How on earth can an author forget their character's names?

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aaronhattle
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Re: How on earth can an author forget their character's name

Post by aaronhattle »

It's a lot easier than you'd think, at least during the initial writing process. Several of my characters have names that start with T, and if the character hasn't been introduced or talked about in a while...well. Let's just say that I've had to go back and check names earlier in the document. Ideally, editing and revising would catch mistakes like this though.
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Post by riyanj »

When I wrote my first book, there were two characters whose names were completely different in the initial draft than they were when the book was finally published. I had eight people read the book in rotation, twice each, for editing and correction purposes and not one of us caught that "Find and Replace" isn't the end all, be all tool. Maybe the author didn't forget, it was just one of those editing issues. I was lucky enough that a fan of the book contacted me by way of my facebook page and pointed it out so I could fix it.
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Post by bartleby51 »

One of the reasons I don't run out and buy hardcover first editions anymore is that there will always be errors in them. I've found some really appalling errors in books by bestselling authors. I think part of it may be due to editing on computer, as well as "typesetting" on computer, but I've also discovered that a lot of small press and magazine/ezine publishers expect the writer to do their own editing and proof-correcting, because they don't employ someone to do those things.
But I have also been guilty of forgetting characters' names in my own works in progress, so I always make sure I keep a list, on paper, for quick reference as I'm working.
An easy way to avoid such mishaps, especially if you are going to be your own editor/publisher, is to join a good writer's workshop and have the work critiqued. Even when you think it's perfect - especially when you think it's perfect - get some fresh eyeballs looking at it and your own will be opened.
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Post by TrishaAnn92 »

It definitely drives me nuts especially when I am getting into a book and then it's a name change and I'm like huh? and then I have to go back and reread what I just read to make sense of it with the characters name used throughout the rest of the book for it to make sense. It's a real turnoff for me when reading a good book.
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Post by FNAWrite »

I can't imagine this happening - changing a name mid-book. Some apparently have it happen often, as Trisha above seems to indicate. Some think it happens easily as whybark and aaron above, which would also indicate it is frequent.

Are these real books? As someone else said above, I've been reading for 50 years (and I read a lot) and I've never seen it. Could someone name a book where this has occurred?

-- 04 Dec 2013, 12:45 --

I realize this is an old thread, but I couldn't let this one pass. Some months ago, lady Charlie said:" it said the information just didn't jibe with what he already knew. I think he was going for jive...."

No, jibe is the correct word. It means to be in accord with something.

That would be the best featuer of E-book readers (which I don't own) - I hear you can get a dictionary loaded on the reader. That's cool by me.

-- 04 Dec 2013, 12:52 --

Brtleby says: "An easy way to avoid such mishaps, especially if you are going to be your own editor/publisher, is to join a good writer's workshop and have the work critiqued"

Don't you read your own work when you're finished writing it? Don't you think you would notice such a glaring mistake?
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Post by riyanj »

I'm surprised at how critical some people are. Yes. We read our books. And yes, we send them out to other people to read them as well. As I posted earlier, I had eight people read my final copy before it was published and NONE of them caught the one time the name didn't change.

Stop and consider: Tolkien had to revise the Lord of the Rings trilogy over and over and over again.

If you're a better writer / editor / publisher / agent than him, all the power to you. Until then, don't judge.
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Post by FNAWrite »

I stand by my question how critical you think it is. I am surprised that anyone could think it very "critical" to state that changing a character's name mid-stream without changing the name from the beginning is a terrible and easily discoverable error. If other readers notice it...

Your statement that Tolkien revised LOTR over and over again supports my comment rather than your argument. He looked at his work as often as it took to get it where he wanted.

I have to imagine that if he had changed the name of a character partway through, he would have noticed. Are you saying he didn't?

I've never seen it; I've never done it. Plainly that does make me if not a better editor, then a better proof reader than anyone who has done it or missed it.
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Post by jcheiser »

I've never come across this problem. I was thinking maybe it was a typo or an autocorrect issue (which could have occurred because of a typo). That just seems really weird. I can't imagine writing about a character and forgetting their name. That would be like forgetting your kid's name - there's so much that goes into character development, an author should know their characters inside and out...including their name.

-- 05 Dec 2013, 12:46 --
aaronhattle wrote:It's a lot easier than you'd think, at least during the initial writing process. Several of my characters have names that start with T, and if the character hasn't been introduced or talked about in a while...well. Let's just say that I've had to go back and check names earlier in the document. Ideally, editing and revising would catch mistakes like this though.
I just posted that I couldn't imagine writing and forgetting a character's name, but now that I've read your post, I can see where that may happen. I guess I was thinking main characters, but the original post doesn't really specify. If I were a writer, I cannot imagine forgetting a main character's name, but I could imagine needing to check the name of a minor character (though I would definitely check).
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Post by npandit »

That's really strange...I've never had that happen to me!
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Post by robertcjgraves »

Obviously, what you are referring to should have been caught while editing. However, I can guess at why it happened: When I write, my characters often change names. They'll sort of rise up and say, "Hey, jackass writer, my name is X, not Y." Sometimes their names will change without me being consciously aware of it. I don't realize what happened until I start to revise.
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Post by riyanj »

Apparently I offended FNAWrite with my suggestion that even the greatest writers edit, edit and keep on editing even after publication because, after all, even the greatest writers are human. But you, yourself, proved MY argument. Once the book is published the work is not done. There are bound to be mistakes. We are human. And even with the software that we depend on, mistakes still happen.

I read and re-read all of my books even after publication to fix these errors. I even encourage my readers to send me anything I've missed. THAT was my point.

If anyone has a tool to ensure that there are no errors, EVER, upon the first publication of a book, I'd be the first person to shake their hand and bow down to you as the God of Perfection.
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Post by robertcjgraves »

I agree: the editing process is really never done, as I have found out first hand.

In the review of my first novel, Richard, Zombie King, by the Online Book Club (http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/viewto ... 22&t=15909), the reviewer basically says that she would have give the book four stars instead of three if it weren't for the errors in the latter part of the book that made some sentences difficult to read. The publisher and I are going back now and trying to find the errors. I even contacted the reviewer and asked for her help.
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Post by riyanj »

I've found most readers and reviewers are forgiving and willing to help if you ask.
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Post by Nathrad Sheare »

I've never seen that before... Didn't think I'd see a forum on it here... Wow... People do that? What the hey?
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Post by Madcap Syzygii »

WOAHOHO! This actually happens?! I didn't know that! I know I forget the names of certain characters I'm writing about in my own work, but that's ONLY when I have just begun. Sometimes I think of better names for them, change them, and THEN continue. I didn't know people ACTUALLY published books with those kinds of errors! That's hilarious! :lol:
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