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Question: My character is insisting that I change his name!?
For NaNoWriMo this year my main character's boyfriend's name is Thomas!. That's a nice, normal sounding name!. I hate naming my characters weird things because I feel like it seems like I'm just trying to get attention!.

The problem is that he keeps telling me that his name isn't Thomas!. It's Phineas (Phin for short)!. No matter how much I tell him that his name is Thomas he insists that Phineas is his name!.

1!. Is Phineas too strange of a name!? Because I really don't think he's going to let me get away with calling him Thomas!.
2!. Is it strange that I have random conversations with my characters!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
I love using older names for my characters!. Phineas is a great name!. In fact, I'm gonna add that to my list, since I keep naming my guys Peter continously!.
And, no, it's not strange at all!. My characters talk to me as well!. Things like "I wouldn't say that!" or "No, give ME a line like this!." or even "Stop typing, it's unhealthy that I'm talking to you!. Go to bed!. It's 5 am!."
Haha!. They talk to us because they are so real!. When you develop a character with a rounded personality, they take it on themselves!. Plus, they become sort of a larger-than-life character, and even the one who created them can't always control them!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

well he's your character you can call him what you like however!.
I know what you mean though sometimes you'll call a character 'John' but then when you start writing the character he might remind you of someone you know whose name is Richard so you change his name to Rick!.!.!.
Phineas is okay, but you should give an explanation though-the characters mother was one of the slightly silly hippy types/or had studied latin and gave her son the name Phineas at great insistence, whilst the characters father wanted to call him "thomas" you could even have the character make a joke about this at some point!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I know exactly what you mean!. I had a character named Lilliana, but she forced me to change it to Annelise!. The name fits her perfectly and I would never even consider changing it back!.
I think you should just change it to Phineas now, and save yourself the mental torture!. You'll never be happy with his current name, and the longer you keep him a Thomas, the harder it'll be for you to get used to a Phineas!.
Best of luck!
~ε?зWww@QuestionHome@Com

phineas was a popular name back in the early 1900's!. As of now it is basically unheard of as a name!. Personally, i love the name phineas and you should go with what your gut tells you!.!.!.or maybe your character for that matter!.!.!.!.!.and no, its not strange as i hve convos with my characters tooWww@QuestionHome@Com

it is not a strange name at all!. change the name if you want it your story!!
You are strange to have random conversations with your characters!. (I do that too)Www@QuestionHome@Com