Identity Crisis

[tarotgal]

Help.

So, I finally got up the courage tonight (after 4 sessions of being scared to do so) to workshop one of my Strokes stories at Writers' Roundtable. It's the fifth (of seven) in the series of Sinclair stories that I want to put together in a collection, but it actually works in such a way that I really didn't have to explain the complexities of the series or his situation, so I was glad. I expected the first comment to be something like "wait, why did they drive there in a limo?" but no one even mentioned the limo! LOL Out of all seven stories, this was the one I was most worried about writing-wise, but it went over really well with them, which was a surprise and relief, actually. I guess it wasn't as bad as I thought. One person asked about how he could afford college, but no limo question. LOL

One person did have a huge problem with his name, though. She didn't like him being called Sin. Didn't like it at all. And if I try really hard, I can understand what she's saying--that it sounds like I'm implying that he embodies/symbolizes sin just because he's gay. And once she said it, everyone nodded and was on board with me changing the name. And it's true, I don't want to even remotely imply that being gay is a sin. But... I also can't change his name. I just can't. Sweetie's name, for example... believe me, if I could change it now, I probably would. Because when I workshop these to outside readers it's a tad embarrassing. But that's his name. It's his NAME. I can't change it. I know they're only nicknames, but I can't change them. I just can't.

I fought with myself on the drive home from the meeting... the problem is, the title is even MORE indicative of some judgement call: "Seven Strokes of Sin." At the time I thought it was an adorably clever play on his name and the club's name. But now I'm worried. Not REALLY worried because, let's face it, I'm the only one who's going to buy a copy of the book. But... I don't want to imply anything that isn't true.

Sin, to me, was more than just an abbreviation of his last name and a fun thing to play around with as far as hockey slogans and the irony that the boy is as Catholic as they come. To me, it was also in part a way of reclaiming the word, giving it a different meaning/connotation.

But it's really too late to change it in my mind. Not too late to change the title... but I can't change his name. Can't. I've lived with him in my head for too long now.

Maybe I'm worrying too much. My friend Will, who happens to be gay, read "Okay" and didn't mention anything about his name being offensive. I should ask him. But of course not everyone would have a problem with it. But I don't want to create something that some people will have a big problem with. I just didn't expect my works to ever, you know, be read into more deeply than I'd intended. LOL Certainly not these pieces, at least. Maybe some of the literary short stories I wrote back in college or as exercises, perhaps.

What do you think? Those of you who know Sin... do you remember how you felt about his name when you first met him in "Okay"? Probably not; that was years ago. But any thoughts would be appreciated. The writers tonight started giving me alternative nicknakes and I silently self-destructed internally.

Thoughts? Alternative title suggestions? I thought I could bundle others using the same sort of format. "A Marriage in Five Strokes" for example ;-)

Comments

[tinadp.livejournal.com]

First my disclaimer, you know I'm not a real writer at the level you are and I haven't read your Strokes fics in a long time(though I did enjoy them). I think that you should keep Sin's name as it is. If that's who he is to you, that's "him" how could you just change it. He's been with you a long time(in your head even before he was written I imagine) he's already "established" I don't know if that's the correct term or not but I feel like his name is already part of him.
I would not have made any connection tha the name Sin was any type of judgement. I know how anti gay you are ;)
I like the title too,
Hope this is a little helpful, consider it thoughts from one of your fans :)

[melydia.livejournal.com]

I've never read any of your Strokes stories, but I know how attached you are to the characters so I'd never suggest you change their names unless you decided that, say, Ichigo Yatsui was the perfect name for a pure-blooded Irishman. ;)

Do any of the stories explain how Sin and Sweetie got their nicknames? And honestly, if Sin is a shortened form of his real name (or even just a play on it), then I think that's an appropriate name for him regardless of the irony.