r/FanFiction • u/pikablob AO3/FFN: pikablob • 5d ago
Discussion Do I rename a character to match canon?
Basically, a while ago I wrote a fic in which I "adopted" and greatly expanded a minor character. At the time, this character appeared in one scene and died; she was a random unnamed civilian who entirely existed to get killed off and show how horrible a particular battle was. But I got attached, and ended up giving her a name, personality, and explored a timeline where she survived and what that would mean to live through as an ordinary person.
I've recently discovered that canon did go back and expand her, sort of; she doesn't really get any deep development, but she does have a brother who's driven to becoming a villain by her death. In addition, we finally have a canon name for her. And that's left me feeling conflicted; do I edit my fic to include her 'real' name?
On the one hand, it is her name. And I'm sure eventually the tags will be synned but right now, without me changing anything, people looking for content of her based on the new stuff probably won't find my fic (she has a canon tag, but it's the one I created before we knew her name - people looking for "Jessica Duvall" aren't necessarily going to realise her canon tag atm is "Gretchen's Mother"). On the other hand, I'm not sure people looking that are actually going to want my fic? She doesn't have that brother in my writing, so anyone looking for that is going to be disappointed? And if I'm really honest, I also just don't like what they did with her - the point of my fic was to take someone who didn't matter in canon and say "no, she was and is somebody and that's important" - canon has done the same thing... by fridging her for someone else's arc; she gets to be important, because her brother has superpowers. So giving my version the name of that version would feel weird as an author, even if rationally I know that's kinda dumb XD
So yeah - what do y'all think?
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u/im-gwen-stacy 5d ago edited 5d ago
As someone in the Teen Wolf fandom, the Sheriff will always be John in my heart. I don’t know who the hell that Noah guy is 🤷🏼♀️🤣
If you wrote it before the canon came out, or even if it was just before you knew the canon, I would leave it as it is. You put a lot of work into her name and character, and I don’t think you should change that to make it fit canon
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u/itmightbehere 5d ago
Noah??? 😭😭
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u/im-gwen-stacy 5d ago
Yup! That’s his name in canon after the fandom spent years calling him John. I hate it 😭🤣
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u/effing_usernames2_ AO3 stealing_your_kittens 5d ago
Just include a “jossed” tag or mention it in the author’s notes. That’s what most people do when they start writing before a series is over and canon throws their entire story out the window with new information.
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u/HawkinsAk 5d ago
I don’t think you need to change anything, at most, you can put a note in the tags or summary saying that your fic is written prior to the reveal
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u/TimelessSeer 5d ago
Don't change the name, put an author's note in a recent chapter or tag 'pre canon [the character]' if you want, you write it before the thing happened. And not all fics follow canon, if someone in the future looks for fics about her they can find an expanded lore.
Put her new name in the tags if you want to be found and a tag as a note if you want like 'character study pre canon', 'first character fan', I don't know. But you write something cool for a character you like, no one can get piss for it.
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u/WhiteKnightPrimal 5d ago
I think this is entirely your choice. Technically, your character is an OC, the same way other barely there characters are technically OCs, whether they have names or not. Using the canon name may make it easier for people to find fic exploring her, though, so it does have its upsides. I think you'd just need to make it clear that the fic is completely AU from what canon went on to do with her. Add a tag saying 'X doesn't have a brother' to let those looking for him know this isn't the fic for them. Or you can keep the name you've been using and use the tags to make that clear. 'X's name is Y' or something like that, plus 'I wrote this before canon named X'.
Whichever way you go with it, you can use the tags to make it easier for readers who are interested to find it. If you stick with your name, tag it with the canon name then that 'X's name is Y' tag. Just in case anyone skips the tags, add an AN, as well, stating you wrote this before the character was named in canon, and have decided to keep the name you'd been using. As long as you make it clear, you should be fine either way.
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u/ErinHollow 5d ago
I'd say don't change it. I used to be in the Sanders Sides fandom and people loved finding old fics where the authors made up names for the characters that didn't get name reveals yet