Reading along and all of the sudden.....

[Wicked-N-Erotic]

You are reading a story, not a funny, humorous story, just a good piece of writing that holds your interest and suddenly an off the wall, odd ball name is right there in front of you in black and white. Something like, Huge Jass, Candy Yass or Amanda Hugginkiss...are you thrown to the point of not reading much farther?
Would you even notice the play on names?

Do you find the humor and keep reading with as much interest as before?

Or, do you have a hard time getting back into the story and completely forget what you read to that point?

If it is not a humorous story should names like these just not be used?

I thought of using these names in my Holiday contest story, which isn't humorous and would like some input as to what your reactions would be if you should run into this situation. I don't want to doom my story just because of name choices.

Your opinions please........

Wicked

 

[rgraham666]

I agree.

If you're being funny, no problem with a funny name.

Otherwise, a funny name just breaks the flow of the story.

 

[oggbashan]

I have a large collection of baby name books.

I usually use bland common names to avoid preconceptions.

However I cannot control the reader's reaction. If he/she has known a 'Jane' who was a real bitch then I cannot avoid that association in the reader's mind.

I liked using Angharad in 'The Minibus'. One book described Angharad as 'Without Shame'. I turned her into 'shameless'.

Og

 

[TheEarl]

Heya Wicked. I wouldn't use the comedy names; if I was just reading a normal story and came across them it'd throw me completely out. Wouldn't necessarily stop reading, but it wouldn't help my enjoyment of the story.

The Earl

 

[English Lady]

Heya Wicked. I wouldn't use the comedy names; if I was just reading a normal story and came across them it'd throw me completely out. Wouldn't necessarily stop reading, but it wouldn't help my enjoyment of the story.

The Earl

I totally agree with what The Earl says there. A humourous name would totally throw me of speed!

 

[Wicked-N-Erotic]

Thanks for the opinions...I guess I was right in thinking the names should be saved for an actual humor piece. All I need to do now is try and write a humor story then to work the names in. I've never done one in that genre so it'll be another new experience for me. But it'll have to wait until I've finished my Holiday story

Thanks again

If anyone has a different opinion I'd love to hear it and why.


Wicked

 

[LorriLove]

i call them comic book names, and they put me right off in any kind of writing other than the beano... if an author can't write a decent comedy round an ordinary name and has to rely on such crappy names to make it funny, he/she aint much good at his/her job.

 

[gauchecritic]

*Waving* Hello Mum.

Yeah Wicked, serious stories don't need distracting names. Serious stories in a comedy vein however can use all the help they get so as to make the pathos and bathos stand out.

Gauche

 

[neonlyte]

*Waving* Hello Mum.
to make the pathos and bathos stand out.

Gauche

Pathos and Bathos - weren't they in Fiddler on the Roof?

Hopeless at names, story names, real life names, I can't even remember the names of the characters in the stories I'm writing without a crib sheet. I don't think I even see names when I'm reading, I kind of make them up, sounds stupid this, according to the shape the letters make on the page. So sorry Paul, can't help you there.

 

[Weird Harold]

You are reading a story, not a funny, humorous story, just a good piece of writing that holds your interest and suddenly an off the wall, odd ball name is right there in front of you in black and white. Something like, Huge Jass, Candy Yass or Amanda Hugginkiss...are you thrown to the point of not reading much farther?
Would you even notice the play on names?

I guess I'm in the minority here, the occasional use of "punnish" name isn't distracting to me in a serious story -- primarily because I have known many people over the years whose parents had sick senses of humor and tagged their childrenwith suggestive names. Buster Hyman comes to mind as one of the most egregious; "Buster" was Not a nickname, it was his given name.

There is however the question of moderation -- if every character has an "oddball name" then it destroys the believability of the piece -- especially if it's a serious piece. One or two characters with odd names is, OTOH, "realistic" because a small percentage of real-life parents have no sense when naming their children.

I definitely wouldn't use the spellings you gave in a serious piece -- "Hugh Jass" or "Amanda Heugenkiss" are less obviously "joke names" and more suitable for a touch of humor in a serious story.

 

[maggot420]

I actually like to see something surprising and ill-fitting in a story, especially a comedic name in a serious story.

However, I have notoriously bad taste so if I think its a good idea it probably isn't.

 

[Wicked-N-Erotic]

WH, I guess my proof reading sucks cause I had meant to put Hugh Jass. My mind must have been rebelling against the spelling.


Thanks for your comments.

Wicked

 

[LadyJeanne]

Re: Re: Reading along and all of the sudden.....

I guess I'm in the minority here, the occasional use of "punnish" name isn't distracting to me in a serious story -- primarily because I have known many people over the years whose parents had sick senses of humor and tagged their childrenwith suggestive names. Buster Hyman comes to mind as one of the most egregious; "Buster" was Not a nickname, it was his given name.

There is however the question of moderation -- if every character has an "oddball name" then it destroys the believability of the piece -- especially if it's a serious piece. One or two characters with odd names is, OTOH, "realistic" because a small percentage of real-life parents have no sense when naming their children.

I definitely wouldn't use the spellings you gave in a serious piece -- "Hugh Jass" or "Amanda Heugenkiss" are less obviously "joke names" and more suitable for a touch of humor in a serious story.

How about Anita Mann?

 

[thebullet]

I read a Roger Ebert movie review in which he stated that every movie comedy that has a character with a deliberately funny name invariably sucks -- with the exception of Marx Brothers movies (Rufus T. Firefly, for example, certainly didn't interfere with Duck Soup).

Silly names have no place in a humorous story unless the author finds a way to make them work.

Still, I love silly names, especially ones that are real. A long time ago I lived in a very small town. The town cop's name was Alfonso Pecher (pronounced pecker). Swear to God, I'm not making this up, the cop's sister's name was Ophelia!

I knew a guy whose name was Peter Dick. But that's another story.

 

[Sabledrake]

That was always one of my favorite parts of the show Alien Nation, the weird names that overworked immigration staff tagged the poor Newcomers with. They had some great ones.

Sabledrake

 

[TheEarl]

Had a friend of a friend whose name was Ophelia Balls. Not kidding, I actually met her. God her parents must've hated her.

The Earl

 

[Goldie Munro]

Sometimes you can't help it though - you just have to put a bit of houmour or satire in a piece and a funny name just kind of does it! Don't you think?

 

[Goldie Munro]

Had a friend of a friend whose name was Ophelia Balls. Not kidding, I actually met her. God her parents must've hated her.

The Earl

LOL - on a non erotic but just funny aside I knew a girl called Plum Plummer - really - I mean what were her parents thinking about? Plums or plumbers or both???

 

[TheEarl]

Sometimes you can't help it though - you just have to put a bit of houmour or satire in a piece and a funny name just kind of does it! Don't you think?

Goldie: I'm the king of unnecessary flippancy. I'd prefer something a little less hit-you-over-the-head-with-a-hammer in the joke department. A little subtlety can get the job done just as well.

Wicked: Have rethought slightly - If you have a good reason for Hugh Jass, then go for it. Make it realistic, like my Ophelia Balls (who was deeply embarrassed about her name) rather than just slapstick and it could work. Don't do it if you're just looking for a cheap laugh though.

Who names their kid Ophelia anyway? Of all the Shakespeare names, would you want to name your daughter after a dizzy, inconsistent girl who goes mad and drowns in a creek? Not to mention all of the 'Get thee to a nunnery' jokes as she's growing up.

The Earl

 

[TheEarl]

LOL - on a non erotic but just funny aside I knew a girl called Plum Plummer - really - I mean what were her parents thinking about? Plums or plumbers or both???

Austin Healey - England rugby player
Neville Neville - father of Gary and Phillip Neville (England football players).

Why do these people hate their children that much? Don't they realise the stick they're letting their kids in for?

The Earl

 

[Goldie Munro]

Goldie: I'm the king of unnecessary flippancy. I'd prefer something a little less hit-you-over-the-head-with-a-hammer in the joke department. A little subtlety can get the job done just as well.

Wicked: Have rethought slightly - If you have a good reason for Hugh Jass, then go for it. Make it realistic, like my Ophelia Balls (who was deeply embarrassed about her name) rather than just slapstick and it could work. Don't do it if you're just looking for a cheap laugh though.

Who names their kid Ophelia anyway? Of all the Shakespeare names, would you want to name your daughter after a dizzy, inconsistent girl who goes mad and drowns in a creek? Not to mention all of the 'Get thee to a nunnery' jokes as she's growing up.

The Earl

Ophelia is tragic - Iago is taking it a bit too far!

 

[MLyons]

I read a Roger Ebert movie review in which he stated that every movie comedy that has a character with a deliberately funny name invariably sucks -- with the exception of Marx Brothers movies (Rufus T. Firefly, for example, certainly didn't interfere with Duck Soup).

I'd also add Dr. Strangelove to the list of exceptions... and it seems Ebert would agree with me...

 

[TheEarl]

I'd also add Dr. Strangelove to the list of exceptions... and it seems Ebert would agree with me...

I'm quite impressed with all the punning names in that film review that no-one has noticed one of the stars is called 'Slim Pickens.'

Another one for the books.

The Earl

 

[thebullet]

from Roger Ebert's Review of The Man With Two Brains
This is not a great comedy but it has scenes that don't know that. Martin plays a brain surgeon named Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr. The moment I heard the name I knew we were in trouble, and, sure enough, the movie never tires of making jokes based on his funny name. Since the First Law of Comedy should be No funny names are funny unless they are used by W.C. Fields or Groucho Marx, the name jokes are an exercise in futility.

In my original post I had remembered reading that quote maybe ten years ago. Of course there are always exceptions to every rule, and Dr. Strangelove proves it.

 

[sweetnpetite]

IF I ever right my holiday story, my characters just happen to be names Nick and Holly.

There would be no puns beyond that.

My romance characters are named Caitlin Bliss (although it's a pen name) and Vic Valentine.

There's nothing can be done. Those *are* my characters names. For better or worse, they won't let me rename them

If someone doesnt' like that, they will just have to read something else. >>shrugs<<

You are reading a story, not a funny, humorous story, just a good piece of writing that holds your interest and suddenly an off the wall, odd ball name is right there in front of you in black and white. Something like, Huge Jass, Candy Yass or Amanda Hugginkiss...are you thrown to the point of not reading much farther?
Would you even notice the play on names?

Do you find the humor and keep reading with as much interest as before?

Or, do you have a hard time getting back into the story and completely forget what you read to that point?

If it is not a humorous story should names like these just not be used?

I thought of using these names in my Holiday contest story, which isn't humorous and would like some input as to what your reactions would be if you should run into this situation. I don't want to doom my story just because of name choices.

Your opinions please........

Wicked