(no subject)

[donnaimmaculata]

I don't like epithets, as I'm sure I already mentioned a couple of times. But yesterday I came across one that made me laugh (and hit the back button, too, but laugh first of all): "his godfather's best friend". Apart from the fact that it was Harry's father and not Remus who was his godfather's best friend - how much more complicated can you get? His head of house's barmy superior? The red-haired headboy's younger brother? His aunt's meaty husband's dog-breeding sister?

I understand that one can use any of those epithets when actually talking about the interactions between the people mentioned in them, but not if they are used because the author wants to avoid using the name. Have no fear of names! Names aren't evil.

Comments

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

The problem with epithets is that people have very different views on them. Some hate references to hair colour (me, for example), others hate repeating the names too often. Personally, I am guilty of overusing "the other man". It has begun to grate on my nerves whenever I reread any of my older fics. In future, I will make use of names and pronouns alone, I swear!

I'm sure she'd be very flattered if you offered her your beta services ;-)

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

Ah, the hair colour thing. I see.

Ooh, Bill/Kingsley smut! I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it. Such yummy pairing. Go on, write it. Shoo!

[atalantapendrag.livejournal.com]

"The other man" grates if overused. "The other" makes me want to claw my eyes out.

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

"The other man" has been used by so many authors (I'm no exception) that the phrase has begun to stand out. It is impossible now for me to ignore it and this is when it seriously disrupts the flow of the story.

[idlerat.livejournal.com]

"The other man" (cf younger/older/taller/more magically endowed man) and hair color are the biggest offenders. Blech. For some reason this seems to me like a close relative of using intransitive verbs transitively-- like someone feels they're reaching for Good Writing by minimizing pronouns.

'Good morning!' the redhead greeted.

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

The other man" (cf younger/older/taller/more magically endowed man) and hair color are the biggest offenders.

They are indeed. Using epiteths makes sense sometimes if it is done to stress interrelations or interactions between the characters, but it must stand in a context.

It's also similar to avoiding using "said" and replacing it with other verbs, as demonstrated in gmth's latest entry.