The other day, I typed out a paragraph for the science fiction novella I’m working on, and I realized I’ve had this aching question for years: when do I use a character’s name and when do I use a pronoun instead?
Are there formal rules for this sort of thing?
When do I use my character’s name and when do I say ‘she’ or ‘her?’ Here’s an example that made me think about it:
“We’re in.” Kessla glanced over at Pichold who sat staring at the bay through the window.
Kessla released a slow, quiet whistle and disengaged the latching mechanism with a thrust of a lever. Bay personnel focused on the front of the long cargo ship which Kessla used to her advantage. With a few jostles of the steering, she maneuvered the shuttle into a shadow of the immense bay among stacks of lonely, metal crates that offered a fort of secrecy.
“Let’s move,” Kessla said.
Two female characters. I had to make sure the reader knows who is doing what. In this case, Kessla. I hope this illustrates the importance of knowing when to use names and when to use pronouns to avoid confusing the reader.
I use a character’s name, their ‘proper noun,’ when I want to:
- introduce them,
- clarify ambiguity,
- or emphasize their identity.
I use pronouns when I want to
- be concise,
- allow the sentence to flow more smoothly,
- or create more closeness between reader and story.
That last item is for close 3rd person or 1st person point-of-view.
One thing to remember when writing fiction, it can’t hurt to balance between using a character’s name and using pronouns. For variety’s sake, throw in the character’s name after using pronouns for a while.
So, the thing to remember: if there could be any confusion which character is doing what, use their name.
Friday’s Findings:
- In Praise of the Adjectival Tricolon
- The Secret to Avoiding the Sagging Story: What Makes a Good Middle
- How to Avoid Apostrophe Abuse
- How a Pantser Learned to Plot
- Plot and Structure: How to Use Structure and Subplot to Add Suspense
Photo by fauxels
Andrew M. Friday 
Leave a comment