I just got started writing fic, and I've sometimes despaired at using character names "too many times" in a scene, but ultimately I feel they are more invisible than not, like "said." It's actually way less noticeable to use said a bunch of times than to have characters growl, bark, smirk and otherwise not say their lines. I reuse names in the same spirit. In a journalism text I read back in the day, it referred to the "elongated yellow fruit" syndrome, and cautioned that sometimes it was better to say "banana" twice. I can't bring myself to do the "the blond vampire" (unless it's a fight scene in which I'm distinguishing two vamps whose names we don't know) or the redhaired wicca.
no subject
For me? No traveling orbs. Please.
I just got started writing fic, and I've sometimes despaired at using character names "too many times" in a scene, but ultimately I feel they are more invisible than not, like "said." It's actually way less noticeable to use said a bunch of times than to have characters growl, bark, smirk and otherwise not say their lines. I reuse names in the same spirit. In a journalism text I read back in the day, it referred to the "elongated yellow fruit" syndrome, and cautioned that sometimes it was better to say "banana" twice. I can't bring myself to do the "the blond vampire" (unless it's a fight scene in which I'm distinguishing two vamps whose names we don't know) or the redhaired wicca.
But that's just me.