{"id":7387,"date":"2024-11-04T13:51:35","date_gmt":"2024-11-04T13:51:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.novlr.org\/?p=7387"},"modified":"2024-11-04T13:51:38","modified_gmt":"2024-11-04T13:51:38","slug":"how-do-you-describe-characters-whose-names-havent-been-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.novlr.org\/the-reading-room\/how-do-you-describe-characters-whose-names-havent-been-revealed\/","title":{"rendered":"How do you describe characters whose names haven’t been revealed?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cOkay, this is complicated, but I’m trying to write a scene that features two characters that have the same gender but neither of their names are revealed yet. So it’s getting really weird. Do you have any advice on how to possibly do this? \u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are definitely ways to describe unrevealed characters (or a character without the use of their names) in prose, whether you\u2019re doing it for one scene, or if it\u2019s simply a choice in writing style!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It may seem daunting at first, but it\u2019s certainly doable, and not as unheard of as one may think. You\u2019ll find it among classic literature, poetry, and even shorter fiction\u2013all dependent on the author. Including me. I, too, am a writer who prefers to narrate without name usage (other than in dialogue) and stick to monikers and\/or certain descriptors for characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a look at how to get started in writing this type of prose!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes your character notable?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When thinking about how to describe and\/or narrate your character without using their name, ask yourself what makes them stand out the most. This isn\u2019t just asking \u201cwho\u201d your character is; this is asking what makes them who they are. And there are multiple ways to do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To start, maybe your character<\/a> has a very distinctive personality. Are they extra grumpy or happy? Usually, that\u2019s one of the first things we notice when interacting with other people. We notice first if our family member seems grouchy one particular morning or if a friend looks like they\u2019re about to share the best news of the world during lunch hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When telling a story, narrating about a woman being mean to another can be as simple as dubbing her \u201cthe mean woman\u201d or \u201cthe mean lady.\u201d That\u2019s just as we would start describing someone in real life without knowing who they are. The same can be said about \u201ca nice man\u201d who enters the story and tries to calmly interact with the mean woman who\u2019s making a fuss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s try that in action with a tiny scene:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I turn my head to the banter by the cash register, its volume increasing in pitch thanks to a scowling woman waving her finger around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI won\u2019t have this,\u201d she cried. \u201cGet me your manager, now!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The man next to her adopted a hesitant smile as he raised a hand. \u201cMa\u2019am,\u201d his gentle voice barely a murmur from where I sat in the cafe, \u201cmaybe you can ask for an alternative milk in your coffee, since they\u2019re out of what you want?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd ruin my drink?\u201d The mean woman turned her piercing eyes on him with a huff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gentle man stepped back with a startle. \u201cWell, you never know. Maybe you\u2019ll discover a new favorite drink?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fairly straightforward, right? This is but one simple way to narrate a character without using their name, but with a person\u2019s personality, mannerisms, or even mood, in this case. And this works with using different pronouns, genders, and\/or identities; as well as whether the POV of your character (or narrator) knows the other character in question or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appearance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Something else we notice as people while first interacting with others is their appearance. And this involves more than simply what they\u2019re wearing. Again, it must be notable enough as a feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than writing a laundry list of what a character is wearing<\/a> in prose, focus on what pieces of their attire make them stand out in a scene or situation. Take, for example, someone wearing winter layers in the middle of summer and vice versa. Or someone with neon pink hair. Or a really tall person among the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have two characters speaking with each other, such as two women, it can be as simple as a difference in hair color. \u201cThe blonde spoke to the brunette.\u201d Yet there are ways to be more creative with your descriptors. Maybe one of them is \u201cthe lady in pink\u201d (or \u201cpink lady\u201d for easier word flow) because their entire outfit is pink from head to toe. Sit down and truly consider all<\/em> attributes of your character(s).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Utilizing appearance and personality to form monikers also works in a setting where all characters dress the same. In The Red Badge of Courage<\/em> by Stephen Crane, the story takes place during the U.S. Civil War and follows the main character on his journey of being a soldier. Therefore, he and the other characters are all in uniform. Per Crane\u2019s writing style, their names are only utilized in dialogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henry, the main character, is dubbed as \u201cthe youth.\u201d Then, other characters are further named as the tall soldier, the loud soldier, the blatant soldier, the sergeant, and even the fat soldier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This works well in fantasy too! Consider one character with wings on her back compared to another with cat ears and a tail. Those are likely their most prominent features and, thus, simple descriptors for them. This is how it works for my characters in my superhero fiction setting. My two main characters are Skye and Kat, but you will see my prose consistently uses their monikers, \u201cthe winged hero\u201d and \u201cthe feline hero\u201d instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This leads me to my next option on how to narrate your characters without using a name!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Profession\/Activity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Consider what your character does, or is currently doing, in your scene. Addressing them as part of their profession is another option for creating a moniker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s go back to my main characters above, the winged hero and the feline hero. In addition to the wing and cat features addressing what\u2019s most notable about their appearance, \u201chero\u201d then defines who they are in terms of profession (especially since it\u2019s a superhero fiction!) Plus, it sounds clunky if you do \u201cwinged woman\u201d or \u201cfeline woman\u201d instead. And even then, there are better attributes, and more creative ways, to describe the two characters than them just being women!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s another example for a more realistic setting: You have a character walking inside a big corporate building for a job interview\u2013maybe the CEO themself. If the CEO\u2019s name isn\u2019t revealed yet for any reason, or you prefer not to use their name in narrative at a particular moment, referring to the person as \u201cthe CEO\u201d is still a way to give them a moniker in narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or, perhaps you have a character meeting an artist, such as a painter, to collect a piece for their home. In this case, \u201cthe painter\u201d or \u201cthe artist\u201d also works in prose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a quick example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The painter fidgeted with her braid as she waited, watching the CEO step from the elevator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CEO\u2019s high heels clicked against the tile floor with her approach. She waved with a warm smile. \u201cYou must be Macy.\u201d The warmth spread to her words, and she held out a hand. \u201cIt\u2019s good to finally meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The painter relaxed, dropping her hands from the braid to return the handshake. \u201cI am. Thanks for meeting with me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My favorite book, The Alchemist<\/em> by Paulo Coelho, is also a fantastic example of this. The main character, Santiago\u2013known as \u201cthe boy\u201d in the book\u2013meets several people on his journey to Egypt. Coelho refers to many of his characters by their profession or status: the alchemist, the old merchant, the chieftain, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s an excerpt from the book for further reference:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The following night, the boy appeared at the alchemist\u2019s tent with a horse. The alchemist was ready, and he mounted his own steed and placed the falcon on his left shoulder. He said to the boy, \u201cShow me where there is life out in the desert. Only those who can see such signs of life are able to find treasure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They began to ride out over the sands, with the moon lighting their way. I don\u2019t know if I\u2019ll be able to find life in the desert, the boy thought. I don\u2019t know the desert that well yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He wanted to say so to the alchemist, but he was afraid of the man. They reached the rocky place where the boy had seen the hawks in the sky, but now there was only silence and the wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how to find life in the desert,\u201d the boy said. \u201cI know that there is life here, but I don\u2019t know where to look.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLife attracts life,\u201d the alchemist answered.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Use other senses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You may have noticed that we discussed a lot of visual attributes of a character that would make great monikers in narration. But don\u2019t forget about the other senses! It is just as efficient to come across a smelly boy or a loud girl and dub them as such. For touch, perhaps a character emerged from a sewer covered in grime, and they feel extra slimy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once again, think about how you notice and interact with others during day-to-day life. We may first notice things about other people like \u201cmessy hair,\u201d \u201cdressed formally,\u201d or \u201cweirdest outfit ever,\u201d but all <\/em>your senses are put to work when you are present in any situation. A girl sings off-key in the distance, or the new date your character meets smells like they haven\u2019t showered in a week. These are all great descriptors to use in creating monikers!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider point of view and narrator<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By now, you should have ideas on how to tackle narrating your characters without using their names, but I do want to add a final note! Keep in mind your character\u2019s POV (or narrator)<\/a> when writing about another character. Does your character\/narrator know this person? Monikers like \u201cthe stranger\u201d work just as well in prose, and even add some mystery or tension to the mix!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First person can make it simple with prose like, \u201cI stared at the tall stranger. I never met him before, but this is now the second time he\u2019s shown up. Just who is he? Will I ever find out?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third person could be, \u201cThe figure standing before the boy turned to face him, a complete stranger. Yet the boy did notice the colors on the figure\u2019s uniform\u2013a captain. He stiffened to attention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This accomplishes a fun way to introduce characters, where the reader is meeting a new character at the same time the character POV\/narrator is. This also allows you to control the pace of bringing in new characters to your story too, versus dumping a list of names and descriptions all at once to overwhelm your reader. From a total stranger in one chapter to realizing a military uniform in another, and eventually learning the new character\u2019s name via dialogue later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

And there you have it! If you want to exercise your creativity by narrating your characters with monikers, or simply practice finding what\u2019s most notable about them to begin with, pretend all of your characters are wearing the exact same outfit (like in The Red Badge of Courage with the soldiers), and determine what\u2013other than their clothes\u2013helps them stand out. Is it their status or rank? Their voice, mannerisms, or personality? Or do they have a specific physical feature that stands out, from tattoos to missing limbs, to colored hair or wings? This is a great exercise anyway to practice developing characters!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with all things in writing, experiment, play around, and be open-minded. Trying something new like this may feel difficult if you\u2019re not used to it. However, there are some benefits to writing like this as well! If you want a more poetic feel to your writing style, or to keep a character\u2019s identity hidden until later in the story for thrill and mystery, utilizing monikers can help!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cOkay, this is complicated, but I’m trying to write a scene that features two characters that have the same gender but neither of their names are revealed yet. So it’s getting really weird. Do you have any advice on how to possibly do this? \u201d There are definitely ways to describe unrevealed characters (or a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":7389,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"1280","footnotes":""},"categories":[108,24],"tags":[67,52,28],"class_list":["post-7387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ask-novlr","category-writing-tips","tag-character-development","tag-writing-inspiration","tag-writing-tips","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nHow do you describe characters whose names haven't been revealed? | The Novlr Reading Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Not every character's name may be mentioned immediately in your story. 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