A note to authors

[andrewducker]

If you start your book by introducing five characters at once, who refer to each other by a mix of first names, surnames and nicknames (and occasionally by some identifying feature) then I will finish the opening chapter with no idea who anyone is, or what they are doing.

I have enough problems with names in real life - I need to be introduced to characters one or two at a time, with each one labelled and identified so that I have some kind of internal handle on them, before the next ones are introduced.  More than that and I will bounce right off of your book.

Comments

[bohemiancoast.livejournal.com]

I had trouble with this in a book recently -- but the book itself was fantastic -- and the multiple names for people reflects how real life works too, you know.

[andrewducker]

Oh, absolutely. I just find it horribly confusing. Something similar has caused me to bounce off of Cyteen about five times now, because after a while I realise I'm going to have to start making notes, which pretty much means I'd rather be doing something else.

[channelpenguin.livejournal.com]

Cyteen? Wow. I would never have thought that would be a problem one. I will have to in back and read the start and see what you mean. If you ever do crack it, do yourself a favour and never ever read the sequel - its pretty dreadful.

[channelpenguin.livejournal.com]

just re looked at Cyteen. It's kinda obvious to me who are proper main characters and who aren't. I Think I am judging that the ones from whom we get internal dialogue are/will be main characters.

[opusfluke.livejournal.com]

Names aren't too much of a problem. It's when writers jump-cut between plot lines I find myself in need of a chart. LOTR did that way too much.

[pisica.livejournal.com]

Heh. I was reading Ha'penny (the middle book in Jo Walton's alternate WWII series) and the main character and her sisters are the alternate Mitford sisters, which is fine, except that I can't keep track of all of THEM, so trying to keep track of a new batch twelve names (real names & nicknames for all six of them) just made me say ARGH.

I did keep up with the book. Thankfully, the Mitfordesque stuff was mostly Walton being cute (imho) so as long as I knew vaguely who was being referred to, I could stick with the main plot.

[meihua.livejournal.com]

*grins* Try the Deverry Cycle by Katharine Kerr. Not only do you have to keep track of similar-sounding names, but you also have to track who-is-who-reborn, through characters of different ages and genders through hundreds of years of history.

[channelpenguin.livejournal.com]

See, neither names nor plot jumps bother me. Nor do timeline alternates, or stuff like that - as long as the author themselves has it straight and there are no inconsistencies. I really hate it when there are blatant renames or mistakes.

[simont]

Yes. Of all the reasons one might get annoyed with David Eddings, the one I've never even begun to forgive him for was renaming Prince Gared.

[channelpenguin.livejournal.com]

It was anne McCaffrey i was mainly thinking of on that front. Pointless. Of course CjCherryh does it as well to a few things (though not people) in the awful sequel to Cyteen. The people she just gives personality transplants. Or removals.

[cybik.livejournal.com]

I just read The Margarets by Sheri S. Tepper, which is about 7 people who are the same person..

[andrewducker]

I assume it's written competently enough that you can tell them apart...

[cybik.livejournal.com]

Oh, absolutely. She's an excellent writer, after all.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

f you start your book by introducing five characters at once, who refer to each other by a mix of first names, surnames and nicknames (and occasionally by some identifying feature) then I will finish the opening chapter with no idea who anyone is, or what they are doing.

But Andy, Tolstoy did it... :-)

[call-waiting.livejournal.com]

Hah, you beat me to it...

[andrewducker]

Well, that's him off the list :->

I remember seeing a BBC pull-out guide to all of the various names in War and Peace (my parents had it from the 1972 version) and being somewhat boggled...

[cybik.livejournal.com]

Have you tried watching The Wire? By series three there are plenty of characters to get confused by.

[andrewducker]

TV, comics and movies can throw as many characters at me as they like - it's names that confuse the hell out of me, if I can see a character then I can remember them.

[cybik.livejournal.com]

Except a lot of The Wire, especially the first season, has them referring to names while they listen to their voices on the wiretap.

[andrewducker]

Provided they differentiate between them and introduce them along with characteristics that allow me to tell them apart then it's fine.

[cybik.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they do, mostly. It's still a little overwhelming in places!

I highly recommend it, though. It's huge and sprawling, but the characters are all really interesting and rounded. You end up having massive sympathy for even the most violent people (my favourite character is someone who has no qualms about killing, none whatsoever. But he's fricking awesome).

[andrewducker]

The Wire is definitely on my list. I've only heard good things about it.

[call-waiting.livejournal.com]

The Wire is pretty twisty, but it's not all that bad for following the characters. It did, however, confuse the hell out of me through the first couple of episodes trying to work out the Barksdales' family structure because McNulty erroneously refers to DiAngelo as Avon's cousin. Confused the hell out of me, that did.

[opusfluke.livejournal.com]

Just thought of another one for you all. "Capacity" by Tony Ballantyne. Get this- not only do you have to keep track of thirteen characters with the same name but you have "Atomic Judy" with her twelve digital "sisters" ("Judy1" through to "Judy12") who are all trying to track down an illegal copying ring. And on top of that Judy3 is being a bit of a deviant in her own right. Got me confused at the start...

[moniqueleigh]

Yes! I kept having to re-read bits just to sort out who was whom, or which. Arrrgh. Good book, but I'm still not 100% certain I followed all of it...

[ekatarina.livejournal.com]

My mother read lots of Georgette Heyer novels (regency romances) and I discovered she would actually write little family trees inside the cover to hep her keep track.

Ekatarina

[lizzie-and-ari.livejournal.com]

Try 100 years of solitude. Total opposite-about 30 characters with but 4 names between them. Much better ;)

Lxxx