Style question -- Sr/Jr

[Floyd]

I've done a number of stories in the past that involve multiple family members prominently, thus making standard style of using last name on second reference more complicated, and for the sake of readability, I usually just default to first names throughout (particularly if it's not a particularly hard-news story). But I've got a piece I'm working on now about a father and son, both with the same name -- just one's a Sr. and the other a Jr.

Any thoughts on the best way of handing this throughout the story to ensure it's clear who's being referenced without it reading as overly clunky?

 

[Songbird]

I am staunch on this one.

It's Mike Smith Jr.

Not Mike Smith, Jr. Don't break up the reader's flow.

As for referencing them throughout the story I'd keep it simple: Mike Smith Jr. or Mike Smith Sr. on every reference unless you throw in "the elder Smith said" every so often.

 

[joe_schmoe]

Exactly what Songbird said.