Starsreader
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
I am devouring the snippet like short books on Penric, excellent idea pacing them out like this and whispersyncing the ebook with the audiobook. When writing these, I always love the names you find for the protagonists (may have mentioned that earlier). It's almost sad if Penric gets shortened to Pen, though, so would you consider this compromise: use Pen in spoken language, and Penric, in full, in storytelling?
Lois McMaster Bujold
After typing out "Vorkosigan" approximately one million times, I was determined that my next series protagonist should have as short a name as possible.
"Pen" vs. "Penric" is decided on the fly, according to who is speaking, in what mode, whether I'm just establishing things or am further along, sentence rhythm, and how much variation or lack-of-repetition I need in a particular passage.
(I actually made up the name "Penric", constructing it from a syllable salad, and then discovered it is also a real name. Not a common one, though.)
Unlike Tolkien, who apparently adored naming things, naming is a bit of a burden for me. It is necessary to defamiliarize names from our-world, key them to their respective distinct languages and cultures, and try not to inadvertently name people after obscure airplane parts or bad words in foreign tongues. The rise of internet searches makes checking the latter much more possible than it used to be, but also more necessary.
Ta, L.
"Pen" vs. "Penric" is decided on the fly, according to who is speaking, in what mode, whether I'm just establishing things or am further along, sentence rhythm, and how much variation or lack-of-repetition I need in a particular passage.
(I actually made up the name "Penric", constructing it from a syllable salad, and then discovered it is also a real name. Not a common one, though.)
Unlike Tolkien, who apparently adored naming things, naming is a bit of a burden for me. It is necessary to defamiliarize names from our-world, key them to their respective distinct languages and cultures, and try not to inadvertently name people after obscure airplane parts or bad words in foreign tongues. The rise of internet searches makes checking the latter much more possible than it used to be, but also more necessary.
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Norine Luker
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Happy Holidays, Lois. I am rereading Penric's novellas, and I was struck at how much Penric changed between the first novella and the second. What experiences did he go through that gave him so much self-confidence? (If you would prefer, feel free to write another novella talking about those years :) )
Catherine Nemeth
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
In “Penric and the Bandit”, Pen compares the Bastard’s very flexible type of justice that would seek ways to save Roz from a life of crime and set him on a better path to the Father’s law-based justice that would instead presumably only punish him (losing a hand or hanging). Do all the Gods have their own version/style/sense of justice, and would you be able to venture what they might be?
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