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HelpRe: "Victorian Gothic" pseudonym for a heroine (and her "very normal" real name)
in reply to a message by erb816
My first thought for her alias first name is Lucretia. Lucretia Moon? It does depend on what sort of persona she's going for with her medium act. French? Eastern European? And it depends how literate/educated she is.
As for her regular name, well, I'm thinking Lizzie, maybe not even short for Elizabeth. That was often done, especially among the lower classes.
Lizzie Lovejoy?
Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you criticize him, you're a mile away and you have his shoes!
Steve Martin
As for her regular name, well, I'm thinking Lizzie, maybe not even short for Elizabeth. That was often done, especially among the lower classes.
Lizzie Lovejoy?
Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you criticize him, you're a mile away and you have his shoes!
Steve Martin
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For surnames (real), I've been thinking one-syllable, no-nonsense punches: Banks, Hunt, Crewe, Rye...
What I'm envisioning so far is that she's not formally educated, but pretty much self-taught literacy based on a limited collection of book (possibly stolen, still working out those details), plays in particular: Shakespeare, Marlowe, Dickens, etc. Maybe Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Definitely the Bible. So she'd know about famous English writers, but not much about Classical mythology or history.
The persona is "half French and grew up on the Continent," so I've been looking at French surnames for the pseudonym (if it's even part of the name she gives out, and not just "Madame [first name]").
I didn't realize that about diminutives as real names in the 19th century, that being a common thing. I thought that was more modern.
What I'm envisioning so far is that she's not formally educated, but pretty much self-taught literacy based on a limited collection of book (possibly stolen, still working out those details), plays in particular: Shakespeare, Marlowe, Dickens, etc. Maybe Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Definitely the Bible. So she'd know about famous English writers, but not much about Classical mythology or history.
The persona is "half French and grew up on the Continent," so I've been looking at French surnames for the pseudonym (if it's even part of the name she gives out, and not just "Madame [first name]").
I didn't realize that about diminutives as real names in the 19th century, that being a common thing. I thought that was more modern.
Yes, diminutives as full names was very common. Names like Annie, Eliza, Fanny, Tom, Dick and yes, Harry, were all in the top 100 for Victorian-born babies.