What's In A (Nick) Name?

So now that I’ve talked about titles, you’re going to think I’m obsessed with names. I never thought so, but sometimes the crazy person is the last to know.

In any case, I’m big on nicknames. I know there are those of you out there who hate, despise, and abhor a nickname, but Billy is so much warmer and more approachable than William, don’t you think?

This is as true when it comes to my characters as it is in my life. Nick in LIKE A KNIFE, was Nick, not Dominic or Nicholas. And to some in the book, he was even Nicky. The hero in TELL ME NO LIES was Henry to his mother, Hank to everyone else (including me). I also love it when characters give nicknames to each other. In DEAD RINGER, Angelina liked to call Finn, Sharkman.

My heroines have been called various sobriquets by their heroes:

Wonder Woman, Tough Girl, and Short Stack to name a few.

I already have a nickname picked out for one the characters in my next book, but I shall remain mum on what it is for now.

In my own life, nicknames reign high. My daughter is Boo, Lucy, Lucinda, Lucinda Binda, Beeka, and Sweetpea, depending on whose talking to her (3 guesses as to who calls her the latter…and it ain’t me). My own declensions go from Annie to Nanny, to Nahn, to Nahnny and Nonnie, and lately just Auhntie. I also get Short Person a lot (if you guess Sweatpea correctly you’ll also figure out who came up with this one) plus Whill and Qwhill--but that’s another story…

Do nicknames change who you are or how you behave? Is Katie more likely to spill the milk than Kate? There are times when you want to be formal—like accepting the Nobel Peace Prize and stuff like that. On the other hand, did Al Gore accept as Al or Albert?

And is it a true nickname if you give it to yourself? I suspect not. It’s gotta be bestowed on you, like the knights of yore: Kneel, Sir Knight! I now dub you Sir Nardo (alias of one of my brother’s friends) or Sir Karl (my brother’s evil twin, who comes out when he’s playing Euchre).

So…I gotta ask. Got nicknames?