How do you refer to your heroine when she's in costume?

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CJS
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I'm curious how other writers refer to the heroine in their stories when she is in costume. The reader knows her real identity, so do you exclusively say, "Jane walked down the hall?" Or when she's in costume, do you refer to her only by her superheroine name ("Superlady walked down the hall")? Or do you do a mix of both names, along with descriptive adjectives ("The stunning superlady walked down the hall")? In other stories here, a mix of "all of the above" seems to be most common.

In my current story, the main character has been a reluctant heroine so far, and hasn't viewed herself as a superheroine. So, until now, I've referred to her by her non-super name, and she's even cringed at the name the media has given her. In an upcoming chapter I'm posting, though, she casts aside her doubts and views herself with her superheroine name. From here on out, I've been leaning toward referring to her by her superheroine name, with the occasional real name reference, when she's in costume. At times, though, it seems odd to switch between them, just a few sentences apart, since she's the same person.

Curious how others handle this, and what readers prefer.
Last edited by CJS 3 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
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IMO the reader has no trouble keeping the dual identities straight. I see no problem referring to her with her heroine name while in costume and her civilian name while not. I'd say it makes sense for her to always refer to herself by her real name in internal monologue, regardless of her current persona. I think I've been lax about this in my own writing. Perhaps I'll start taking my own advice!
Last edited by Bert 3 years ago, edited 2 times in total.
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DrDominator9
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I tend to do a mix of the character's names, more often than not using the heroine's name rather than the secret identity name on a ratio of 4 to 1 if I had to guess. I also use descriptive adjectives in there as well, such as "the blonde beauty" or a nickname type appendage such as "The Maid of Might."

I will say that when there's peril involved my beta reader vastly prefers me to use the heroine's name inasmuch as it's generally hotter for him to read that than the secret identity name. I tend to agree with this. When there's internal dialogue nearby however, I often use the secret identity name since that's more likely how the heroine sees herself. So, for me, in short, it's dependent on the scene and its needs.

If peril's the game, it's the heroine's name
If inner self is in play, personal name is the way.

That's not an unbreakable rule but there you have it from a guy who's been doing this a while.
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tallyho
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I personally use her heroine name in costume and her alias out of it when interacting with other characters in civvies and in the case of Kara El I use her Kryptonian alias when she is having moments to herself when no one is there
Kara thought through what she would do
Supergirl hit the thug
Linda said "Hi" to her friend (in my stories I use Kara's Linda Lee alias)
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SarahNoir
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It's a question I've been playing with in my head as well. I think it would depend on the character. Does the character see themselves as another person when they jump in costume or is it just a mask to conceal their identity? What does the costume mean to the character or to the population? Is the costume a symbol to the people that takes on a persona of it's own? I think it saids a lot about the character in how they refer to themselves, so it would be unique to each character and situation.
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tallyho wrote:
5 years ago
I personally use her heroine name in costume and her alias out of it when interacting with other characters in civvies and in the case of Kara El I use her Kryptonian alias when she is having moments to herself when no one is there
Kara thought through what she would do
Supergirl hit the thug
Linda said "Hi" to her friend (in my stories I use Kara's Linda Lee alias)
I would agree with this. Dr. D. I think says the same.

The only thing I would add is trust your reader. I still struggle with this, especially on first edit. But you don't need to use your character's name (heroine or other) upon every reference. If your sentence structure is correct, readers will already know who you're referencing, no attribution required.
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wondergirlsupragirl
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I like all the ideas spoken here in this thread, which are commonly used in many great pieces of writing. I prefer, in my stories, the character's using their personal identity name while being out of costume, like Kara for example. But when she transforms into costume, Kara becomes Supergirl 100%. Even during internal monologue, she thinks of herself as Supergirl. Also talking to a friend, she's referred to as Supergirl, the Girl of Steel, any name except her real name. This concept is in place to help ensure she avoids the gravity of consequences, that could happen if her personal identity is revealed to criminals. It's safer for the heroines this way, but each to their own. I think it's hot when a heroine dressed in costume, is referred to by their heroine name.
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CJS
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Thanks for all the replies here. Some good insights and ideas. I’m glad to seee my gut feeling on this is pretty consistent with the thoughts here.
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Book 1 — Superheroine (complete)
Book 2 — Power Play (complete)
Book 3 — Deconstruction (complete)
Book 4 — Savage Dawn (complete)
Book 5 — Savage Vengeance (coming January 2024)
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My only criterion is what happens to sound best in the sentence I'm writing.
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I very much prefer the civilian identity and the superheroine identity to be two distinct personas. They dress differently to each other, they move differently, they speak differently. As far as the world is concerned, they are two completely different women.

As I may have mentioned once or twice, my main SHiP kink is the unmasking of superheroines. To me, there's more to it that just the peril of the secret identity being compromised. When Batgirl's mask is ripped away to reveal Barbara Gordon's face, there's an eerie merging of the two distinct personas. Kind of like someone has swapped the heads on two very different dolls.

There's a jarring moment when we see Barbara Gordon's head on Batgirl's body and the identities are suddenly mashed-up. Will she act like librarian Barbara Gordon? Or will she continue to be Batgirl in all but mask? She always maintains a certain persona as Batgirl. But how does that work when that persona is deconstructed by the villain?

So, in answer to the original post, I feel strongly that the heroine should think of herself and be referred to by her superheroine name. There's a psychological leap for the ostensibly ordinary woman to become the extraordinary superheroine. Whether that's Batgirl or Sapphire Angel.
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I usually refer to her by the persona she's currently adopting, unless there's a situation that calls for her to tap into her other persona- for instance, a scene where she's currently her costumed alter-ego, but the key to getting out of a jam depends on her recollecting some hint or trick that she learned in her civilian life. I admit though, if I'm pretty exhausted in the moment I'm writing, sometimes I go with whichever name is shorter to save me a microsecond of typing.
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DrDominator9
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Heroine Addict wrote:
5 years ago
I very much prefer the civilian identity and the superheroine identity to be two distinct personas. They dress differently to each other, they move differently, they speak differently. As far as the world is concerned, they are two completely different women.

As I may have mentioned once or twice, my main SHiP kink is the unmasking of superheroines. To me, there's more to it that just the peril of the secret identity being compromised. When Batgirl's mask is ripped away to reveal Barbara Gordon's face, there's an eerie merging of the two distinct personas. Kind of like someone has swapped the heads on two very different dolls.

There's a jarring moment when we see Barbara Gordon's head on Batgirl's body and the identities are suddenly mashed-up. Will she act like librarian Barbara Gordon? Or will she continue to be Batgirl in all but mask? She always maintains a certain persona as Batgirl. But how does that work when that persona is deconstructed by the villain?

So, in answer to the original post, I feel strongly that the heroine should think of herself and be referred to by her superheroine name. There's a psychological leap for the ostensibly ordinary woman to become the extraordinary superheroine. Whether that's Batgirl or Sapphire Angel.
I have to admit you make some excellent points about keeping the persona rigid for the heroine depending on which one she is at the time. This avoids slip-up on her part and it's something a writer should consider, especially when writing interior thoughts. Supergirl thinking to herself "Linda, you've gotten yourself in trouble now!" that could be a problem.
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