posted
For the first 10-15 pages of my story, my main character doesn't know his name. He has others, given to him by surrounding characters, but none of them really ring true for him, so he doesn't think of himself that way.
For him, this is not much of a problem.
For me, as the writer, it's a pretty big one, because I can't decide what to call him when the story is told from his point of view. The other names will work when we're looking out through the eyes of his friends, but like I said, the first fifteen pages or so are solid MC.
I'm considering calling him I, but I fear it'll get confusing. "I took his knife and ran to the beach." "I screamed in agony, grabbing his side."
posted
I'm not sure how much better it would be, but I would think calling him just "he," or even "He," the capitolization emphasizing that you are referring to the MC and not someone else, would be less confusing than I.
Posts: 280 | Registered: May 2005
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posted
I'm not sure how much better it would be, but I would think calling him just "he," or even "He," the capitolization emphasizing that you are referring to the MC and not someone else, would be less confusing than I.
Posts: 280 | Registered: May 2005
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posted
I considered it, but decided that the character wouldn't think of himself as "He".
I suppose I could take a page from Dr. Who and just call him "the Boy" (like, "Who are you?" "I'm the Boy") but that doesn't sound quite right, either.
posted
Well most people don't think of themselves by their names either. Someone named John doesn't normally think "John is thirsty" but in a 3rd person narrative you still write "John was thirsty."
If you're writing in first person, you character doensn't need to have a name to refer to himself. Just use I. But if it's in 3rd person, "he" is a better option than "I," though something like "the boy" could work too. It would get tiring after a while though.
posted
I'm thinking of introducing him as "the boy", and thereafter trading between that and "he", but I can't help but wonder if a reader would get angered and go "what boy!?" before the character gets his name from someone who would know it. Ideally, they would stick it out for the first fifteen pages, or so, but a bookshop browser might not go that far. (Oh, how many assumptions made in just those two sentences.... )
[This message has been edited by cvgurau (edited December 27, 2006).]
posted
So does he know that all the names that others give him are incorrect? If he believes one of those other names is his, then maybe you could just use it until he finds out it's false.
Posts: 1528 | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
Give him a tag that is specific to his situation, even if it isn't a proper name. This isn't all that difficult. When his situation changes, you can change the tag, since it isn't a proper name and thus doesn't follow the same rules, even though it serves the same purpose in the narrative.
If the tag could refer to someone else present in the narrative, then it isn't specific enough. If there's only one boy, then you can call him "the boy", though usually the point of calling anyone "boy" is that it isn't specific.
The best solution for this particular difficulty is to have someone tell him that he's a "John Doe" and let that become his tag. Thus you've got something namelike that refers to his condition with a high degree of specificity and which will become invalid only when he discovers his real name.
posted
Talking about tagging someone "John Doe" sounds like he's been tagged---as an unidentified corpse in the morgue.
As for "I" as a character name...I understand Isaac Asimov would tolerate some of his close friends calling him "I" [or "Eye"] as a nickname (as opposed to "Ike" or "Ikey" or other nicknames.) It might be awful confusing to the reader---something to be avoided in commercial fiction---but as a name or nickname, it's legit.
quote:I considered it, but decided that the character wouldn't think of himself as "He".
It doesn't matter that he wouldn't think of himself as "he," because if you're telling the story in third person, then you use "he" whenever "I" would be used if you were telling the story in first person (except in verbatim thoughts).
posted
A kind of old fashioned way of addressing a man is to say "Hey, guy." And Guy can double as a proper name. It's generic and specific, know what I mean? So, one of the people who tries to name him comes up with this, and because it can be a label or a name, it works either way, according the the speaker's attitude.
posted
I agree with the comments above that recommend tagging him non-specifically based on his situation. I have this exact same "problem" with my current book. I have come to decide that if I were the character and I didn't know who i was I'd be forced to take the small bits and pieces of my current situation and accept that as my incomplete identity until I can gather more information. For instance if I just woke up in an interrogation room full of angry people... it's clear I don't belong there and based on their comments and my situation I might even think of myself as "a trespasser." Or rather, as EricJamesStone seemed to be saying, I would think of myself as "I" no matter what. The narrator would think of me as "the trespasser."
3rd person isn't 1st person, tag him based on his setting and move on. It's working great for my situation, give it a try.
[This message has been edited by Zero (edited January 07, 2007).]
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