Ok, so I have a character that I really like. Her name is Catherine Lawson, and it fits her well. Unfortunately, I have a close relative named Katherine. And basically everyone who knows me knows her. And basically everyone in the professional field where I would begin selling my book knows her. Now, she has mostly gone by Katie, but I don't want people to think I just inserted her into my book. (Even though it is a different character, there are still similarities people could construe) On the other hand, I have used that name in my draft/outline for a year, so it's pretty ingrained. My writing buddy suggested looking for a name with a similar meaning, and I also tried looking for names with a similar tone and feel, but I haven't come up with anything that clicks. Maybe I just need to sit down and randomly call her every name I can think of... Actually, that might not be a bad idea!

Should you always avoid having a character share a name with someone you know? (I also realized that my villain shares his first name with a friend's brother, but there is absolutely no resemblance so I think I'm safe... Although I haven't actually told them yet... )

Certainly not! Some authors, in fact, make a point of naming characters (generally minor characters) after people they know; this is called "Tuckerization."

And if I were to refrain from ever using any name that also belongs to anyone I know, I'd be almost entirely limited to obscure or purely invented names, which would be a pain (given the vast scope of the work that I've planned out and the sheer number of characters that will entail) and would also give the stories a decidedly different "feel" than I intend (a story about Alice and Bob sounds very different, even if there aren't actually any other differences, from a story about Arwen and Bilbo ).

On the other hand, if you think it's likely that people will draw an erroneous connection between one of your characters and someone in real life, there are things you can do. The first thing you can do is is, if you can truthfully say this, add a disclaimer to the copyright page when you publish it (or have your publisher do so if you go the traditional-publishing route) that it is a work of fiction and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or events is entirely coincidental. But while you're still in the process of writing or revising, you can alter the character to make dissimilarities more obvious and any similarities less so; how to do that depends on your writing style (if you're a very visual writer, describing the character's appearance in a way that leaves no room for correlation with the real person's appearance would be a good start, while if you don't go in for visual descriptions much that would if anything be counterproductive.)

If all else fails, the name is a part of the character that can if necessary be changed, either entirely or by using a nickname (in this case a different nickname than the real person). For example, I have two characters with names that are far too similar to each other, "Celia" and "Cecelia." To prevent confusion if they should ever appear in the same story, I've decided that the latter will go by "Cecy."

Finally, remember that there is rarely "one right answer" in writing; there are tradeoffs and judgment calls galore, and the answer to many questions is "It depends." There's a couple of lines from Kipling that I like to quote in discussions like these:



I hope some of this, at least, helps

You don't need to change anything. Whether it's wise or not is a different decision. How much potential awkwardness are you willing to put up with? Or questions about the names?

Otherwise, I support sticking to your guns and maintaining artistic integrity.

That put one of my vague fears into words! I think that is another reason I was a bit unsure of changing Catherine's name - because if I made it a rule to never use the name of someone I knew, what if I met someone else who shared a character name before I published?

So, as a general rule, I feel a lot more comfortable now using a name that happens to correspond to a real person (especially because this particular story uses very common names, for the most part - so I can't have Cleowyn running alongside Bill, for example...).

In the case of this specific character, though... I think that's where it doesn't sit well with me. I honestly don't think she'd mind, but I'm envisioning basically every reader asking if I named Catherine after Katherine. And the only answer I'd be able to give is that I liked the name, but didn't want it to be spelled the same. The different spelling gave it a slightly different feel that I liked, and it felt like a completely different name after a while. Unless, I guess, I talked to her and decided to tuckerize her as a tribute of sorts... I'll have to give it some prayer and thought. I think the wisdom of the thing is the heart of my problem in this case.

Yes. The thing about using very common names for characters is that the author is very likely to know people with those names

This is all great advice. I personally think you should start by asking her directly. Explain the situation and state that you don't want people to incorrectly think you'd based the character off of her. That's respect, a core Biblical principle, and it puts the power in her hands. If she doesn't mind, then she's been made aware, and if someone does come up to her and is all like "is that character based off of you??" she's not blindsided. If she does mind, then you know in advance of publication, which is far better than finding out afterwards!

If she doesn't mind, I would follow the suggestion of using a disclaimer. Make it fun--call it out in your author's note or acknowledgements, or dedicate the book to her. Something like, "I totally didn't mean to steal your name, but since I did, I may as well dedicate this book to you." Then your readers are aware, and anyone you both know personally will realize it wasn't intentional, and get a good laugh out of it.

If you do have to change your character's name, using something with the same first letter or a similar ending sound can help with the transition. But no matter how you do it, it will take time. I changed several major characters' names in my ongoing epic. It was very hard at first--it was a long book and I'd been working on it for awhile--but after I'd used the new names for several weeks, they stuck. So just because a name doesn't sit right on the first reading doesn't mean you can't grow into it. Make an intelligent decision and then give yourself time to "get to know" the new person.

I love the idea of a shoutout along the lines of not meaning to steal her name! Thanks for that, and for the confirmation that I need to talk it over with her first if I keep the name.

Thank you also for sharing that new names do grow on you! I'll give the shoutout idea a little time, to make sure I feel good about it (I don't want to get permission, and then decide not to use the name.).

Also, my Mom just came up with a similar-sounding name: Kristen Lawson. It actually has a related meaning. It even still starts with the hard "C" sound, and ends with an "N"! So, as I revise my draft I will be fine either way this goes. Thanks again for the help!