Giving extras names

Would you?

  • Yes

    Votes: 44 91.7%
  • No

    Votes: 4 8.3%

  • Total voters
    48

NotaNuffian

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Would you give an extra a name, knowing that his/ her/ its purpose is to last for up to five chapters or less (continuously or staggered) and will never make a recurring performance when their time is up?

In some JP/ CN/ KR novels, they just refer the extra as their occupation/ cultivation level/ associating title or even just the color of their clothes. This gives me the feeling that these people aren't even people, they are just strangers you see on the streets, tools to further the plot when needed and discarded when their services are no longer required. But these are mostly for one off characters who appear in a few paragraphs or even just one chapter, I am referring to those that ended up lasting for up to five chapters.

In some extreme cases, I had seen a KR novel that had an extra who had been with MC as a porter for the entire dungeon trip and there wasn't a mention of his name even though he had been interacting with MC, he survived until the end of the trip and was never seen again. Or in CN novel, where MC got backstabbed by a rogue cultuvator and that is his name... even till death by MC's hand... their interaction lasted for ten or more chapters as MC ended up followed him into a treasure chamber and bla bla bla. Then in Randidly, the Ironwall Spearman, blessed his soul, had his name omitted everytime and the only time he speaks it out confidently, he got decapitated by a traitor. Shit, Noret Flood, you cold, cold bastard.

So what is your work method? Give a name to the extra or nah?

Ps. I did, cuz I felt it weird to keep calling him a ruffian, thug and etc.
 

K5Rakitan

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If it's for anything more than one chapter, usually, yes. I do it on a case-by-case basis, though.
 

Sola-sama

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Yes. It's that little effort that counted. It is also easier to recount what happened if we got a name. Instead of the 'bastard' or the 'traitor', its more memorable if I use 'John' or 'Steven Werber Jegermen Jensen, he-who-was-number-one'.
 

TotallyHuman

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Absolutely. Coming up with names is fun. The troves of Trehin Jerg Zomm's and Qiunball Rexuop's are waiting to be unleashed.
 

LostLibrarian

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Depends. My named characters are those who will fulfill some role in the story. Even if it is just to die after 5 chapters.
Those who appear and disappear don't have a name, though they are normally background characters anyway and don't have any big impact. Instead, I try to focus the impact on the named characters to achieve the same effect...
 

Ilikewaterkusa

You have to take out their families...
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De
Would you give an extra a name, knowing that his/ her/ its purpose is to last for up to five chapters or less (continuously or staggered) and will never make a recurring performance when their time is up?

In some JP/ CN/ KR novels, they just refer the extra as their occupation/ cultivation level/ associating title or even just the color of their clothes. This gives me the feeling that these people aren't even people, they are just strangers you see on the streets, tools to further the plot when needed and discarded when their services are no longer required. But these are mostly for one off characters who appear in a few paragraphs or even just one chapter, I am referring to those that ended up lasting for up to five chapters.

In some extreme cases, I had seen a KR novel that had an extra who had been with MC as a porter for the entire dungeon trip and there wasn't a mention of his name even though he had been interacting with MC, he survived until the end of the trip and was never seen again. Or in CN novel, where MC got backstabbed by a rogue cultuvator and that is his name... even till death by MC's hand... their interaction lasted for ten or more chapters as MC ended up followed him into a treasure chamber and bla bla bla. Then in Randidly, the Ironwall Spearman, blessed his soul, had his name omitted everytime and the only time he speaks it out confidently, he got decapitated by a traitor. Shit, Noret Flood, you cold, cold bastard.

So what is your work method? Give a name to the extra or nah?

Ps. I did, cuz I felt it weird to keep calling him a ruffian, thug and etc.
pends on how important the character is. If it's some random old due you wave at from across teh street there isnt' a need for him to have a name but if its a girl your mc hooks up with she needs one
 

RavenRunes

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Sometimes. If they're a major part of those few chapters then yes. Not if they're just a random contact of the MCs.
 

Schultz_von

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Yes ... in my opinion it gives more flavor to the world that I create. Also, I feel bad for not giving this character name, I think of it as a participation medal.
 

strayCat0

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Depends on that character's relationship with main cast or how big the the world is (story). As in, even if they are neighbor who only gets one scene, by the virtue of kind of being friends with MC, I would name them. Also if the story's only around one single city, I would name as much as characters as possible. Especially if there's less death in my plot. Like you know, interpersonal relationships are important. Also 'Tom' is shorter than 'the cashier', and it makes the city or any other place more closer to readers. It's not adventure, so i don't see why I need to try to make nameless characters.
 

DarkeReises

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Would you give an extra a name, knowing that his/ her/ its purpose is to last for up to five chapters or less (continuously or staggered) and will never make a recurring performance when their time is up?

In some JP/ CN/ KR novels, they just refer the extra as their occupation/ cultivation level/ associating title or even just the color of their clothes. This gives me the feeling that these people aren't even people, they are just strangers you see on the streets, tools to further the plot when needed and discarded when their services are no longer required. But these are mostly for one off characters who appear in a few paragraphs or even just one chapter, I am referring to those that ended up lasting for up to five chapters.

In some extreme cases, I had seen a KR novel that had an extra who had been with MC as a porter for the entire dungeon trip and there wasn't a mention of his name even though he had been interacting with MC, he survived until the end of the trip and was never seen again. Or in CN novel, where MC got backstabbed by a rogue cultuvator and that is his name... even till death by MC's hand... their interaction lasted for ten or more chapters as MC ended up followed him into a treasure chamber and bla bla bla. Then in Randidly, the Ironwall Spearman, blessed his soul, had his name omitted everytime and the only time he speaks it out confidently, he got decapitated by a traitor. Shit, Noret Flood, you cold, cold bastard.

So what is your work method? Give a name to the extra or nah?

Ps. I did, cuz I felt it weird to keep calling him a ruffian, thug and etc.
Clearly you've never read FFF-Class Trashero, where the MC literally names people Saint A, Saint B, Mermaid A, etc. Only a handful of characters are referred to by their actual name throughout the story.
 

lambenttyto

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I am referring to those that ended up lasting for up to five chapters.
I absolutely give these characters names. You don't necessarily even need to use their names in the narrative. You can have a character call them by name. It just lends more body to the scene, but yes, it can be more confusing if there are many more names for the reader to remember. I always prefer to possibly confuse the reader with too much information rather than have a bland scene.
 

doravg

103/4001 (too lazy to count the stories again.)
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I like naming characters, but I have this rule of not introducing more than 2-3 per chapter. I got chewed out because I introduced a lot of extras during my early chapters of my first story.
 

SirDogeTheFirst

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Yes but depends. I won't name a character I will use it in only one scene, but someone who will appear more than one or two times deserves one.
 

AliceShiki

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It depends on whether or not I want my readers to remember the character.

If they are just a random knight that will appear for a scene or two and that will be that, then I think it's a waste to give a name to them. I'd rather not make the readers think that this character is relevant as I went through the trouble of giving them a name... Feels like a waste of reader memory space, really.

If it's a side character that is going to be a bit more recurring though, then yeah, they'll get names. As long as it's someone that I want the readers to remember, then they deserve a name.
 

Paul_Tromba

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I have given most of the extra characters and one time characters names Because I may use them later and it adds to the realism and immersion.
 
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