A to Z Challenge: R is for Rename

Welcome to Day 18 of the A to Z Challenge

R is for Rename:  [to reassign] a word or combination of words by which a person, place, or thing, a body or class, or any object of thought is designated, called, or known. (Dictionary.com)

Back on Day 14, letter N of the Challenge, I wrote a post about name, about how, as a writer, your name is your brand, and brand means everything.  But even for the least notable among us, we still have a name, an identity that is all ours. 

This is the same for our characters.  We create life when we birth a character and set him in a world we’ve fabricated from nothing.  We breathe spirit into him as he struggles to right his destroyed universe.  We fall in love with him.  He feels real because we’ve spent so much time struggling right along with him, feeling every emotion he’s felt.  He has a name, an identity, one we’ve researched and put a lot of thought into, that sounded and felt just right for our story. 

But what if, somewhere along the way, long after you’ve fallen for your hapless hero, someone says his name is all wrong, that his name is usually seen as a female’s name?  And what if that someone is a literary agent of staggering experience and note?  What if she told you she enjoyed everything about your story, except your protagonist’s name?  What if she suggested you change his name?  How would you feel?  And more importantly, what would you do?

This is the predicament I found myself in last fall.  You see, at the time, my main character’s name was Skylar.  I researched this name and found this definition:  “as a boy’s name (also used as a girl’s name,) is an English variant of Schuyler (Danish), meaning ‘scholar, protection; fugitive; giving shelter.’”   This was perfect for my protagonist and his story; fit like a glove. 

But this agent, whom I greatly respect, gave me pause.  She put a worm in my ear I couldn’t get out.  What if every agent I query feels the same way?  Sure, if they truly loved the story, they’d look past the name, maybe ask me to change it.  It certainly wouldn’t prevent one from representing me.  But still, something as fundamental as a name could sour the reading experience from the very first chapter, and that certainly wouldn’t be a good thing.  So, even though it felt very much like renaming my child, and Matthew MacNish said it was an “awesome name” in his critique on The QQQE,  I decided I would go ahead and change it.  Just to be safe.

Now, instead of Skylar, his name is Tyler, which, by design, sounds very similar, but it has a completely different meaning, borne as an occupational name for a worker in roof tiles.  Not too bad considering he’s a general contractor, but still, not nearly as romantic.  At the very least, most folks recognize this as a guy’s name, as well as a girl’s.  So I’m cool with it.  I guess.  Funny though, my critique partner and bff, Lisa Regan, still calls him Skylar, or Sky, even though she’s read the Tyler version.  Just like me, she will always think of him as Skylar.  It’s hard to let go.   

How much thought do you put into your characters’ names?  Has anyone ever suggested you rename one?  What do you think about me renaming my protagonist?  Which do you prefer: Skylar or Tyler?   

A to Z Challenge: N is for Name

Welcome to Day 14 of the A to Z Challenge

N is for Name:  a word or combination of words by which a person, place, thing, body, class, or any object of thought is designated, called, or known; a distinguished, famous, or great reputation. (Dictionary.com)

Shakespeare wrote in his most famous play, Romeo and Juliet, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."   In short, this means that what truly matters most is what something is, not what it’s called.  For most things, I think this is true.  But when you’re a writer, your name is your brand, and that means everything.

Most of the writers I’ve met in the last eighteen months are using their true and legal names to query and publish under.  One of the first questions my own publisher asked me is if I plan on using my real name or a nom de plume, which is a literary double or pseudonym.  I’ve met only two writers I can think of who are using pseudonyms.  They don’t even blog under their real names.  And I can’t help but wonder why. 

Are they embarrassed by what they’ve written?  Do they want to retain some anonymity?  I understand some women use initials or a more masculine semblance of their name to compete in a male dominated genre.  Some writers use pseudonyms to cross over into a new genre, one which they’ve never been published under before.  This could be because they want to retain a clean brand from their previous name, or maybe because their titles didn’t sell well under that name and they need to start fresh. 

One of my favorite authors, James Scott Bell, is now writing under a pseudonym because his new series of books is so different from his normal fare.  Even some famous writers have written under pseudonyms:  Stephen King, Agatha Christie, Dean Koontz, Nora Roberts.  Just look at one of America’s greatest writers of all time, Mark Twain.  His real name is Samuel Clemens. 

I have nothing personal against using a pseudonym; I just feel that I’ve put so much time and effort—my blood, sweat, and many, many tears into writing and polishing my novel—why wouldn’t I want everyone to know exactly who had written it?  Though it does deal with some provocative and horrific events, and people often stare at me and ask how on earth I came up with all that, I want them to know me, to recognize my name, to say, “Oh, you wrote that book, The Mistaken.  I know who you are.”  Call me vain, but I want people to know and remember my real name.           

What about you, do write under your real name, and if not, why?