Name Calling

Ever notice how rarely people say names? I mean directly, to the person whose name it is.

One of the differences between writing regular fiction and writing scripts (for me, anyhow) is the tendency to use names in dialogue to make it easier to follow.

In real life, people don’t use names casually. We say someone’s name for emphasis, or to get their attention, or to refer to them in the third person. We don’t throw names at people--- at least I don’t, and I don’t hear it done often.

My personal exception to this: two women at my gym, both of whom use my name repeatedly whenever they see me. It’s noticeable because I never told either of them what it is. This is true of one man also, but I ignore him.

There is a cliché, the awkwardness of having forgotten someone’s name. I’m used to that and I bulldoze through it directly and honestly. It’s like buying toilet paper. Why be embarrassed by a universal experience?

No, I’m not going anywhere with this. This is a rant, not a manifesto. I’ll let you know when I actually have a point.