Suspension of disbelief -- kinda

[Droflet]

Hello Chrons.

The earlier part of my MS is seen through the eyes of an eleven year old MC. It has been suggested to me, by a fellow wanna be writier, that a kid of this age would not describe things in the same manner as the writer does (an old fart like me, in other words).

There is a certain logic to the arguement but I'm wondering if this falls into the suspension of disbelief category. OR, if readers generally get it. Yes he's young, but it isn't a YA book so certain liberties are acceptable. I have posted some of this work here and no one has raised this issue. They've raised every other issue (and thanks for that), but not this one.

Thoughts, opinions, best guesses?

 

[HareBrain]

It's difficult to write realistically as such a young character (in a very close third-person view, anway), without the risk of boring the reader with the limited vocabulary such a character would have, and without finding yourself frustratingly limited, though it can be done. I originally started out my current WIP determined to keep to the vocab etc of the POV characters (generally intelligent but about 20-ish), but found myself straying, and in the end coming to an arrangement with myself that I would allow myself a certain amount of leeway, particularly in description. I guess I could summarise it as that I would use only those words the characters might credibly understand if they read them, even if they would never use them in conversation. But with an average eleven-year-old, even this might be pretty restrictive.

It depends where you want to be on the continuum between omniscient narrator and close third-person. If the rest of your POVs are very close and tight (almost reflecting their exact thoughts with no narratorly input), then your erudite child will stand out. If not, then you have less of a potential problem. But readers will probably give you a lot of leeway if the story is good. Just don't have the child reflecting on the existential angst of his life.

 

[Droflet]

Thanks HB. I think I'll rewrite it from a different pov. That won't be as close as I want but I have a tendency to have him speaking beyond his years, in such a way that would jar the readers SOB. Thanks for taking the time. T.

 

[chopper]

my MC is also fairly young, but the book's tone is quite ummm....wordy, i think is the best description. Everything is seen from her POV, but in 3rd person so there is a little distance. i'm relying on the fact that she's young and naive to account for the fact that she doesn't put 1+1 together in the same way that readers (probably) will, missing the significance of various important plot points. (she also has a slight chaste infatuation with another character, but that's a different matter).

i think there's a difference between describing what a particular character sees and viewing the world through that character's eyes, especially if you use a 1st person narrative. 3rd person gives you more leeway in that respect.

 

[Droflet]

Ta Chopper.

 

[Boneman]

Read Ender's Game... okay he's very intelligent, but it came over so naturally (and starts with him aged about seven, I think) that it was seamless. I think a certain latitude is very acceptable if the storytelling is good - which I'm sure it is.

 

[Droflet]

Thanks for that Bony. And there's the rub. I'm no Orson Scott Card. I agree that he did it beautifully but I ain't him. Hmmm, Telford slinks away to consider the word latitude. Ta.