Comments on: The Name Game

By: Paula Hrbacek

Paula Hrbacek — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:18:23 +0000

People who deal with people who have ADD will use the person’s name as a means of getting their attention. “Mary,” Susan turned around and pointed, “hand me the salt.” Once you have their attention, there’s no need to say it any more. If used as an attention-getting device, the name should come at the beginning of the first sentence.

By: Kate

Kate — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 23:59:57 +0000

But I love love love my 13 yr old who’s in his Dude stage!! He’s the one really bright spot in a story about a boy running from a kidnapper back to grab him again. I cut ‘em ruthlessly when I have to…but they make everyone laugh.

By: Robyn Campbell

Robyn Campbell — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:58:15 +0000

Excellent post. Endless name dropping is one of my pet peeves.

I can’t wait for the dialogue tag post, though.

By: Michelle B

Michelle B — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:20:15 +0000

Great post! And Shaun, I have a character that says “dude” a lot . . . he won’t say it quite so much now

By: Claire Dawn

Claire Dawn — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 06:59:57 +0000

I don’t recall seeing this so I’d never thought about it. But now that I do, the only times I ever say someone’s name to them are in times of extreme emotion.

Exasperation: “Come on Kai, get real!”
Romance: “I love you so much, Kai. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Anger: “Kai Namimoto, you make every bone in my body sick. What the heck is wrong with you?”

ampersand et cetera.

By: Jess Tudor

Jess Tudor — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:17:27 +0000

Can I just say… I address my husband by his name ALL THE TIME? So, um, yes, some people DO talk like that in real life.

But it still doesn’t work in fiction.

By: Mya

Mya — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:31:42 +0000

This is such fantastic advice. I’m actually reading a book right now that relies so heavily on dialogue instead of actual written explanations… it hurts my head! Thanks, Mary!

By: Kidlit.com · Tag, You’re It! How To Write Excellent Dialogue Tags

Kidlit.com · Tag, You’re It! How To Write Excellent Dialogue Tags — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:32:45 +0000

[...] Bonus: don’t play the name game! [...]

By: Mary

Mary — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:23:53 +0000

Well that is just fantastic. I know I’ve done it, everyone has done it. One time, though, when I was in playwriting class and we were reading someone’s scene, I noticed that the two characters in the scene kept saying each other’s names. Our teacher, Brian Thorstenson (a great San Francisco playwright), stopped us and said: “Does anybody really talk like that?”

As for trusting your reader… I feel a franchised slew of products coming on! “Trust your readers” mugs! T-shirts! Car-door magnets! I’m going to be rich, rich I tell you! =P

By: Sarah Quigley

Sarah Quigley — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:55:38 +0000

When I was looking over the galley for TMI, I noticed that I was guilty of this crime in several scenes. I crossed out a bunch of names and hoped that my publisher could still make the changes. I’m putting a note by my computer screen that says “Trust your readers” as a reminder while I work on my new book.