View Message

[Opinions] So... which spelling of this nickname?
This, YET AGAIN, is for my book. One of the main characters' name is Evelyn, and her nickname is Evie. How should I spell it, so it doens't look like EE-vee? Does Evvie look too weird? Is Evie ok?
Thanks for putting up with me again!
--KitFree Image Hosting
Archived Thread - replies disabled
vote up1

Replies

Evey would best communicate EVV-y to me. Evvie in type looks like Ewie, which isn't exactly appealing. :-/
Image hosting by Photobucket
www.qwantz.com
vote up1
I work with a woman named Evelyn who goes by Evie, pronounced EV-ee (not EE-vee). I'd leave it as Evie, possibly Evey, and just clarify the pronunciation in the beginning somehow. Like she is correcting another character on how to say her name, etc. :b ~Heather~
vote up1
I like that, but the problem is no one really reads in the story (it's late Middle Ages)
Free Image Hosting
vote up1
Evie
MJ

Image hosting by Photobucket
vote up1
How about Evi? or Evvi, or Evvy also.
vote up1
Yeah, those work. I never thought of Evi... Thanks!
Free Image Hosting
vote up1
I would pronunce Evvie as EH-vee. Evie, Evey, or Evy would be the ones I'd consider as EE-vee, and I prefer them, but I just realized that I misread your question! Perhaps use Evvy? That would look more natural to me than Evvie, because it's similar to Livvy. Array

Russ Feingold is a hero.
Censure President Bush.

This message was edited 3/31/2006, 9:21 PM

vote up1
Evie mI don't think that there is anything wrong with the EE prn despite the full name (which I love, btw). I definitely like the look of Evie better than Evvie. Besides, since it's in text and not spoken, readers are going to put their own spin on it anyway.Imagine my shock when they made The Bone Collector a movie. I'd been picturing the main character in a brooding, Julian MacMahon type way, and they cast Denzel Washington. He did a fine job, but geez. Not what I was expecting. Same thing with the names. Part of the joy of books is making it your own, interacting with the text.(Or for a more relevant example: we're reading Uncle Tom's Cabin in American Lit right now, and I had been prn Emmeline's character as Emme-LEEN. Then my professor and most of the class started saying Emme-LINE, much to my chagrin. It happens.)Go with the spelling you like. Chances are your audience will make up its own prns anyway. :)

vote up1
I assume you want it to look like eh-vee instead of ee-vee then?I pro. Evie and Evey and Evy as eh-vee, personally... I think it's just one of those names people are going to pronounce how they want, no matter the spelling. You could spell it Ehvee and people would still say ee-vee... Sorry!Away around this could be incorporating a line of dialogue explaining how to say it, along the lines of:random character (R.C.) - "Why'd you put Evie on here instead of Evelyn?"Evie - "It's eh-vee, not ee-vee, and I used it because nobody calls me Evelyn."orR.C. picks up phone - "eh-vee? I don't know an eh-vee... oh, you mean Evelyn, yeah, hold on - hey EVIE! EVELYN! PHONE FOR YOU!"lmao.:-) lol I've read loads of books with similar situations, all done to make sure people say the name right! I'm pretty sure JKR does a similar thing in one of her books for Hermione and Sirius :) Though, hers are much more subtle! lol
"Chan eil tuil air nach tig traoghadh"
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds - Half of writing history is hiding the truth.
- Serenity
vote up1
Thanks! Which spelling do you like best?
Free Image Hosting
vote up1
Evie :-) I think it's prettier than Evey and Evvie.
"Chan eil tuil air nach tig traoghadh"
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds - Half of writing history is hiding the truth.
- Serenity

This message was edited 3/31/2006, 9:08 PM

vote up1
You could spell it Evie and have someone in the story mispronounce it and be corrected.Evvie looks like Ewie to me. Not good.
vote up1
Hey, that's a thought... thanks!!
Free Image Hosting
vote up1
Sure!
vote up1
I prn. Evie as EE-vee, so that gets my vote.~Erin Lee, wife of Matthew James, mama to Sarah Patrice~
vote up1