Tuesday, August 25, 2020

The Names Have Changed (Because The Editor Said So)

 A rose by any other name...is still Rose, because that's what her name was throughout the draft that took me eight years to write, damn it. Do you know how often I had to type that name, rework scenes with that name, have people call that name, eh? EH?

clears throat

What names have changed in my books during final edits that will forever be known to me as their original names? I changed a bunch of names in my high fantasy LARCOUT because my editor pointed out that half the names I had used invoked stereotypes and biases that clashed with the culture I had created. Fair. With some I agreed, others...not the editorial sword on which I was going to fall. Here are three changed-name examples from a book I published five years ago that still stick with me: 

  1. Draft Name: Bishop; Pub Name: Rashan
  2. Draft Name: Maynard; Pub Name: Dhaval
  3. Draft Name: Phoebian; Pub Name: Sana


2 comments:

  1. Ok so my writing will never see the light of day, and I started it 20 years ago, but yes I did change some names. But that was only me ;)

    Real changes there

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    Replies
    1. 20 years? Awesome. It takes as long as it takes to write the story that makes you happy to unleash on the world. If the names happen to change along the way... ~shrug~ May they be easier to spell than the originals. 😁

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