unless you are trying to make the point that he considers himself a different person when engaging in any action scenes, you should probably stick to Mike throughout. (And even if you are trying to make that point, it will still be a bit confusing. A better way to make that point would be to have Mike think about how he feels like a different person when he's in the heat of battle, or whatever.)

I don't know of any better example of a starship captain with a personal life than the Honor Harrington series by David Weber. He refers to her as Honor whether she's having a chat with a friend, ordering an attack on an enemy vessel, or killing enemies with her bare hands. You could do worse than follow that example.

Posted by Alias (Member # 1645) on :

Thank You All!

Excellent, I have solved my problem.

Since my story encounters frequent POV shifts I shall take your advice.

From the chracter who doesn't really care for him he's "Evander" so he's constantly formal.

From the POV of his best friends he's "Evan."

etc. etc.

And then keep the name used in each POV consistant in that POV throughout the entire of the book.

This should work fine, right?

Posted by EricJamesStone (Member # 1681) on :

Alias,

Yes, that should work.

Posted by Goober (Member # 506) on :

If you want a seamless example of transitioning a name, go read your Enders Shadow, the chapter where Bean sleeps in Enders room for the night, after they have their discussion. If you know the story you know what part it is.

I didnt even realize what was happening at first, but it worked just SO well...

So if you keep your perspective right, turing "Evander" into "Evan" should be no problem. Gradually change it over, have other characters refer to him as "Evan", or just explain his nickname.

I just love referencing "Shadow" when I can, sorry.