Quick Fire Questions (A Place to Ask and Answer)

[Ursa major]

Jenn had navigated the London Underground, successfully, she supposed, despite getting off at the wrong stop and having to re-board, as she now sat inside a bus shelter just across the road from a grey-bricked building she knew housed Herold’s Talent Agency.

The meat of these words is, really:

Jenn sat inside a bus shelter just across the road from a grey-bricked building she knew to be Herold's Talent Agency.

The bit about faffing about on the Tube is added colour and, I suppose, showing the reader that Jenn is distracted by something**. Is this "something" already known to the reader? Or will it be revealed? I hope it's one of these, because otherwise, I'm not sure the Tube-faffing is adding much to the story.


** - Given that most inner-city Tube stations are below ground***, and so anyone alighting from a train cannot see that they've got off at the wrong station (and thus they have to deduce this by noticing the station name isn't what they'd expected), Jenn must have known the station she required before she got on the train. I can't think of anything, other than being distracted (by her thoughts or by someone/something she saw), that would cause her to get off too early.

*** - Though some on the cut-and-cover lines may, I believe, be open to the sky.

 

[David Evil Overlord]

T

** - Given that most inner-city Tube stations are below ground***, and so anyone alighting from a train cannot see that they've got off at the wrong station (and thus they have to deduce this by noticing the station name isn't what they'd expected), Jenn must have known the station she required before she got on the train. I can't think of anything, other than being distracted (by her thoughts or by someone/something she saw), that would cause her to get off too early.

Sometimes (not very often, but it does happen) the automated announcement gets out-of-synch with reality. It tells you you're arriving at Camberwell station, so you arrive and you get off, only to discover you're actually at Auburn station. One stop too soon. Curse you, automated voice!

 

[Interference]

Despite getting off at the wrong stop and having to re-board, Jenn had navigated the London Underground, she supposed, successfully, considering that now she sat inside a bus shelter just across the road from a grey-bricked building she knew housed Herold’s Talent Agency.


I know, I know, the book's already been published and the critics are raving about your style and the "navigated successfully" sentence is being quoted by your devoted acolytes throughout the civilised world, but this is how I'd've done it had I a tenth of the talent I pretend to have

 

[subtletylost]

How do you write omnisciently? Because I am writing a short story with both a male and a female POV character.

 

[Abernovo]

You narrate it as if you're a god, basically, able to see everything. He did this. What he didn't know was that she was doing that, at exactly the same time. (A poor example, but hopefully it makes sense.) The narrator knows everything in the universe of the novel.

How close are the POVs? Omniscience is normally the province of third person, I think.

 

[Mouse]

Thanks all for your help and suggestions. Much appreciated!

The bit about faffing about on the Tube is added colour and, I suppose, showing the reader that Jenn is distracted by something. Is this "something" already known to the reader? Or will it be revealed? I hope it's one of these, because otherwise, I'm not sure the Tube-faffing is adding much to the story.

I'm hoping the reader'll know she's not overly confident about being in London - she's already had a mini 'what the hell am I doing here?!' moment. And she's had a psychic get pretty intense with her the eve before so that's probably on her mind.

So she's just sort of generally distracted/nervous, rather than having anything specific on the journey distract her. (No ghosts on the train... though I like that idea!)

 

[Venusian Broon]

(No ghosts on the train... though I like that idea!)

I'm sure I've met loads of ghosts on the tube, but I think they all appear like commuters; and no one talks anyway, so you can't tell who's really real...

...and yet weird stuff happens. I got 'pole-danced' by a rather inebriated young woman (uni student I presume) for about 3 stops on the central line (at the time the carriage was pretty empty and I must have been the vaguely closest to 'reasonable looking'). That was pretty scary sober.

 

[RJM Corbet]

How do you write omnisciently? Because I am writing a short story with both a male and a female POV character.

This seemed an easy one, then you start thinking about it. But perhaps 'Once upon a time'? It's an overview approach?

 

[Colbey Frost]

This seemed an easy one, then you start thinking about it. But perhaps 'Once upon a time'? It's an overview approach?

Or, do different scenes from different POV... keep going on one POV then switch to the other, but don't do it after a few paragraphs, do it a chapter at a time, or for different scenes within the chapters.

You could have each character trying to figure things out themselves and because they don't talk much, or want to be the first to figure things out, you could have them both get bits that the other doesn't. And it isn't until they combine that you get the whole picture...

I think I've been clear in what I've tried to get over to you, but at the same time I feel my brain needs air. Good luck. Am not well. Ha.

 

[RJM Corbet]

Or, do different scenes from different POV... keep going on one POV then switch to the other, but don't do it after a few paragraphs, do it a chapter at a time ...

Or a book at a time, like 'The Alexandria Quartet' by Lawrence Durell. It's made up of four books, each one from a different character's inner world, and they all view the same situations completely differently, depending on how their lives intersect. Some of them are definitely not too well, either ...

 

[Jo Zebedee]

The Deptford Trilogy does that, too, and it's brilliant. The first pov is the best, though, but each adds a new layer.

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Aaargh! Need a first name for a character. One of those names that you're not sure if the character is male or female (e.g. Chris could be Christopher or Christine, or Sam could be Samuel or Samantha).

In this story, the names Sam and Chris are already taken.

Any ideas?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Jo. All the best people are called Jo. Honest.

 

[RJM Corbet]

... Any ideas?

Hoo, boy! That is SO lazy.

But here goes. I start with Bobby ...

Sorry Springs, missed your post

 

[allmywires]

Aaargh! Need a first name for a character. One of those names that you're not sure if the character is male or female (e.g. Chris could be Christopher or Christine, or Sam could be Samuel or Samantha).

In this story, the names Sam and Chris are already taken.

Any ideas?

And Google comes to the rescue...

http://www.babynames.co.uk/Unisex_names.htm

 

[Abernovo]

I had a couple of names in mind, but they were already suggested, so how about Alex?

Alexand(er/ra)

 

[Mouse]

Ah no, not Alex! I hate Alex as a girl's name (absolutely adore it for boys - I'm a bit protective over it!)

How's about Taylor? Bit American maybe. I've used Terri/Terry before now for a character whose sex I wanted to be a surprise (to the other character, not to the reader as the spelling gave it away!)

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Thanks, guys.

Looking through that baby names website, I'm tempted to use Akshara, simply because it means "unchangable", and the character is a shapeshifter. That appeals to my sense of humour.

Unfortunately, that name really doesn't come close to fitting into a family with names like Chris, Lauren and Jennifer.

*keeps looking*

 

[Vertigo]

Robin - just look how many times people think Robin Hobb is a guy.

 

[Colbey Frost]

Thanks, guys.

Looking through that baby names website, I'm tempted to use Akshara, simply because it means "unchangable", and the character is a shapeshifter. That appeals to my sense of humour.

Unfortunately, that name really doesn't come close to fitting into a family with names like Chris, Lauren and Jennifer.

*keeps looking*

How about ash then, short for Akshara? You can have your character with the name you want, but shorten it.... can find out later full name when they don't need to think it might or might not be a girl.