This didn't seem like the kind of question that would necessarily fit in the Character or Plot sub-forums, so plopping it in here. Basically, the main bully of my story has met an untimely, accidental end, but the main character will still be harassed by other people for a time. Some might be reoccurring characters, but I haven't decided yet. The only problem I see is that I don't feel like I want to name these minor bullies since they may only appear once. Plus, they wouldn't be giving their names and the MC would not ask them for it. Is this an acceptable choice to make? Sorry for the silly question!
As long as you make it clear who's doing what/speaking, you don't have to give them a name imo. Just make sure it doesn't make it harder to understand what's going on and you should be fine
If the main character knows the names (like from roll call) then why not? It can also conceal from the reader "who matters" and thus add an element to mystery. Maybe Bully A will become a good person later; maybe Bully B is beyond good and will remain evil; maybe Bully C is a cowardly henchman of Bully B. It helps to name them--even if they're one-off-- as they're important enough for the protagonist as they are presumably invading his or her life (or making it miserable--something). Roll call is an easy way to know the names of people without asking for them (I'm assuming this is a school setting). And perhaps as you write you'll want to use these characters again (like in the context above: maybe Bully A grows a conscience, repents, and helps the protagonist with Bullies B and C).
Seems OK to me. If you have a chance, look at a movie called The Driver. None of the characters is named and I think it works.
You don't have to have an official introduction or roll call to announce a character's name to the reader. If the POV character knows their name and would think of them as such, you can just use the name. Maybe give one line of exposition for context. I walked down the hallway towards the toilet. Pete (first mention of Pete in book) smiled as he walked out, flicking water from his hands and wiping them on his designer jeans. He was a piece of shit. Pete bumped my shoulder as I walk past. My head barely reached his chest. "Nerd," said Pete. (last mention of Pete in book)
Yes. There's also The Man With No Name trilogy where the lead character is never named. Same with the Narrator in A Christmas Carol, Fight Club, and The Road. And in 12 Angry Men the characters are only known by their juror numbers until the very end of the film.
Even if the mc doesn't know the bully or bullies name the mc would probably give them a nickname either related to their clothing or where they see them - the man in the blue coat or Mr Blue Coat or baldy or the man on the bus/train/shop queue. Or maybe a combination of both - Mr Blue Coat is always on the 2.45 express to Boston.
Certainly if the POV character doesn't know the names of these bullies (and I suspect that can easily happen) there is no need to identify them for the reader unless the story warrants it. Maybe the POV character has just seen them 'around.' If that's the case, divulge where these sightings have taken place, or something about these characters that caught the POV's eye earlier on. That's more important than the bullies' names, if we're not going to see them again. If the POV character is getting bullied and does know the identity of the attackers, then I suppose there is more reason to give names. However, I'd advise not to overburden readers with names of your 'spear carriers'—people who are there simply to move the plot along, but aren't going to be important as characters—but at the same time I'd say don't play coy with the names either. It all depends on the scene, really. The reader may get impatient if we get the feeling the POV character knows more about these people than he or she is letting on.
If the MC doesn't know their names, I think it's fine not to give names and in fact it might be awkward to give them--though if the town/village is really small, would there be many residents that she doesn't know anything about?
I don't see the reason to name them if there's no reason to. Just make sure the MC and the reader knows when the bully is speaking.
One criticism I've heard about Stephen King is that the bullies in his works (IT for example) are super flat and have no personality other than "bully". It may be worthwhile to flesh out the characters a bit more if you don't think why they bully is clear to the reader. Alternatively, as I learned in school, to quote Lorde, "maybe people are jerks". Sometimes people are just horrible for no reason. You don't always know their name.
