TIL that naming characters with similar first letters actually works

I used to think it was lazy writing when authors gave three characters names starting with the same letter. But I tried it out on a short story last month, had a Mark, a Megan, and a Mitchell in the same scene. My beta reader said it felt more cohesive somehow, like they belonged to the same family or group. Has anyone else found a writing trick they thought was stupid but turned out helpful?

2 comments

2 Comments

wendy_garcia165d ago

Honestly I thought the same thing until I tried it too. "Like they belonged to the same family or group" is exactly how my readers described it. I had a Sarah and a Sam in one chapter and everyone just assumed they were siblings, even though they weren't related at all. Do you think that connection holds up if the names share a sound instead of the same first letter, like Kate and Cait?

tyler_white424d ago

Haha watch out, next thing you know people will think Kate and Cait are twins separated at birth. Might as well add a Catie and a Katy to really confuse everyone.