Could You be a Paige Turner
Friday, June 3, 2011 @ 9:03 AM
Paige Turner would make a wonderful name for a novelist. The choice of character and pen names is important when writing. English literature has been enriched by such persons as Scrooge and Oliver Twist. Anything from humour to pathos can be created with a name so do choose carefully to avoid the following real life disasters.
Imagine being named Justin Case. If you think that is bad what about Stan Still. Now retired, Stan says, “My name has been ‘a blooming millstone around my neck. When I was in the RAF the CO used to shout: ‘Stan Still Get a move on‘. Then he would fall about laughing.”
He isn’t alone. Being called Terry Bull is no laughing matter. What about Mary Christmas or Anna Sasin? Or imagine having to introduce yourself as Hazel Nutt and then wait for the reaction. Rose Bush actually loved her name but other unfortunates probably didn’t. These might include, Jo King, Priti Manek, Pearl Button, Annette Curtain and Bill Board. He shouldn’t complain. Albert Hall might have been a little more considerate when naming his son Jim Hall but Jo King is quite happy with hers. Then there is also the unfortunately named Jenny Taylor and Daisy Picking.
Often names have a strange way of identifying not just a person but the trade they follow. Les Flack is a San Francisco dentist. Susan Frame who qualified as a lawyer married a banker named Robert Mee. So now she is known as Sue Mee and he is known as Rob Mee.
The students’ union president at London’s Imperial College once decided to do his bit for charity by changing his name to Sydney Harbour-Bridge. The deal was that he must keep it for 12-months. He found it such an advantage that he kept it. At the turn of the last century it was common to name girls after flowers. This led to much teasing for three sisters. Their names were Ivy, Daisy and Rose. Fine, but their family name was Roots. It could be worse. What about Dawn Hobbs (think about it). One you don’t have to think about was Penny Bunn. Yes, character or author names can help – or destroy a book.