Do you know if im allowed to name two of my characters the same first names as preexisting characters not as any attempt of theft, but as a. So did gabriel garcia marquez and the tintin comics. But its equally important to avoid smaller confusionssuch as confusing readers with similar character names. Jonas the protagonist, or main character, in the novel. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. To contradict the other answers there is a difference between and trademark law. If you refer to two people with the same last name, repeat their full names for subsequent mentions whenever your reader might not.
These probably dont count, since they are on the same subject, but i have four books titled charles rennie mackintosh, one titled charles r. I didnt realize it until someone pointed it out to me. Okay, i wasnt planning on writing an answer to this question since i saw that there was already 30 of them, but i skimmed through them, and none of them said what im about to say. Ok so i have ideas for two books and when i create the characters my main character has the same name and ive tried to change it but i just. I accidentally gave my fictional character the same name as a. Mar 09, 2019 the curious power of giving book characters the same name. If you have polly and paul in the same story, or even robert and rebecca, readers will have a difficult time remembering their names. Publishers usually do title checks, but im sure it happens all the time. And a lot of times it wont matter, if the first book with that title is old and out of print.
When unrelated shows have characters who have the very same name. The entire name is the same, but its meaningless, or not overly significant. Oct 31, 2019 here are the most popular characters that parents and their kids love. I gave my characters names that are exactly like another book. Lewis dodgson is the main antagonist of the jurassic park novels. Book series at least two with the same main characters throughout. Jun 15, 2018 using details gleaned from interviews, social media, surveillance video, and public records, this stonewall book award winner documents a teen hate crime and its aftermath in a complex way that inspires empathy for both victim and perpetrator. Like harry, many of us have shared a name with a movie character. In the jurassic park universe, dodgson is an ambitious scientist who is unafraid to make aggressive moves, generally considered to be unethical, to get what he wants, stating that he wont be held back by regulations made for lesser souls. At the december ceremony, he is selected to become the new receiver of memory, the most honored position in the community. Snag a book from over 2000 earlyrelease books every month.
And theres little reason to name even more characters, those not even in the scene, simply because theyre related to another character. Talk about what you love with other committed bibliophiles. If youre finding an unreasonable amount of names then we can limit this to just main and secondary characters while excluding random extras like happy hogan. Jan 16, 2010 the information in this book is meant to supplement, not replace, proper name your sport training. If the name of one person is presented inconsistently across works e. You want your names to feel as if they all belong in the same world. For the sake of argument, i cant think of any other example of a show where so many characters have the same first names as the actors who play them. If its not important to the plot in some way, most autho. Parentstobe pore over baby name books for months looking for that perfect. He had two characters with the exact same name, and got around it by having them appear differently blond vs black hair and for one to use an alias.
Said characters happen to have a few similar attributes and the same name unless the name is a single word, not a similar name nor the same first name nor the same last name. When writing a novel, is it ok to name a main character. It was a favorite tool of stan lees, since, swarmed with projects, he often had trouble remembering the characters names, and the alliteration. Book and character search our very own book and character directory use the tabs below to explore trollopes books and characters and the relationships between them. The names the same trope as used in popular culture.
Like robb, robert, robin similar but different in how theyre addressed. For every spiderman or superman, there are hundreds of comic book characters you have never heard of. So, when reading another character s internal dialog or details about an interaction that he was not a part of, instead of being engrossed in the story i began asking myself, i wonder who provided that detail. The information in this book is meant to supplement, not replace, proper name your sport training. Best solution is to use a nickname for one of them. Why do so many characters on the office have the same. For two different books can the main character have the same name. In this same book, several offstage characters are mentioned in the course of events of the first two chapters. First and foremost, i love that game and those characters and wanted to make tribute to them second, i cant think of another group of six members so loyal and attached to each other like swordians third, i wish, exactly because the game is mostly unknown, to make the people aware of it. This will lead to confusion and disappointment if the characters are in fact different.
Nov 04, 2015 how 7 fictional book characters got their names. See more ideas about book characters dress up, character dress up and book character. The names i picked are fairly common and used frequently in the real world. The character is based on the comic book character of the same name using the name and the basic motif of using visual illusions. While many of us are willing to embrace any comic book character with a striking outfit, an intriguing backstory, and some cool abilities, others still hold strict allegiances to the big names of one company or the other. Jan 21, 2011 either way they would then not read your book. I recall a book i read recently where there was a character who was routinely called by name, but every now and then like once a chapter the author would suddenly refer to him as the redhead. Alice allusion, my hero, zero, and name of cain are subtropes. The first two nanas are from the anime nana, and the last one is from katekyo hitman reborn. Nana komatsu, nana osaki, nana sawada, and a few more i cant think of. For two different books can the main character have the. Even though the books have absolutely nothing to do with each other.
How to avoid confusing readers with similar character names. Is there a complete list of marvel characters whose first and last names begin with the same letter. All of the characters are extremely welldeveloped and the reader can easily empathize with the main character as she struggles to fit in in her rich suburban neighborhood in new jersey while at the same time trying to stand out in the colorful philadelphia art world. Another thing to be wary of is giving two or more characters similar names. The animation style bears a strong resemblance to that of jackie chan adventures, since jeff matsuda was the chief character designer for both shows. Can i use the same character name or book title as another. Jun 08, 2010 but more often, names just float into my head. Browse a comprehensive az list of marvel comic characters. It worked in that setting there was even a part where a character was at a loss because it was so hard to create an honorific from the name jaxom. Discover a characters comic book appearances, and browse issues containing your favorite marvel characters.
Are there any fictional works in which two characters have the same. Names are a funny thing, whether its names for characters or names for the places they live. This list is comprised of some of the most recognizable names from fictional books. I dont find it difficult to choose names for characters. Consider, if you read a mystery novel about sherlock holmes by sir arthur conan doyle and you loved the character of holmes. But heres a good example of why you might need a variation none of those people have exactly the same name.
For some comic fans, the battle lines are still firmly drawn between marvel and dc comics. I cant think of one offhand though im sure there are historical novels that do it by necessity, but i doubt is has much to do with chekhovs gun. If here you call him the accountant and there you call him the tall man, the reader may have trouble grasping that this is the same person. The office has 4 characters who have the same first names as the actors who play them.
Catalog your books from amazon, the library of congress and 4,941 other libraries. Ok, so, i am currently writing a book and 3 of my characters have the same name as in another novel. Technically, yes, its your story and its perfectly fine to do w. Same name, different book list five books parlour game. Are there any fictional works in which two characters have. In just about every comic book universe, there is a vast number of costumed characters, both good and evil. Yes, this is a list question, but it has a limited scope. Unique last name ideas for fictional characters of your book. The three jons have the same name, but theyre never in the same scene as each other, and asoiaf is thirdlimited, not thirdomniscient. Angela, phyllis, oscar, and of course creed bratton who goes by his actual full real name.
The 7 rules of picking names for fictional characters. A character s name can say a lot about her, and naming can be tricky business. Consider, for example, a scifi book that featured as many as three characters whose names began with the letter j and who appeared regularly in scenes together. As a writer myself, i often use alteration in names as a way to assist readers and. If shown, the year indicates when the book was first published.
Raj koothrappalis list about stan lees characters names. In the series, he is a mystic who has achieved the power of the third eye. Head to a baby name website and search for names by gender, popularity, and alphabet. The curious power of giving book characters the same name. Avoid too many character names that start with the same letter.
How to give your character the perfect name writers digest. Include initials in the intext citations only to help the reader tell apart different people. I am writing a childrens book featuring two characters who are best friends nonromantic, theyre seven and i would like to name them after my favourite tv couple as a sort of homage to the characters. You can also rearrange the letters of phrases or names you like to create something less recognizable.
Writing a book can be challenging enough on its own. After 32 novels, ive created thousands of characters, so the challenge is not to duplicate. This is a list of characters that appear in rudyard kiplings jungle book story collection, its sequel the second jungle book, and the various film adaptations based on those books. Then theres aphrodite, by pierre louys, and the book of the same title by isabel allende. You may want to sell your ya novel to a major publisher or wish to. But clarity is only one aspect to choosing a character s name, and it wouldve been helpful if dreyer had explored the significance of deploying same or similarsounding names as a literary. Like any sport involving speed, equipment, balance and environmental factors, this sport poses some inherent risk. Synonyms for characters at with free online thesaurus, antonyms, and definitions. What a character says and what they think may not be the same thing. Anne mccaffrey uses apostrophes to create honorifics from the names of characters in her pern books, and they have meaning in that setting. If you cant find anything you like, try misspelling other names or words to create new ones. Can you name the authors name by the names of their characters.
If i refer to two people with the same last name in my. Tvtropes alert from alliterativename article on tvtropes having a name with the same first and last letter is called alliterative name in comic books, this is especially true of the names of superheroes or their close hangerson. As a literary technique, an author surrogate is a fictional character based on the author. Choosing a character name for your novel is as pressurefilled as picking a name for a baby. Meg murry, charles wallace murry, calvin okeefe, it, the black thing, mrs.
Using the plethora of fictional characters who appear in novels, we have selected questions to test your overall knowledge of fiction. Its also good to check that all character names, particularly major characters, dont have the same number of syllables or letters. See more ideas about book characters dress up, character dress up and book character costumes. The problem youre describing actually has an associated tv trope. Unique last name ideas for fictional characters of your book flipping through phone books is the easiest way to coin innovative and unique names for fictional characters. Use the name generator to provide story characters with dissimilar names.
In the big bang theory, 3rd season, 16th episode, raj koothrappali has some issues about stan lees choose for characters names. We also see them behaving in different ways when talking to different people, revealing more of their motives and their personalities. While many of these just didnt hit the market and impress readers, leading to their inevitable demise and relegation to the 10foradollar box, some were so incredibly racist, misogynist, or culturally and ethnically insensitive they stood out as examples of what not to do when creating comics. Mackintosh, and yet another called the architects architect. Its illegal to try to make people think that your work is associated with someone elses ed work, and theres no way youd get away with using the same character name and the same title. But when that fails, writers need a subtle creative push to find a name that actually fits the characters. Also when youre working in a larger comic book universe with a complex plot and multiple important major and minor characters i would imagine alliterated names assist the reader in remembering whos who especially when characters come and go all the time.
If i refer to two people with the same last name in my writing, should i repeat their full names each time i mention them. Coming up with last names for your characters can also be surprisingly tricky. Why are there so many double initials in comic books. A pretty rigid rule that no two characters in a work of fiction novel, movie, play, tv series, comic book, etc. Oct 30, 2018 can you name the authors name by the names of their characters. Remember, dont choose names that start with the same letter. Alex jake not jacob joe or joseph jack mark books must be appropriate for children of any age the character with the same name as the child should be a good character.
Bestseller david baldacci says he doesnt have a set formula. Its important to make them identifiable from each other, but you still want to maintain a certain cultural consistency. Are there any fictional works in which two characters have the same name, but. The author surrogate may be disguised, with a different name, or the author surrogate may be quite close to the author, with the same name. But throughout the history of cinema, certain names have been used a lot more than others. How many movies feature a character with your first name. Using names of video game, movie, and comic book characters. This is an amazing book that is rich in detail and description, with an interesting plotline that drives the book forward. Sep 25, 2019 to find unique names for your characters, check movie credits or a mythology book for something unique. Some names become so strongly associated with one character person, that any other characters people with the same name will inevitably be compared with them. How to make a good last name for characters in a book.
Sometimes, the unusual literary device can amplify a storys meaning. Give your characters names that not only begin with different letters but that also sound as dissimilar as. The following is a list of characters that have appeared in the television series the batman, which ran from september 11, 2004, to march 22, 2008. These include novels, short stories, graphic novels and comic books. Feb 06, 2020 how to make a good last name for characters in a book. Even if you dont find it difficult to tell them apart, you reader may. Test your knowledge on this literature quiz to see how you do and compare your score to others. For more great titles that will entice your reader, check out these timeless chapter books for kids. The moniker has to fit the time period and genre of a book, and it should be something memorable.
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