gender pronouns, no names

[violent intimacy]

Curiosity asks, "Do you have a particular like or dislike for stories that use only gender pronouns and omit names for the characters?"

I almost never use names in my stories. It's more intimate for me to write without them and also easier for me to "feel" the story/people. A fair number of people who have read my writing have commented on this as something they particularly liked about the story.

Unfortunately, this does restrict the number of characters I can easily introduce into a story. Most of the time, there's only two, and they are of opposing genders. I've also written first person narratives with three characters, where the narrator can be either gender, and the other two are, of course, M and F. I suppose I could write a story using I, you, he, and she but...

I have no marked preference when I'm reading, though. But if I'm reading stories without names in them, I expect it to be written more emotionally - as in, I want to be able to feel the characters, to know them without the label of a name.

Does this make sense to anyone? And what are your thoughts?

 

[Wicked-N-Erotic]

I like stories written like this too and often write my own like this. As you said it has more 'feel' to it for me. I can put myself into the story so much easier without the names and of course sizes being mentioned. Also with enough details and descriptions I think those who don't like that style can get into it more.

Wicked

 

[Chicklet]

Curiosity asks, "Do you have a particular like or dislike for stories that use only gender pronouns and omit names for the characters?"

No, I really don't have a like or dislike for stories either way. It all depends on how the author pulls it off, you know? The story, if it is utter shit, will turn me off. It doesn't matter whether the characters were named every other sentance or not. And, in addition, using names or pronouns does *not* turn the story to shit. All depends on the author.

Chicklet

 

[openthighs_sarah]

Just as long as the pronoun isn't "it", as in: "It rubs the lotion on its skin, or it gets the hose again." That just makes my flesh crawl.

 

[oggbashan]

I prefer names as I tend to have more than two characters in my stories, even if there are only two main characters.

Pronouns would restrict the action too much for me. I use conversation to develop the characters. However most of my stories are much longer than the average size.

I have read and liked some stories with I and he/she and found even fewer stories to like that have just a he and a she. I think the story has to be very good to overcome the limitation of having no names at all.

It is a question of selecting the viewpoint. I prefer to write from the first person perspective of one of the characters who only knows what he/she experiences themself or is told.

He/She perspective is usually 3rd person omniscient - the narrator knows everything including what each character is thinking. That sort of narrator cannot lie. I prefer to have characters that can lie to the others, to the readers and even to themself.

But every reasonable approach is valid - if it works.

Og

 

[Pookie]

It really does depend on the story and what is taking place. Having just two characters can make it more intimate to refrain from using names all the time. More than two characters almost requires that you use names at some regular interval just to keep track of who is who.

But in a two character story, and even real life, there can be something very intimate about a lover saying your name at just the right moment.


Pookie

 

[Chicklet]

Just as long as the pronoun isn't "it", as in: "It rubs the lotion on its skin, or it gets the hose again." That just makes my flesh crawl.

off to edit half my stories

<wink>

He/She perspective is usually 3rd person omniscient - the narrator knows everything including what each character is thinking. That sort of narrator cannot lie. I prefer to have characters that can lie to the others, to the readers and even to themself.

Good point, I say.

 

[openthighs_sarah]

He/She perspective is usually 3rd person omniscient - the narrator knows everything including what each character is thinking. That sort of narrator cannot lie. I prefer to have characters that can lie to the others, to the readers and even to themself.

Third-person sympathetic perspective can be used for the same purpose, since there's only a single point-of-view character. I think I've encountered that more than the omniscient style (at least with novels), and it usually works better, too -- more natural style to process for a reader, maybe.

 

[violent intimacy]

Third-person sympathetic perspective can be used for the same purpose, since there's only a single point-of-view character. I think I've encountered that more than the omniscient style (at least with novels), and it usually works better, too -- more natural style to process for a reader, maybe.

Damn, do you guys have all the terminology down or what! I'm guessing this is the perspective I usually write from but never knew the right way to describe it until now. So, for that, thanks!

 

[openthighs_sarah]

Damn, do you guys have all the terminology down or what! I'm guessing this is the perspective I usually write from but never knew the right way to describe it until now. So, for that, thanks!

I looked it up to sound sophisticated. A fun one to use at parties where you're discussing narrative perspectives: (in a droll voice) "Do you mean... third-person sympathetic?" (queue appreciative laughter)

We do aim to please...

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I never omit the names in my stories... well, almost never. My latest, Hot Engine, doesn't have any names. Only "I" and "he"...

Other than that, I think I have only written one more story where the lovers don't know each others'names. Made For Each Other actually ends with one of the lovers asking the other one "Oh, and can I know your name now?".

I only use that method for special occasions. I mean, call me oldfashioned, but I think it's indecent to fuck someone if you don't know their first name. Or last name. Or pet name.

I have forgotten the names of many of my lovers, but I have never fucked someone whose name I didn't know by the time I was fucking him!

Svenskaflicka
The Moralist

 

[oggbashan]

I never omit the names in my stories... well, almost never. My latest, Hot Engine, doesn't have any names. Only "I" and "he"...

Other than that, I think I have only written one more story where the lovers don't know each others'names. Made For Each Other actually ends with one of the lovers asking the other one "Oh, and can I know your name now?".
Svenskaflicka
The Moralist

It works well for some stories and can lead to a nice twist at the end when the writer reveals that the pronouns conceal unusual identities . I think it is difficult to carry off effectively if you never use names.

Og

 

[oggbashan]

Perspective Switch

One last (I hope) addition to this thread:

Switching the perspective during a story usually confuses the reader and the writer.

I switched at the end of one of my stories because I was finding it too complicated to have one character tell another what happened.

I haven't changed the story but every time I look at it I feel annoyed with myself. I changed perspective just to get the denoument over in a couple of A4 pages instead of 5/6.

I didn't save any time in the overall composition because I had to check VERY carefully that I had the right voice in each section. It took 10 re-drafts to get away from errors such as one character telling herself what she already knew.

The only genre that likes switching perspective is Detective Fiction with the cardboard cut-out characters of Ace Detective and stupid Stooge (Holmes and Dr. Watson, Poirot and Captain Hastings, etc.) Then the perspective shift is a "now you see it, now you don't" sleight of hand to reveal the clues in a way that the reader doesn't notice.

So, Og's final lesson for the day on this thread. Stick to the perspective you started with UNLESS you WANT to confuse the reader.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

In one story that I just finished, I've jumped from his POV to hers, doing my best to confuse the reader as to whose POV I'm using now. It's to symbolize that they are really close to each other. Even their thoughts intertwine. (Is there a word like that?)

 

[openthighs_sarah]

Even their thoughts intertwine. (Is there a word like that?)

** looking up from dictionary **

Yes.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

** looking up from dictionary **

Yes.

Thank you.

 

[oggbashan]

In one story that I just finished, I've jumped from his POV to hers, doing my best to confuse the reader as to whose POV I'm using now. It's to symbolize that they are really close to each other. Even their thoughts intertwine. (Is there a word like that?)

I said I wouldn't be back but -

"intertwine" could be that they are telepathic. Some twins can have this apparent ability to sense what the other means without words.

The best word I can think of is the Spanish "sympatico" where the two think and act alike.

I have seen it in my in-laws. He asked a question and she answered not the question he asked but the unspoken question he hadn't asked. They could do that both ways or restart a thread of a conversation they left uncompleted hours earlier without need for any introduction or clues.

Og.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I said I wouldn't be back but -

"intertwine" could be that they are telepathic. Some twins can have this apparent ability to sense what the other means without words.

The best word I can think of is the Spanish "sympatico" where the two think and act alike.

I have seen it in my in-laws. He asked a question and she answered not the question he asked but the unspoken question he hadn't asked. They could do that both ways or restart a thread of a conversation they left uncompleted hours earlier without need for any introduction or clues.

Og.

Perfect! Perfect! PERFECT!

This is EXACTLY the type of relationship I was trying to describe in my story! Yes!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[oggbashan]

Perfect! Perfect! PERFECT!

This is EXACTLY the type of relationship I was trying to describe in my story! Yes!!!!!!!!!!!

Glad to help. But - how do you put that into words in a story?

Og

 

[openthighs_sarah]

Glad to help. But - how do you put that into words in a story?

Og

Shhhhhhh. She's so happy now, just leave her be.

 

[oggbashan]

Sssh

Sorry, I'll tiptoe away and write my erotic horror story to the sound of marmots mating with yodelling and alpenhorns.

Ear-defenders are obligatory.

Og

 

[TheEarl]

I usually hate stories with only pronouns. They can be done very well, but rarely are. The problem is the overuse of the pronoun - too much he-ing and she-ing. Names help alleviate that.

In other words - avoid unless you're certain of pulling it off.

The Earl

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I usually hate stories with only pronouns. They can be done very well, but rarely are. The problem is the overuse of the pronoun - too much he-ing and she-ing. Names help alleviate that.

In other words - avoid unless you're certain of pulling it off.

The Earl

Or, as my Swedish teacher used to say: It's not until you master the rules, that you can successfully break them.

 

[KillerMuffin]

I don't name the characters, they usually name themselves. A good example of how I do it is my story Front Lawn Butt Sex. I really hate to do this self-promotion style, but it's easier to use one that's already written than to do something new.

Essentially, I let the names flow as a natural part of the text. I don't just pop out and say, "Hi, my name is Mary and I had this date with a guy...." In FLBS, Mary was named by the male character as he spoke to her. No one thought the name, it didn't just materialize, it was perfectly natural for it to be there. His name was brought in likewise.

The presence of names in a story has less to do with my desire to know what their names are and more to do with how well the name fits in the with narrative.

 

[jfinn]

I don't mind it when I read a story that uses just pronouns, but I'm not that fond of using that device in my own work. I have done it recently though, but only because as Og suggested, it was a way to allow for a little spin at the end. It was a pain in the butt to get it right (if I did) and it'll probably be a long time before I try it again. Writing is hard enough work as it is, I don't need to handicap myself with difficult narratives.

Jayne