1. The Human Fallacy

    The Human Fallacy New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2014
    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0

    Deferring naming the protagonist

    Discussion in 'Character Development' started by The Human Fallacy, Apr 26, 2014.

    Hello,

    I'm writing a science-fantasy novel in which I don't want to give the main character a proper name until about 15-25% of the way into the story. He's discovering his own identity as he goes along and will actually be given a name by some other characters at a specific point. My question is, how should I try and go about writing from a third person point of view while not using a name? I've considered using an assumed name that will be discarded when he acquires his final name later. Would that confuse the reader too much? Does anyone have any other suggestions? Thanks all!

    Drew
     
  2. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2013
    Messages:
    18,385
    Likes Received:
    7,080
    Location:
    Ralph's side of the island.
    Any substitute name will do. I take it you are going back later to insert the name you decide on?

    Names are hard for me because I have a hard time picking ones I like. When I wrote my sci-fi story for the contest I used the alphabet:

    Az
    By
    Cx

    and so on. When it came time to insert the actual names I decided to incorporate the letters into the names. Az became Azur, By became Blynn, Cx became Crexan and so on.


    Welcome to the forum, by the way. :)
     
  3. The Human Fallacy

    The Human Fallacy New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2014
    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    Thanks for the welcome and help :) I've been using placeholder names up until recently but I do know what names I want to use now.

    I guess I wasn't quite precise enough in my description of my problem. I am not going to go back and insert the name in the story because him not knowing his own name is part of the story itself. In my final version of the story, I don't want to use the name of the character until say 25% of the way through. I'm trying to figure out a way to refer to the protagonist prior to that while either not using a name at all or by using a temporary name just so the reader will have some sort of anchoring. I've read that it's bad to rename a character during a story from a reader's perspective since it's confusing.

    Drew
     
  4. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2010
    Messages:
    15,262
    Likes Received:
    13,084
    In _The Midwife's Apprentice_, a children's book by Karen Cushman, the main character (an abandoned child) is called Brat until, late in the book, she renames herself Alyce. It seems to work just fine.

    Edited to correct: Hmm. I remembered the girl being named Beetle, for dung beetle, for her sleeping in the warmth of a decaying dung heap to survive the cold. The official review disagreed with me, and the customer reviews agree. Anyway, Brat or Beetle, they were both negative names created from a situation, replaced with a real name, which seems somewhat analogous to your problem.
     
    GingerCoffee likes this.
  5. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2013
    Messages:
    18,385
    Likes Received:
    7,080
    Location:
    Ralph's side of the island.
    I like that idea, @ChickenFreak. A nickname, particularly a derogatory one that the character benefits from the name being replaced seems to fit with the story being described.
     
  6. MLM

    MLM Banned for trolling

    Joined:
    Nov 30, 2013
    Messages:
    548
    Likes Received:
    172
    Location:
    Kansas City
    I believe I mentioned in another thread that protagonists in stories are required by law to have full names. Do what you like, but do so at your own risk.
     
    GingerCoffee likes this.
  7. JayG

    JayG Banned Contributor

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2013
    Messages:
    640
    Likes Received:
    360
    Location:
    Philadelphia PA
    If we're with him when he wakes and doesn't know his name he will wonder who he is and where he is. And if we're in his POV we will to. So you refer to him as "he." but as soon as practical have someone ask for his name and have him choose one "on the fly." problem solved.

    If we're not, that will have happened already and he'll have a name already.
     
  8. MLM

    MLM Banned for trolling

    Joined:
    Nov 30, 2013
    Messages:
    548
    Likes Received:
    172
    Location:
    Kansas City
    From now on his name is Trent Steel. Problem solved.
     
  9. The Human Fallacy

    The Human Fallacy New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2014
    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    @ChickenFreak, I really like that idea and I think I'll go with it. A good nickname, as long as it makes sense in the context, seems like it would work and I do have one in mind. Thanks all for the suggestions everyone.
     
  10. minstrel

    minstrel Leader of the Insquirrelgency Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2010
    Messages:
    10,742
    Likes Received:
    9,991
    Location:
    Near Sedro Woolley, Washington
    In Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, wasn't Aragorn called Strider when we first meet him? He isn't referred to as Aragorn until quite a bit later, if I remember correctly.

    So I think the nickname idea is a good one. It saves you from having to keep typing "the man in the bowler hat" or some such all the time.
     
  11. stanislav

    stanislav New Member

    Joined:
    May 25, 2013
    Messages:
    31
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Poland
    I do not see a problem. Further more, main character to be given a name by his deed seem to be an original idea. Is it one of the main ideas of your book?
     
  12. The Human Fallacy

    The Human Fallacy New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2014
    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    It's one of the main ideas but the naming happens around the 25% mark and helps set the story off into the next act.
     
  13. Echoesian

    Echoesian Member

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2014
    Messages:
    53
    Likes Received:
    22
    Location:
    Michigan
    In The Road (one of my favorite books) you never learn names. The characters are simply "The Man" and "The Boy."

    It wouldn't bother me if the name was deferred, especially in the context you described, as he learns more about himself as time goes by. It might make tagging his dialogue difficult, but the nickname suggestion seems like a good solution.
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice