(no subject)

[pegasus2o5.livejournal.com]

This is for a character, not a baby, but I could sure use advice! I'm working on a novel with a vampire character named Damon. (Yeah, yeah, everyone and their sister is writing a vampire novel. Anyway.) I'd already written two drafts of the thing before I ever heard of the book & TV show "The Vampire Diaries" which also has a vampire named Damon. They even look similar.

I don't really want to change my character's name. I've gone through four drafts now with him as Damon, so it's really hard for me to think of him as anything else, plus the name Damon has meaning in the context of the story. So, Question #1: Should I change the name?

And Question #2, of course: If I change it, what to? The candidates:

Damian (is this a big enough change?)
Dominic, nn Dom
David

Other suggestions welcome...

Comments

[also-warriors.livejournal.com]

Why are you writing the novel? If it is for yourself, don't change it. If you are hoping to publish it, I think you really ought to. All the demon-esque names (Damien/Damian, Damon) are extremely popular for vampire characters-- I'm sure there are many vampires with each of those names.

[retrodancekitty.livejournal.com]

I like Damien, which might suit a vampire better, at least in my mind where it's quite a dandy name.

[jexia]

I agree, Damien.

[pegasus2o5.livejournal.com]

I am hoping to publish it. Or, yeah, I wouldn't care. :)

[pegasus2o5.livejournal.com]

When you say "quite a dandy name" do you mean "what a great name!" or "this person is a dandy?"

[retrodancekitty.livejournal.com]

ah you're right, I mean that the person is a dandy, which vampires originally were supposed to be.

[pleasure-past.livejournal.com]

I would definitely change it. I know how hard it can be to do so, but sometimes you just have to. Honestly, I think any publisher will tell you to change it as well. Damian and Dominic are also common vampire/demonic names, so I wouldn't either of them. David is probably your best bet.

[pegasus2o5.livejournal.com]

LOL my Damon is not remotely a dandy, he's a little closer to a biker thug, so maybe that's a bad choice for him!

[pleasure-past.livejournal.com]

Huh. I don't think of Asher as very vampiric at all. I associate it with hyper little boys, actually. But that may just be my own experience with the name.

[wolf-shadow.livejournal.com]

Just came back to this because I had a thought... Presuming you are going for classic vampire being human-turned-vampire, choose his name based on what he was like before. Just a thought as I said :)