Initials in names

[PattiTheWicked]

Guess who's back,
Back again,
Patti's back,
tell your friends ...

OK, now that I got that out of my system, i have a question as to formatting of names in a manuscript.

I have a character whose name is TJ, just the letters. When typing, do I type it as "TJ" or as "T.J." with the periods in there?

I do realize this is one of the more anal retentive things I could be worrying about, but it just irks my tater that I don't KNOW the answer!!

[ViatMortege]

Depends on circumstance; but I always format mine V.V.M.
Maybe it's just my way of thinking, but the more professional, the better.

[citymouse]

Sara Paretsky writes the V.I.Warshawski detective novels.

Her heroine is known as V.I. My guess is she does that because VI would look like a Roman numeral. In your case, TJ would read to me just fine.

As for the V.I.W novels, I recommend them for light reading.

[veinglory]

I would include the periods.

[PattiTheWicked]

I've solved the dilemma, and just named him Jeff.

[reph]

Some people have first names that consist only of initials. They had eccentric parents, I guess. For that kind of name – which might promote an air of mystery or "differentness" about a character – you'd use just letters.

[PattiTheWicked]

I have a friend whose name is Jimmy D Lastname, and the D doesn't stand for anything. It's just D. The letter. I asked him about it once, and he said his parents couldn't agree on a middle name, but they liked the way Jimmy D sounded, and there it was.

Of course, he has a younger brother whose middle name is Taupe (yes, like the color) so I guess D isn't so bad after all.