OOC: in which the author realizes just where it has placed its head

[sythyry]

Grumble! I just noticed in today's Sythyry story that I had trapped myself in one of my pet peeves in other peoples' writing.

When I am writing ordinarily, I pay a lot of attention to names. Individually I want each name to sound right, to bring the right feelings and connotations. That's going OK in this journal: "Sythyry" looks a bit exotic, but is short and reasonably pronounceable; "Hezimikkainen" is longer and twistier; etc.

When I write books, I also try to make the names look and feel different. I try to pay attention to the look and sound of the words, and change names that I think readers might confuse. (This is an allergic reaction to a famous novel in which two very important characters were both named Alexei.) The villain of the love-story-that-needs-a-title changed name four or five times to avoid this or that problem.

Of course, that only works if I plan the main characters in advance, or if I can go back and edit the whole document. Neither of which applies to Sythyry.

Which leaves me with two Orren men with short names beginning with 'Oo', and two Orren that Sythyry is or has chased with medium-sized names that begin with 'S'.

*sigh*

Anyways, my apologies for this. I'll try to make it clear which is which, but ... oops.

Comments

[beetiger.livejournal.com]

Oopsmarine!

[postrodent.livejournal.com]

Wait a minute. So Spirshash was in the study with Dr. Lucky? I thought he was at Raja's trying to swindle Ms. Whifflebottom out of her inheritance from her carob-magnate uncle! Oh, dear. :)
(Sorry. Very silly this morning. Anyway, I haven't had too much trouble following the Sythyry Saga, and so far I've very much enjoyed the trip.)

[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

IMHO, the two names are sufficiently different that the casual reader can distinguish between the two of them. And a careful writer can take advantage of the slight simularity of the names to create a fun mistaken-identity plotline. Especially if you involve an authority figure with a slight hearing problem.

Constable - you are Oost, yes?
Ooch - No constable, I am not.
Constable - Right. We need to ask you a few questions.
Ooch - But squire, I'm not Oost!
Constable - (cupping his ear) What?
Ooch - I said, I'm not Oost! You have the wrong guy!
Constable - Well, why ddidn't you say so when I asked you?
Ooch - I did!
Constable - Don't give me any of your sass. I have a serious matter to attend to, regarding a charge of marital infidelity. I need to catch the philandering miscreant and you are delaying me by claiming to be someone you aren't.
Ooch - (blinks) I claimed to be someone other than who I am?
Constable - You claimed to be Oost.
Ooch - I did?
Constable - Yes, you did!
Ooch - The one you are seeking for investigation of marital misconduct?
Constable - Yes!
Ooch - Oh. (scratchs neck lazily) Tell me, did I have a good time? You seem to know far more about all this than I do...

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Hee!

Thanks... no, it's not hard to follow, and there's a dramatis personae easily to hand if you need. Just an esthetic complaint.

[chipuni.livejournal.com]

Well, as Seeks-Justice shows, Orren change their names on a whim...

[koogrr.livejournal.com]

I thought it was on purpose, to show how the names could have been easily confused.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Hee!

[wave-cannon.livejournal.com]

Constable- Whatever happened to Oort?

[wave-cannon.livejournal.com]

Well, at least you didn't try typing up "Hoo's on First."

[(Anonymous)]

Lost in the clouds, is Oort