Narration question for my writing friends...

[switch842]

In the narration of a story, should people be referred to by first or last name? In my latest story, right now, I have everything as "blah blah blah," FirstName said. But, there are some characters where we don't have first names, so they are "blah blah blah," LastName said. But that's just inconsistent, isn't it? So, should I make up first names for everyone? Or change everything to LastName said?

Comments

[regann]

For me it depends on how tight the POV is. I tend to write from a limited 3rd person POV; I'm usually in someone's head. If that's the case, I use that character as my guide.

Like -- if I'm writin a Psych from a Lassiter POV, then it'll be Spencer and Guster, etc. but if I'm writing from Shawn's POV it'll be Gus and Jules and Lassy, so on and so forth.

When I've written from less tight POVs -- say plain 3rd person, no headspace -- I've let the majority rule. For example, in a Psych fic, it would be Lassiter, Shawn, Gus, probably, with a toss-up for Juliet vs. O'Hara. I think First/Last name is irrelevant when it comes to inconsistenty. If everyone calls Character A by his last name and Character B by her first name, it makes much more clear, IMO, to use the names most associated with the character.

I hope that makes sense? :)

[switch842.livejournal.com]

It does, yes. The POV is very open in this. Cos the characters are all over the place. So, well, I guess it really kind of goes back and forth between 2 - Jack and Daniel. So, would it be when I'm with Daniel, it would be how he refers to people and when I'm with Jack it would be how he refers to people?

I think I'm thinking about this too much....

[regann]

So, would it be when I'm with Daniel, it would be how he refers to people and when I'm with Jack it would be how he refers to people?

That's what I tend to do! Like in RPWT, the Lassiter sections refer to him as 'Carlton' and Shawn as 'Spencer' and in the Shawn POV sections, it's 'Lassy' or 'Carly,' etc.

I ran into the mixed first and last name thing alot in anime where some characters were known exclusively by last names and were always referred to by then even by their best friends while other characters were always called by the first names, even by their enemies.

Personally, if I was with Daniel, it would be be 'Jack,' 'Sam,' 'Tealc,' etc. and when I was with Jack, it would be 'Daniel,' 'Carter,' 'Tealc' and so on. (Here noting the difference b/t Jack and Daniel's address of Sam Carter.)

Really, though, it's mostly a feeling/flow thing, so don't sweat it too much.

I hope I'm helping. XD

[switch842.livejournal.com]

You are, very much. Thanks! I think I do need to go back and do some switching of things.

[wraith816.livejournal.com]

I agree with regann. It depends a lot on fandom, POV, and context.

If you're writing a movie!Jack and Daniel fic, they're prolly going by last names. If it's series, they've moved on to a first name basis. If it's Sam's POV, she should be calling Jack by his rank (BECAUSE IT IS NOT TWU WUV I DON'T CARE WHAT TPTB THINK OMG ICK). In House, everyone calls each other by their last names. In Supernatural, it'd be really freaking confusing if you called them both Winchester.

[switch842.livejournal.com]

In Supernatural, it'd be really freaking confusing if you called them both Winchester.

I imagine it would be! LOL. I think I just started thinking about it too much for some reason. I do need to go back and do some editing on it. :-)

[ms-3m.livejournal.com]

I'm not a writer but I do alpha and beta fic and I don't think you are over-thinking the situation. To me, this is a sign of a writer trying to carefully craft a story, especially one that is based in fandom as opposed to an original story.

I agree with wraith816 and regann's second post about associating names with the person 'speaking'.

One of the things that I've often commented on in a beta is a character using a form of address that is inconsistent with what happens in the show/movie.

Just my four cents! Inflation you know.

:D

[switch842.livejournal.com]

Oo! A whole four cents?!?! Wow!!! I'll be sure to keep that nugget tucked safely away! LOL :-)

Anyway, everything you guy's have said makes a lot of sense. It sounds much better now. :-)

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

If that's the way they're referred to on the show, it doesn't matter. That's how the reader is used to hearing the characters talked to or about - by their first or last name.

You wouldn't call Daniel "Jackson" unless you were Mitchell: no one called him that unless they meant to get his goat or reject his friendly overatures.

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah: and you NEVER heard anyone call Sam by her full first name, Samantha. I hate it in fics when the writer keeps having all the characters call her that - she *not* Samantha, unless it's whatshisname the dead Tok'ra. You know?

[aizjanika.livejournal.com]

I agree. I don't even like to read meta about "Samantha." *g* *g*

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

Like regann I also write from a limited 3rd person POV. When I started out I was lucky to get a comprehensive beta/tutorial from an excellent writer who discouraged my "head-hopping" (switching randomly from one POV to another). While I have read universal POV in pro-fic (CS Lewis comes to mind) most of the published literature and fanfic I've read either limits the POV to one character the entire story (think Harry Potter - if he's present in the scene it's always in his POV) or switched POV is denoted by the story being sectioned accordingly. It never changes mid-paragraph.

That accomplished, then the characters are referred to however the person you're writing as would call them. If you're writing as Jack O'Neill then you're going to call your colleagues Daniel and Carter. If you're writing as Daniel you'd refer to Jack and Sam. If you're Sam you'd refer to Daniel and the Colonel. If you're Teal'c you'd refer to Daniel Jackson, Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter.

I recommend Stephen King's "On Writing" as an excellent resource.