Author | Joseph L. Selby

The Importance of a Name

THE TRIAD SOCIETY is a pre-steam punk fantasy. What does that mean? That means steam technology is in its early advances. I don’t have airships or the like. I have steam-infused water and other similar “inventions!” Reliarach is the first kingdom on the Crescent Sea to develop such technology, the other six kingdoms being in the technological dark ages (a pun!). The king of Reliarach is Urban.

Urban.

The entire story is set in a city where this new technology and its resultant socio-economic impact is tearing everything apart. And I named the king Urban. I wanted to name the king Urban as soon as I decided that I would include a king in the story. Only after the fact did I think it was a cute nod toward the atmosphere I was developing. And after that, I never thought on it again.

Not until now. A beta reader commented that the name was like beating him over the head with the message. OH NO! I hate that. I do not like to be beat about the head or have my ears boxed or any other physical violence from messages. That leads to AYFKM moments!

So now I have to ponder and ponder hard. Is this one person’s reaction or should I change the name. I really like King Urban, but at the same time, I will not beat my readers about the head with a name. Twould be akin to beating them with a fish, and no one likes that.

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9 responses to “The Importance of a Name”

  1. Joseph L. Selby

    Incidentally, receiving comments from both Liz and Britt, I see the difference in review styles. Britt's is pretty much the same as mine. We drop the truth like a hammer. Liz is much more reaffirming in her review. I find value in both methods. The latter seems like so much more work to me, though. I'm glad she does it. I don't know if I could.

    I'd be all, THIS IS WRONG! and then I'd beat you over the head with your mistake like it was a fish and you were in the bible.

    Reply
  2. Nate Wilson

    What if you change his name to something like Erbin or Urbinn? Then you won't be beating your readers over the head with a biblical fish so much as delicately placing it atop their heads.

    Reply
  3. Joseph L. Selby

    I think I'm going to keep it as is. At least for now. There are a few reasons for this:

    1. The sample was only 2 1/2 chapters. I'd like feedback on the entire ms to see if that perception calms down.

    2. I really do like the name Urban for a monarch.

    3. Changing it would be so much work! I'd have to CTRL+H. That's a good five seconds of my life I'd never get back. (Normally, I'd never recommend a Replace All, but in this case, I know I do not use the word urban in any other context or part of any other word choice, so I should be good.)

    …actually, even then, I'd probably just replace individually and cycle through as fast as I could. Classic story of a D&D module written for 2nd edition that was upgraded to third edition because 3e released before the mod pubbed. Mage changes to Wizard in 3e so they did a replace all for the word mage. Of course, they didn't consider the incorporation of the word into others like "image." So the mod pubbed with "iwizard" on multiple pages. Doubleplusgood!

    Reply
  4. Britt F. Frey

    To be clear, I don't mind the name Urban, as long as there is a reason for it in the story. I just hate when an author names characters after their personality or hobbies, without a good reason for that to be a nickname or some such. In this situation, I could easily see the King taking the name Urban, due to his love of all things modern.

    Reply
  5. Joseph L. Selby

    Actually in this setting, the monarch does not change his name after his coronation. He's Urban because his parents (in particular his mother), named him so.

    I think there was a special on Pope Urban when I first started TTS. The name was stuck in my head, and I wanted someone of like authority to have the name.

    I also put considerable effort to spread out my names so there isn't too much overlap between main characters (Aleksandr, Bengt, Erland, Jenkins, Joran, Nels, Otwald, Torvald, Walter). My secondary characters bunched up in the Js and Ks (Jaako, Jenkins, Joran, Kaspar, Klara, and Kristap), but I blame the Swedes. …granted, I totally stole the name Jenkins from Atomic Robo, but don't tell Scott or Brian that.

    Names:
    Aleksandr
    Annelie
    Bengt
    Bojan
    Byrce
    Eemil
    Erland
    Georg
    Herman
    Jaako
    Jenkins
    Joran
    Kaspar
    Klara
    Kristap
    Lyov
    Milosz
    Nels
    Nilo
    Otwald
    Quick
    Roffe
    Sharp
    Torvald
    Urban
    Walter

    Reply
  6. Britt F. Frey

    Dude, no Xs or Zs?! I am disappointed!

    Ahh well, it wasn't a significant issue to me, just a tinge, and definitely not even close to AYFKM. (on a side note, I think I use YHGFKM more often – You Have Gotta be F***ing Kidding Me!) As long as Sharp isn't in the business of sharpening knives 😉

    Reply
  7. Elizabeth Poole

    I thought Urban was a nod towards his technology love too, so there you have it. Of course, you could always name another King Urban, and not in a pre-steam punk story. At least you didn't name your villain Thorne, or Steele, or Bloodsoaked Assassin. I would have had to object a bit.

    Consequently, I give reviews that are honest but not brutal for a few reasons:

    A) In my experience, if people think I am just being mean, they don't listen to my words and instead get very defensive. So it's a waste of both of our time.

    B)Okay, you caught me. I really hate hurting people's feelings, and I know how hard it is to have someone tell you your deformed baby is…deformed.

    C) If I point out what the writer is doing well, then they won't chuck the baby out with the bathwater.

    It IS a lot of work though. A lot of extra work, and sometimes I wish I could review like you Joe, or Britt, and just drop the truth like a hammer. A HAMMER! But then I worry I will hurt someone's feelings, and it's back to square one. 😀

    Reply
  8. Joseph L. Selby

    Drop the truth like a hammer, Liz.

    I also missed two names:

    Agihard
    Theresia

    (And no, Sharp does not sharpen knifes. Sharp and Quick are both smugglers currently employed as taxi drivers by the Triad Society. I almost didn't include Sharp as he never appears on the page, but I included every other name that shows up, so why should he get the short end?)

    Reply
  9. Joseph L. Selby

    I've added a Saint Zhem so Britt could have a Z name. 🙂 I needed a patron saint of seamen and seafaring to name a bridge after.

    Reply

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