Hello, So I know there is generally said to be a writing rule against shared first names (sometimes even names that sound too similar, especially if used in the same scene). But I also know this isn't always followed strictly, for example George R. R. Martin intentionally broke it for a few characters. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell also has two characters called John and one called Jonathan. Various historical fictions may also have shared first names from real characters with common first names. I think the key thing there is to use surnames, titles and nicknames for such characters. For example in Jonathan Strange, no-one refers to Childermass or Segundus as "John" and "Jonathan" is easier to tell apart, especially since he is often referred by his full name. But what do people think? What do you personally do? Have you ever had characters with the same first name and if so how do you handle that?
I haven't and I probably wouldn't, but if I were to I'd be very careful to differentiate them from each other in several ways so any time I mention one I can include info like 'the taller one' or 'the older one'. If they're in the same group of friends the friends might have a special nickname for one like Little John or one might be John and one Johnnie. Or for instance a John could go by Jack or Jake or something. I wouldn't even try it unless I felt absolutely confident in my ability to get the story across clearly without confusing any readers. Like with your other thread about the He/They pronouns, I would look at it as a challenge for advanced writing and only tackle it if I felt ready for it.
Yeah, my first instinct is to avoid just because it doesn't matter much. Compared to other difficult or risky writing decisions, like the example you mention, I don't see any strong reason to do it intentionally even if I could manage it. So my inclination is just to play it safe given the lack of benefit. I do think it's worth pointing out the surnames, middle names and nicknames exist in the real world to deal with this exact problem, so there is a pre-existing IRL tested solution to be able to cognitively manage the confusion. And again, it has been done in some form successfully before, so I don't think it would be correct to say it shouldn't be done. It's more a question of why bother unless you have to.
I'm going as far as to avoid characters with the same initial. EG, not only avoid featuring John and Johnathan together, but also avoid pairing Flynn and Francis.
I also like the names to have a different syllable count if possible, anything to help differentiate characters. I personally have a hard time remembering names (in real life as well as stories) so this is very important to me. A Tim and a Jim would get mixed up in my head, or a Tom and a Ron, but I would have no trouble differentiating between a Freddie and a Bill, or a Millicent and a Sharon.
I never realized this before, but this thread has made me think of it. In real life you see people, like in movies. But in a story there's no visual factor, only the descriptions which work very differently. And you don't give a description every time a character shows up. There's no instant visual recognition factor when a character enters a scene, you only have their names. So the names, the way they sound and the way they look printed on paper, need to have distinctive silhouettes. Each it's own shape and feel and flavor. I'd get lost with a Bill, a Bob, a John and a Tom. Instead give me a Frankie, a Jake, a Sigurd and a Julio.
Precisely! I even try to pay attention to titles when a pair of characters have a long-lasting rivalry or interaction. John & James are easily confused, but having Dr. Phillips and Mark just makes things a lot easier. Even better in more archaic settings; "Duke" and "Viscount" are my favourites next to each other. Different parts of the alphabet, different syllables. And archaic titles even help you remember the gender of the character (Duke vs Duchess).
A little further analysis: words feel very different depending on the combinations of consonants and vowels. Jake has a quick, sharp feel to it, like a CHOP or a knife blade. Frankie, even though it has an A, a K and an E in the same order, is softened considerably by the other letters interposed in between. Frank is somewhat harder and closer in feel to Jake, but still not nearly as hard and sudden. The IE in Frankie softens it at the end. Julio is all soft rounded shapes and sounds. This works visually on the page, looking at the letters, as well as sounding it out. It ends with a soft vowel sound, unlike Jake or Frank (the E is silent at the end of Jake). Even though it starts with the same letter as Jake, it's pronounced soft rather than hard, so feels completely different. Sigurd is also soft and rounded, but not as much as Julio. It ends with a consonant rather than a vowel, and the D at the end is semi-hard, like a softer version of a T. This isn't stuff I consciously think through the way I just wrote it here, but I am aware of it and feel my way through it when coming up with names.
I'd avoid it unless there's a particular reason or perhaps a senior/junior dynamic, but even then one or both typically have a nick-name or go by their middle names, etc. While it's true that in real life, we see many Jacobs and Daniels, or we know a lot of girls named Emma and Ashley, but as writers we have the ability to customize our characters to easier differentiate our cast. I would be quite confused reading dialogue between two characters with the same or similar names. My mains typically have names beginning with unique letters, though if I am working with a large cast or sides I become less picky.
