Writer's View: The Power of a Word

"What's in a name? that which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet."

-Juliet Capulet, Romeo and Juliet

The age old question, pondered by the love-struck Juliet from her balcony, so many years ago. What power does a name have? Wouldn't the person or object be the same if it were called something else?

Anne Shirley answers the question for us, with her infamously funny and childish rhetoric when she claims that "[she doesn't] believe a rose would be as nice if it was called a thistle or a skunk cabbage."

While changing the name of a rose might not actually change how it looks or smells, calling it a skunk cabbage would most certainly change how we feel about the flower.

For that reason, yes, there is power in names and words. Juliet's pondering was thanks to her love interest being the enemy of her household, but even she would surely agree with Anne Shirley.

Language is the only way we have of communicating a story. Words, names, and speech patterns all play an important roll in how a reader will feel about what they are reading. Misused words can throw off the structure of a sentence, bad names make us feel differently about the characters, and speech patterns can be used not only to differentiate between characters easily, but also to set an author apart from everyone else. 

• Words

Words are quite literally the backbone of a story. Without them, there is no story. Using words properly can help set the mood for a scene. 

For example, eating a 'hunk of pizza' sounds far less appetizing than eating a 'slice of pizza'. Most likely, they are referring to the same thing; the triangular piece of food with tomato sauce and cheese. But a 'hunk of pizza' sounds greasy, heavy, and like something only an ogre would eat. A 'slice of pizza' merely conveys what the food in question is. 

Going beyond that, a 'steaming, tangy slice of pizza' tells the reader how the pizza will taste, without ever using the word delicious. By simply using different words, the reader will feel completely different about the same subject.

A poorly placed word can destroy the entire structure of a sentence. Not only must you use the proper definition of a word, you should always think about how a word will make the reader feel.

• Names

Naming a character tends to be one of the most difficult parts of writing for many writers. Your name must fit well into the genre, personality of the character, and general flow of the story. A bad name will make the reader feel differently about the character.

Let's take the example of Clark Kent from Superman. His first and last name flow together easily, gives you a sense of simplicity, and it's easy to remember.

If he had been named Bartholomew Rembrandt, he would have been an entirely different character.

Fantasy and Sci-fi names fall into another set of problems. If you're playing around with Tolkien-style elves, you can't give them names like Mary and John. Instead, names that are light, airy, and give an overall sense of flightiness will work best for that particular race, in that particular genre. Similarly, a dwarf cannot be named something like Sylvari, because that name feels too wispy. Instead, names that remind the reader of sturdiness and earth fit a dwarf better.

Often writers use names that have a meaning behind them. For example, the name William Mason from the show Downton Abbey. William's character is loyal, brave, and ultimately he dies a hero's death, while still taking care of his sweetheart, Daisy. The name William is an old Germanic name, which means 'strong willed warrior'. His name is an indication of his personality.

Of course, not every name of every character falls into this depth of meaning. Sometimes, a name just fits a character because of how it feels.

The name Sam, for example, tends to belong to trustworthy people. Samwell Tarly from Game of Thrones is an all around nice guy who just wants to help. Samwise Gamgee from Lord of the Rings, is the loyal friend to Frodo who helps him take the Ring to Mordor. Even Sam the Onion Man from Holes is a generically good person who we instantly trust and feel an attachment to. The name Sam will almost immediately illicit a sense of trust from the reader, and makes them assume that he will be loyal, probably funny, and stand by their friends.

Because names are so powerful, the writer can flip the script on it's head and make a bad guy out of a Sam, which could create a sense of ultimate betrayal from the reader. Generally speaking, bad guys have names which instantly let you know, this person is bad. Good guys have names that let you know, this person is good.

The naming process can be as simple or as complicated as fits the story. When writing a realism-type of story, naming is a lot simpler. The writer can just write characters with normal names. For comedic effect, names can be given to a character with an opposite personality, like a goth named Sunshine, or someone with anger issues named Patience. 

Naming can be a powerful tool to give a sense of how the story will go. Characters with mundane names are expected to be just that; mundane. Generally speaking, unless you are specifically attempting to make a point with the name by stepping outside of the box, naming your character something that will fit their personality is of tantamount importance.

• Speech Patterns

Speech patterns can be used in many ways. For the characters, a speech pattern can tell the reader something that can be implied, rather than said. Dialect, attitude, and personality can come through a character's speech pattern.

Using different dialects in a story is a little difficult. If you're trying to write a character from the Deep South, you have to be careful not to overdo it, or else the reader might not be able to understand what's being said. Rather than changing the spelling of a word to match how it is said, it's better to use commonly used words from that demographic, or leave a word half-said. Example "Ya'll ain't nothin' to me," can be easily understood by pretty much anyone, where as if I wrote it as "Ya'll ain't nutin to meh," the reader would probably be confused by what I was saying. 

Attitude is written in a myriad of ways. From body language, to actions, a reader can infer the general mood of a character based on a variety of things. If an attitude is changed mid-conversation however, like if a character becomes furious by what the other is saying, then the mood can be changed through their speech pattern. For example, if a typically calm and collected character was to start stuttering, the reader would assume that something is wrong, and based on the situation, understand that their attitude has changed.

Personality can be read through speech patterns as well. Enunciating certain words, using words incorrectly, or the tone of voice can all change a character's personality. For example, if you were writing someone who is childish and fun, you'd probably have them exclaim more often than talk. Writing "Oh! I just love your shirt!" gives a sense of genuine excitement, where as, "Oh. I just love your shirt," might make the reader assume that the character is being sarcastic or disingenuous. The first sentence gives the impression that the character is happy, excited, and genuine, while the second sentence gives the impression that the character is bored, mean, and done with this conversation.

Speech patterns can also be used to set an author apart from other authors. Quite often, when reading a famous author, a reader who's read their work before could guess who the author is, without actually knowing.

For example, Lemony Snicket has a very particular way of narrating his stories. If I were to jump out of the story, a word which here means a selection of words that might be very depressing, and define, perhaps improperly, a common word, you would assume you were reading Lemony Snicket.

If I was to wax long and flowery about certain phrases, especially in relation to the deliciously scented lilies and roses along the winding lane, and perhaps go off into a realm of fairies and dreams and maybe talk a little too much in a very swelling and cheerful way about nothing at all, but still make you feel it in the bottom of your heart, you might assume you were reading something written by the beautiful genius, Lucy Maude Montgomery.

Well established authors have well established speech patterns. We can know who wrote something without ever even looking at the cover of the book. I believe that every author establishes a speech pattern as they advance in experience. It's completely natural to mimic other writers that we admire, especially when we are first starting out. In all of my earliest work, you can easily tell what I was reading at the time. I would switch from the pithy, direct words of Sir Arthur Connan Doyle, to the overly-expressive, adjective-heavy words of Charlotte Bronte within a single page.

Eventually, each writer finds a speech pattern that they naturally fall into; a voice that defines them. It's a blessing and a curse, as it's easy to start overusing words and phrases when you're comfortable with your own writing style, but it's also nice to know that you're not going to jerk your readers back into an 18th century dialect by accident when you pick up a copy of Pride and Prejudice.

The words we use, the names we give our characters, and the speech patterns within our pages, hold just as heavy a sway over the audience as the actual story itself. The most well thought out plot will fall like a dead weight if you describe a heroic man as a 'darkly brooding shadow'. Oh wait. That's Batman.

In all seriousness, the wrong word can mess up the flow of a story, and you should always keep it in mind, particularly when you're editing your work. It's perfectly acceptable to use the wrong word the first go around, but if you're editing you should watch out for these things. Otherwise your work will feel jarring, incomplete, and goofy.

Cheers!