What should I change the MC's nickname to? And should i kill her off?

Writers' Corner
1

Please help me find a nickname for my MC because i just can’t think of any at all, i have no idea why i guess these things just happen sometimes :stuck_out_tongue:

Time Period: not specified, in the future, within the 21st or 22nd century though.

Location: on [name_f]Earth[/name_f], in [name_f]England[/name_f]. Bombs have destroyed a lot of places.

What happened: War. Never specified which side is against which. It is always said as ‘the last war’

What is society like now: there aren’t many people left, most went to war, many killed by bombs and invaders. Laws and governments are falling apart in each country.

What are the naming laws: No new ones, the naming system is still the same.

[name_f]Do[/name_f] you need us to make up names: No, unless you want to.

Character Description: Her name is [name_f]Laurel[/name_f] [name_u]Parker[/name_u]-[name_m]Branson[/name_m] (i want to keep her name as [name_f]Laurel[/name_f]), she is almost twenty and is an only child. Her mother died fighting in the war and her father is still with her, but for most of the war he was in prison helping the survivors by fixing this like Machines and other stuff. She has blue-grey eyes, like her father, and shoulder blade long brown-dirty blonde hair, like her mother. She is a little taller than most girls she encounters, around 5’8 5’9 ish, and hates it. She is very tough, fast, agile, sly, responsible and tactical. She is very treacherous, especially to get what she wants, is only out for herself and her father and doesn’t ever risk her life for anyone else. I did have her NN as [name_f]Lala[/name_f] but it just doesn’t feel right or fit.

Brief Plot: Basically, a war took place and has destroyed almost everything. [name_f]Laurel[/name_f] and her father stay in their shelter, (the shelters are like the WWII one but more basement like and more secure) and plan to escape the heavily policed part of a ‘safe’ city, unnamed, since [name_f]Laurel[/name_f] found space where the cameras are blind to. The whole thing is about them surviving and staying alive together, away from the cities, which are loosing control of the survivors and themselves. It is mostly near the end of the war where there are less bombs but no determined ‘winner’.

Who named the character: Her (dead) mother, she had [name_f]Laurel[/name_f] a few years before the war and when her father was in prison. Her mothers name is [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] [name_u]Parker[/name_u] and her father’s name is (currently) [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] [name_m]Branson[/name_m].

Immediate Family: Her father sticks with her. He is a very important character to her and the story.

Already Considered: Can’t think of any :frowning: just hit a bit of a block, even a nickname that has nothing to do with her original name (like [name_m]Bear[/name_m] for example that i have for a little girl in another story)

Anything else?: I’m also thinking whether I should kill her off at the end, (drama!), mostly to show even the strongest can be beat, that she has some weak points behind her tough persona, and in reality not everybody lives. It can also leave room for a follow-up story about her dad surviving without her (full or short story). Although sometimes one gets so attached to any of their characters that it’s hard to kill any of them off :confused: something i struggle with constantly. Her father is mainly the only one who calls her by her nickname (rarely her birth name) and sometimes others they meet.
Also I currently have the dads name as [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] because of it’s meaning: “free man” but I’m questioning whether it should be changed to something tougher sounding but with a similar meaning, any suggestions? maybe?

Thanks to all who helps me out :smiley:

2

If you want, you could just call the dad [name_m]Charles[/name_m].

[name_f]Do[/name_f] not kill off your main character, especially if they are the only main character or the main main character. It seems like an excuse to end the story. If you are dead set on making a point of showing that the strongest people can’t be beaten, maybe kill the dad. Or give her a friend.

3

She’s not my main main character, it’s more or less shared between her and her dad. I did think about killing off the dad instead but was unsure whether it should be [name_f]Laurel[/name_f] or him, and thanks for your opinion :slight_smile: maybe I’ll go with the dad instead.

4

Nickname Options for [name_f]Laurel[/name_f]:

[name_f]Lori[/name_f]/[name_u]Lauri[/name_u]
Rel
[name_f]Rella[/name_f]
[name_u]Aurel[/name_u]
Elra (it’s a stretch)
[name_f]Ella[/name_f]
[name_f]Ellie[/name_f]
[name_f]Lara[/name_f]

5

Really [name_f]Lori[/name_f] is your only option if you want it to sound like the original name, unless you’d prefer her having a nickname by her middle. Also, her nickname could be simply what her dad has called her since she was a kid; the oddball nickname each parent has. I don’t know; it’s all up to you.

As for killing either of them off, that’s purely circumstantial. [name_m]Will[/name_m] their death(s) teach a lesson somehow, or would it be meaningless, just for you to say “Bad things happen to good people”? If the former, you could consider killing them off, either one, but if the latter, don’t; the story will have more meaning if they are alive.

[name_f]Hope[/name_f] that helped…somewhat.

6

Really [name_f]Lori[/name_f] is your only option if you want it to sound like the original name, unless you’d prefer her having a nickname by her middle. Also, her nickname could be simply what her dad has called her since she was a kid; the oddball nickname each parent has. I don’t know; it’s all up to you.

As for killing either of them off, that’s purely circumstantial. [name_m]Will[/name_m] their death(s) teach a lesson somehow, or would it be meaningless, just for you to say “Bad things happen to good people”? If the former, you could consider killing them off, either one, but if the latter, don’t; the story will have more meaning if they are alive.

[name_f]Hope[/name_f] that helped…somewhat.

7

All of flora_kate’s suggestions were very good.

I think as dated as [name_f]Lori[/name_f] is, it can be very cute on a teenaged girl and is a good nn.

Maybe:

[name_f]Lola[/name_f]
Laur

Maybe no nickname is necessary? [name_f]Laurel[/name_f] is not a very long name. For affection purposes, like what her dad calls her, maybe just honey or sweetie?

As for killling her off…I strongly advise against it. I read a book where the protagonist was killed off (even with another character giving POV!) and it was horrible. I felt like it was trying to be sad, but it was so ridiculous I sort of just rolled my eyes.
I believe a strong writer can kill of characters, and that is necessary, but the protagonist is the protagonist for a reason.

But, if you are going to kill her off, you should make sure the entire story leads up to that. All fo her morals, choices, etc. support however she dies, or else it will just seem like a cop out as alchemicallypurplefairy said.

9

[name_f]Lola[/name_f] was my only idea, but then I also like the [name_m]French[/name_m] [name_f]Laure[/name_f] (like [name_f]Lore[/name_f]). [name_f]Lola[/name_f] sounds tough and feisty, which she seems to be, and I’ve heard Laurels going by [name_f]Lola[/name_f], so it’s not a huge stretch. I think [name_u]Charlie[/name_u]'s fine for the dad, though. It’s both gritty and compassionate, which I think could suit him very well.

As for killing off your MC, there’s nothing I hate more in a story. It just seems… pointless. There are a plethora of ways to prove whatever point you want to prove without killing off your main character (doesn’t have to be the point that anyone can be killed by war; I think of [name_f]Veronica[/name_f] [name_m]Roth[/name_m]'s Divergent series. There was absolutely NO reason [name_u]Tris[/name_u] had to die, and I’m still miffed she ended it that way). Hopefully, she will have a special place in your reader’s heart, and it just seems to betray the reader and his/her emotions by killing off such a beloved character. Plus, I agree that it just seems like an easy way to end the book.

Then again, I see fiction as both a commentary on life AND a way of providing (or showcasing) hope to a large audience, and killing off a MC does anything but that. Still, it does feel a lot like a betrayal, even without wanting a sense of hope at the end of a novel, so I wouldn’t do it. Find another way to show that war has casualties.

10

Thanks for all the quick replies, means a lot, :smiley:

Anyway, i would never kill of a character (especially a main one) pathetically or meaningless, I’d make sure it’ll hit the emotions hard, lol.
And i do like the sound of [name_f]Lori[/name_f], it sounds tough and sweet at the same time, thanks for all the NNs. [name_f]Lola[/name_f] though…i do like that too. :slight_smile:
It’s all mostly based at the end of a war when everything is practically finished and destroyed so the way i was think for any of them to be killed was by protecting each other from dangerous others whilst trying to survive unprotected by police and stuff. The main reason i was thinking to kill her father off instead of her was to show that she can be broken and move on stronger. I’ll still keep the thought on killing him or (probably not) her at the back of my head whilst writing but i doubt I’ll use it. I could always bring in another character she grew close to in one way or the other and choose them instead but idk.

([name_u]Lee[/name_u] though…walking dead game…made anyone cry, i hated they did that and loved that they showed [name_u]Clem[/name_u] is stronger in S2)

:smiley: :smiley: thanks again.

11

If you went with [name_f]Lori[/name_f], I’d spell it [name_u]Laurie[/name_u] or [name_u]Lauri[/name_u], just so it’s a bit closer to [name_f]Laurel[/name_f].

Of course I cried when [name_u]Lee[/name_u] died. Who didn’t? :’)

12

I know, I never tear up even a little with fictional things but that got me.

thanks amber, Her NN is now [name_u]Lauri[/name_u], and thanks to everyone who helped me. :slight_smile:

13

I like [name_u]Lauri[/name_u] as the NN, but I did want to comment on killing off your main character…

My advice is that you don’t decide rather or not you’re going to kill her off just yet. Some authors do have the ending per-determined ([name_f]Veronica[/name_f] [name_m]Roth[/name_m], for example, always intended to kill [name_u]Tris[/name_u]), but if that’s your intention from the beginning and you’re dead-set on killing [name_u]Lauri[/name_u], that doesn’t leave room for the story or the character to grow.

When I was taking creative writing workshops at a university, my professor told us to never decide the ending before we start writing. You can have an outline (which I do recommend for novel-length works), but if you’re not open to the outline being flexible then you might be cheating the character out of a great story arch that you didn’t think of until you actually started writing them. For my NaNoWriMo novel last year, I thought one of the three main characters was going to die, and by the end of the story they ended up killing the character who was supposed to kill them.

As for the point of view issue a few people brought up … if you think there’s a chance of killing her or her father, make sure you’re either 1) not writing first-person from their POV, or 2) ready to stop the narrative as soon as they die. An alternative would be switching between first-person POV for two or more characters, or sticking with third-person POV for the whole story.

[name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps. Good luck on your story!

14

Thanks for the advise, :), it was quite helpful.
And i never strictly decide an ending at the beginning (i usually make most things up as i go along because the ideas come to me when I’m writing but i make sure to more or less have a story outline) but now i know it’s not the best idea to layout the ultimate ending at the beginning.
I don’t think i will kill her off, still not sure about her father since it might be a bit too cliche and typical.

Plus I’m so glad i got so many replies so quick, i know on my last post i got about a hundred views but no comments :frowning: