Is it lazy/off-putting to give my characters names that imply resemblance to celebrities?

[JohnSm123]

In continuation to my concerns I brought up HERE, I want to ask something else. In one of the stories I have in mind, I have pictured the FMC as Leighton Meester. In fact, I have pictured her as that actress's role in Gossip Girl (Blair).

She's not supposed to be the same person. It's my own story/universe. But I consider naming my FMC Blair and giving her the same physical description so whoever likes Gossip Girl will get the similarities and have fun. Do you think that would be off-putting to the other readers?

 

[alohadave]

Dude, stop starting threads here asking what you should do. Start writing your stories.

It doesn't matter what you do, write your stories however you like. Plenty of stories use a celebrity to describe a character.

 

[JohnSm123]

Start writing your stories.

Is there a hurry?

 

[gunhilltrain]

Is there a hurry?

Of course not, you can do what you wish. And you can post on AH as much as you want and yes, somebody will answer you.

That said, we can't "hold your hand" while you try to write. I can't even remember, you have written before, somewhere? According to your posting history, you've asked for a lot of advice in the last week or so.

Now I see: the first time you came to my attention was in Story Ideas on June 4. You had been banned from another site for "plagiarism." It's not clear whether that was for merely forum threads or if you had submitted actual stories. You wanted somebody to copy your favorite stories from that site (you couldn't access them any longer) and send them to you.

So, all that is in the past; call it moot. (You had suggested that had happened a while ago.) But do you want to write here or not? (Just don't plagiarize anybody!)

 

[ElectricBlue]

In continuation to my concerns I brought up HERE, I want to ask something else. In one of the stories I have in mind, I have pictured the FMC as Leighton Meester. In fact, I have pictured her as that actress's role in Gossip Girl (Blair).

She's not supposed to be the same person. It's my own story/universe. But I consider naming my FMC Blair and giving her the same physical description so whoever likes Gossip Girl will get the similarities and have fun. Do you think that would be off-putting to the other readers?

As in the other thread, you seem to assume that readers will share your interests in these celebrities/actors, and will know who these people are. But most won't.

If the names conjure up meanings for you, then use them, but stop worrying what readers might think.

As alohadave suggests, just get on and write. These threads are exhibiting the fine art of procrastination, but we've already got experts on that.

 

[JohnSm123]

These threads are exhibiting the fine art of procrastination, but we've already got experts on that.

Greater procrastination experts than me?

 

[ElectricBlue]

Greater procrastination experts than me?

@SimonDoom, your presence is required in the lobby.

 

[SimonDoom]

@SimonDoom, you presence is required in the lobby.

Somebody rang?

I'll get around to it. Eventually. I think. Maybe.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Somebody rang?

I'll get around to it. Eventually. I think. Maybe.

Dang! Don't you hate finding a typo when someone reposts your post. Bugger.

Anyway, John123 needs to know he's a pretender to the throne. That aside though, you seem to be on a bit of a roll. Good man.

 

[KeithD]

I consider naming my FMC Blair and giving her the same physical description so whoever likes Gossip Girl will get the similarities and have fun. Do you think that would be off-putting to the other readers?

I think that would be fine.

 

[Voboy]

Name your characters whatever you want to name your characters. Worrying about this makes little sense to me.

You might get one reader in, say, 500 who gets the reference to Gossip Girl, and who bothers looking up what Blair looks like. Of the other 499, most will gloss over her name because they're busy masturbating and just want to get to the money shot. In other words, the endless navel-gazing you're doing in threads like this will probably go right over the heads of many readers.

Some other readers will think of the building in Washington. Still others, a former Prime Minister of the UK. Me, I'd think of the blonde from Facts Of Life (though I was more into Jo Polnaczek). You can't control what your readers think, so my recommendation is? Stop trying to be clever and just write the story already. Seed it with whatever Easter eggs you wish (god knows I do in my own stories), but don't expect your readers to notice. Or to let you know if they do.

 

[Bramblethorn]

As long as it holds up for people who don't catch the reference, that's fine. It's not going to help or hurt the story with those readers, if it amuses you to put that easter egg in then go ahead.

 

[Duleigh]

I like to name my characters with names that are easy to type. If I come up with a name that's more difficult to type I program it into autocorrect so instead of typing Octavia a lot I just hit ooo. Other than that, names are names, use whatever you like.

 

[AchtungNight]

My advice based on my own experiences- write stories short as they need to be. Avoid something like my early stories that were a chaotic mess of character details and Easter eggs that were more extraneous than extraordinary. You don’t need all the minor details. The actress behind Blair is not all the characters she’s portrayed in the past. She is only the one character you’re having her play in the story and that’s all she needs to be. Throw out the character’s ego. Make her blonde or brunette, slim or voluptuous, whatever other details you require. Leave it when you can, as soon as you can.

Let the reader’s imagination fill in details when necessary and remember that imagination may be more limited than yours. I have never seen Gossip Girl, I don’t consider it worthy of my attention. Kristen Bell, Leighton Meester, & Blake Lively are hot, they are worthy. But I don’t need to be constantly reminded who is who. Put a brief cast list in your introduction if you must. Or have somebody say “Hey Blair, you look like Veronica Mars.” Or call Blair out for her blonde hair and athletic figure. She can be Blake, Kristen, or Leighton. It limits Blair to just have one actress be her. Do you have a stand-in? Once you pick and briefly describe your character…

Get on to the good stuff. Have her face her adversaries, her flaws, her worst fears. Or have her just relax and do what you need her to do. When in doubt, listen to your character’s voice. Challenge her and yourself as much as you can stand, as much as readers will accept. Remember you must discard your limits to grow as a writer. The crutch that helps you stand may be perceived as a handicap by the audience. You can surprise them by turning it into a sword cane, but that may not be possible. And you may not be able to effectively wield the sword.

I hope the analogy is understood.

Remember, you need to step out that door to become an Avenger. I must leave now with my bow and arrows. An army of killer robots requires my attention outside.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I like to name my characters with names that are easy to type. If I come up with a name that's more difficult to type I program it into autocorrect so instead of typing Octavia a lot I just hit ooo. Other than that, names are names, use whatever you like.

I kept getting Carla and Clara mixed up in one story. Since he asked:

1. Probably don't give them names that resemble the names of celebrities. But then again, if some readers don't recognize the names, who cares?

2. In Geek Pride, I gave some characters the names of film characters, not the name of the person playing the role. (They were all members of a fictional movie crew.)

Then in the Geek end notes, I named the actual actors who played the roles. So I could have it both ways, I also had a disclaimer saying that those actual people may or may not have been intended as being portrayed. A weird, one-off tactic.

P.S.: I have never heard of Leighton Meester, nor have I ever seen Gossip Girl.

 

[SimonDoom]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with doing this. You and anyone else who catches the connection may have fun with it, and others, like me, who are unfamiliar with the source material (I've never watched a single millisecond of Gossip Girl and don't know who Leighton Meester is or what she looks like) won't be aware of it and won't care. So it's all upside and no downside, unlike attempting to describe a character as looking like a celebrity, which may annoy those unfamiliar with her.

I have written some stories based on real people to one degree or another--usually online erotic models. In a couple of cases nobody would ever know but me. It still tickles me to think about it but nobody else will give it a second thought.

 

[John_Vandermeer]

I use easter eggs for my own amusement, though never in reference to celebrities. But i expect virtually no one catches them. Too busy getting themselves off to care. Certainly nobody has let me know. My own pet easter egg is giving my FMCs a (rotating US) state of origin even if my stories do not officially take place in a credited place. Just do what you want. I think most writers will find some audience that likes what they do.

 

[lustychimera]

I have pictured the FMC as Leighton Meester.

The fuck's a Leighton Meester?

(Joking. But seriously, what is that?)