Do you really read those strange character names or are you like me who by-pass them and only stores them visually?
My secret is out. I don’t read an author’s carefully constructed, meaning-sought name. The first guess that comes to my mind is the one that will stick with me. I know the character’s name, but not how, I’m sure, the author intended for me to know it.
Given the number of Facebook memes on learning how you’ve been pronouncing something wrong, well, I’m not alone.
I’m not saying all characters should be simple standard tried-true names. That would be boring. Plus, if the character is another culture or from another planet then, yes, their name needs to fit.
But the secret is out. Not everyone will actually read the name nor will they likely say it correctly.
And, really, it’s…just a human nature thing. How many times have you forgotten or goofed-up a person’s name, say right in front of them? If you have more than one child, I’m pretty sure you’ve called each name out while trying to get the name of the one you really want.
Keep writing and choosing your characters – or better yet, keep listening to them telling you their names – and I’ll keep reading.
We’ll keep all this our little not-so-secret secret 😉