Hatrack River Writers Workshop: "his dad" "Dad" "biological father"

This is topic "his dad" "Dad" "biological father" - a difficult naming question in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by akeenedesign (Member # 7816) on :

So here's my issue. My 10 year-old main character has three father figures.

1) the biological father, Peter, who left when MC was 3 years old
2) the first stepfather, Lee, who MC considers "Dad", MC's father between ages 4-8
3) the second stepfather, Walter, who MC simply calls "Walter."

So, Walter is pretty easy. Whenever my MC refers to him, it's always "Walter." But when it comes to Peter and Lee, I feel like it gets confusing. My MC calls them "Peter" and "Dad" in the narration, even though Peter is the biological father.

I want to stay true to the point of view, but I'm afraid of it being confusing to the normal convention of referring to step-parents by their first names.

Do you guys think this would be an issue throughout the novel—needing to explain more than once that Peter is the biological father and Dad is the stepfather—or do you think it's fine if it's explained once and I let my readers remember the details of paternity on their own?

Thanks!

Posted by shimiqua (Member # 7760) on :

You could always call him the bio-dad, or the sperm donor, or the abandoner, or some more original nickname that shows the MC's attitude, while adding clarity to the story.

I think if you find it confusing, then chances are the reader will too. It's probably best to err on the side of clarity.

Posted by Wordcaster (Member # 9183) on :

Stay true to the viewpoint. I think you got it.

Edited to add: nothing wrong with Shimiqua's recommendation. Adding internal thoughts for clarity may help as well.

[This message has been edited by Wordcaster (edited March 07, 2011).]

Posted by mrmeadors (Member # 6378) on :

For what it is worth, when we had a foster son, he always just referred to his "real father" as "my birth dad." The way he said it just came so naturally, just like it was the guy's name, and he never referred to him as anything else. He was 13, and hadn't seen the guy since he was about 4.

But I think if you want to keep him Peter, that's fine too, and I don't think people should get too confused. It will be in context of something, so as long as his name doesn't just spring up from no where, there should be no problem.

Melanie

Posted by philocinemas (Member # 8108) on :

The situation you describe sounds much like my childhood. Dad left at three and then there was a series of step-dads, all of whom I called by their first names.

The 'birth dad', that mrmeadors suggested, would be good for reference. As for a name, my dad didn't show up much for about twelve or thirteen years, so I called him by his first name when he finally appeared. You see, if you're twelve years old and you've gone your whole life calling somebody else (or nobody) 'Dad', it becomes very awkward to suddenly give somebody that title, especially if you feel they haven't 'earned' it. Either way, I believe these emotions and thoughts should be conveyed in your story.

Posted by Jeff Ambrose (Member # 9437) on :

I think you have the potential for confusion.

A few things.

First, change either Peter or Walter to something with a different ending. Pete or Walt would work find. Peter and Walter rhyme, and keeping the names different will help. Minimally.

The biggest thing to ask is why you need three father figures. What does each one offer/represent to your MC. If you can answer this question -- and each offers him something DISTINCT -- then no problem. But if they're overlapping, cut one.

Finally, your MC will THINK and FEEL differently about these characters. If you develop thought and emotional tags for each (MC always gets butterflies when Walt is around b/c of Walt's temper -- that sort of thing), then it will be much easier for both you and the reader. But remember, MC can't get butterflies anywhere else.

[This message has been edited by Jeff Ambrose (edited March 08, 2011).]

Posted by philocinemas (Member # 8108) on :

I am assuming this isn't a science fiction story about traveling to another planet or such. If you are writing a 'relationship' story then I can see where having three 'father-figures' is considerably different than from having two. It is very telling, but not in a bad way. My earlier comment was not intended to be a thread killer either. All I am saying is that if you are deep inside your MC, which I assume is the boy, there will be emotional markers evident to distinguish which 'father' he is dealing with. Whether twelve or eight, having the birth-dad not being a part of his life will automatically put up barriers and confusion about what to call him, which you can work into your story.

As for me, I work with children (and at times, adults) who have had much worse childhood's than my own - it is important to put all things into perspective.

Posted by wetwilly (Member # 1818) on :

As long as you've made it clear that Peter is the biological father and Lee is the stepfather, I think you've already got it covered. MC thinks of Lee as "Dad" and Peter as "Peter," so I don't see a need to change that. I don't think it would be confusing.

Posted by akeenedesign (Member # 7816) on :

@philocinemas
No it's not about space travel

It's a children's superhero story, which is more fantasy than sci-fi, I suppose. I like what you said about the confusion within the story about what to call him. I guess it shouldn't be so cut-and-dry, especially since his biological father isn't something he thinks or talks about much until somewhere in the middle of the story.

@mrmeadows
Thanks for giving a real world example I wasn't sure if "birth dad" would be something a kid would naturally call their biological father, so that's good input!

@shimqua
I like your idea, of coming up with a nickname. Hehe, bio-dad.

@Jeff Ambrose
Yeah, when I was picking names I was annoyed, at first, about the repetition of "ter" at the end of both the names. I've read OSC's writing lesson on naming just like everyone else here probably has. But it was one of those things where I kept trying other names and none of them "fit." Peter is a Peter. Walter is a Walter. It's hard to explain. Also yeah, I need all 3, or I would have axed one of them long ago.

@wetwilly
Thanks for your input