The writers' place

[Kor]

Since apparently there are many people here who like to write stories, I thought about creating this topic.

While you could post your stories/chapters/etc. in this thread, this isn't the main intention here. It's meant for help, advice and stuff like that. If you have any problem, I'm sure someone would be glad to help you. We can also discuss on stuff like, writing styles, goods and bads, story structures, what you do to improve your writing, etc.

So......let me start by asking a question.
Right now, I'm writing something intended for kids, basically your normal fantasy settings (fantasy world, magic, creatures, etc.). So I'm in a conflict about the creatures' names. In general, they are mostly the usual folk and mythical creatures from Europe, and I use the name "sprites" for them, but my problem is with specific names. For example, trolls - should I call them trolls or invent another name for them?
I could go in several ways about this:
1) Give them a different name
2) Call them in the familiar name
3) Not give them a name at all and use only "sprites" as their name
Since I don't actually change the whole concept of a troll, if I use another name, it would still be a creature that is somehow like a troll (or a goblin, or any one of those creatures that have already 50 different versions in fiction), but just the name would be different. So while it might show some originality (Use a stock creature and give it a different name - yay originality  ), kids would be more familiar with the name "troll" so it would be easier for them to get what I'm talking about and have a good picture of it.

[sonoci]

Hm, I'd say if it's for kids sticking with a common name would be a good way to go so they're not confused. Maybe to add originality you could give the trolls a naming system like...their names have to start with T, R, O, or L. xD

My teachers have always said that clarity is important and that style will come with time. I think that's a good thing to stick by, especially when it comes to a kids story.

I wish I had more input but I'm kind of drowsy/out of it right now

[Akonyl]

either 1 or 2 is fine, I would never call a troll a sprite. I'm not even sure if a troll could be called a sprite, but with the general sense of the word, sprites are generally seen to be the less violent, more peaceful or mischevious types, like fairies, pixies, nymphs, etc. Goblins may also be sprites, but they're traditionally more mischevious than they are violent, unlike trolls. Or maybe I'm looking for the word "brutish" instead of "violent", but either way, wouldn't call a troll a sprite.

I would say that as long as there's nothing particularly different with them from "regular" trolls (on the scale of "sparkling vampires"), then just call them trolls as kids would be able to recognize the name a lot easier than the various made-up creature/race names in the story.

[Kor]

This depends on your definition or your "source material"

For example:

Although in modern culture they are often depicted as young, sometimes winged, humanoids of small stature, they originally were depicted much differently: tall, radiant, angelic beings or short, wizened trolls being two of the commonly mentioned forms. Diminutive fairies of one kind or another have been recorded for centuries, but occur alongside the human-sized beings; these have been depicted as ranging in size from very tiny up to the size of a human child.[9] Even with these small fairies, however, their small size may be magically assumed rather than constant.[10]

I do see your point, though (since we're in modern times).
My original intention was to call the creatures "spirits" (since it's more general), but I thought the term is a bit overused and can be a bit confusing, so I decided to go with "sprites".
Maybe I'll just refer to the "brutish creatures" as monsters instead of sprites.

[Chekhov MacGuffin]

I believe the principle is "don't call a rabbit a Smeerp". Unless your critters significantly diverge from anything that existed in folk tales, I wouldn't go about inventing a new name for them unless said pre-existing name is significantly lame (eg. brownies) and there aren't good alternatives. You could reach for a sort of similar foreign loanword (Kobold instead of goblin, Undine instead of merpeople), but if the name is completely foreign, that is only a marginal improvement on creating a new name. Another option is corrupting the traditional name slightly to imply differentness. ("goblyn")

Google any name you think of using first to see what context it was used in earlier, if any. You wouldn't want to inadvertently copy something used by another better-than-marginally-known writer in the same genre subsection (if only to avoid accusations of copying or frivolous lawsuits), or find out after publishing that a really popular adult novelist used the same name for their sex-crazed tentacle monsters.

[mangaluva]

If it looks like a troll, walks like a troll and acts like a troll, call it a duck troll. You can still call it a troll and give it the common characteristics of a troll while still doing something original- look at the stuff Sir Pterry manages while using the generic traits of vampires, trolls, dwarves, orcs and goblins.

[Kor]

Google any name you think of using first to see what context it was used in earlier, if any. You wouldn't want to inadvertently copy something used by another better-than-marginally-known writer in the same genre subsection (if only to avoid accusations of copying or frivolous lawsuits)

While the troll thing was only an example, I don't think there is copyright over names from folk tales, just like there is no copyright over classical music. Tolkien probably used most of what was in folk tales. If you use a certain concept that was used by someone else, then you can be sued. For example, sparkling vampires are out of the question (well, for more than one reason of course, but this is the same "concept" that came to my mind).
With names, it basically goes like this: You can call your character Hermione, but don't make her a book-worm little girl who is learning to become a wizard.

Perhaps I won't throw in the common folktale creatures so soon, though, and first use something more unique.

[sstimson]

It is writer privilege. It depends are several things.

1) Is the story on Earth or Elsewhere
On earth a troll might be a troll, but say at a planet whos' name I made up a Troll cold be called gsdfg
Just be sure to tell the reader exact what ever you call it  their habit, look, and behavior
2) Is the story for young or older children?
Older kids are better at handing different names. If it is young kids then indeed call a troll a troll unless you think it might scare then, the change the name as much as you dare to something less scary.
3)Do you need to call the group a name or can you give them names  like for example Tom, Dick, Harry, George, instead of calling them as a group trolls?

Answering these questions should help. Good luck

[Akonyl]

It is writer privilege. It depends are several things.

1) Is the story on Earth or Elsewhere
On earth a troll might be a troll, but say at a planet whos' name I made up a Troll cold be called gsdfg
Just be sure to tell the reader exact what ever you call it  their habit, look, and behavior
2) Is the story for young or older children?
Older kids are better at handing different names. If it is young kids then indeed call a troll a troll unless you think it might scare then, the change the name as much as you dare to something less scary.
3)Do you need to call the group a name or can you give them names  like for example Tom, Dick, Harry, George, instead of calling them as a group trolls?

Answering these questions should help. Good luck

yes, you can, but there's no point and depending on the story's pacing, it serves only as detrimental even if the story is aimed at older people.

Let's say I write a story, and I make the world populated by Humans, Elves, Orcs, Goblins, Trolls, Fairies, Kappas, Angels, Demons, etc, when a character goes "oh hey the goblins are attacking" after goblins haven't been mentioned for a while, your brain still goes "oh yeah the goblins I remember them".

But if instead, I name them Humans, Asdiviri, Qweriviri, Opiviri, Gulliviri, Coloviri, Rascaviri, Quoloviri, Zoloviri, etc, and then a guy says "hey the Opiviri are attacking" after the Opiviri, Gulliviri, Rascaviri and Zoloviri haven't been mentioned for a while, the reader goes "...Opiviri? I think... those were the trolls, right? Or were those the goblins? Are the fairies attacking?"

Unless there is an in-world difference between a Goblin and an Opiviri, or a reason to not call them Goblins (like to show a language barrier between an Elf who's listening to a Human), there's no reason to not call them Goblins. Remember, your characters probably wouldn't be speaking English anyway in a separate world, so the book itself is being "translated" from whatever language your characters would really be speaking.

Obfuscation without purpose has no point. That's basically a tautology, but you get my drift.