Avoiding repetition when there are two unidentified individuals
The tall figure was overwhelmingly tall. It stood in the corner of the
room. The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. It wasn't
moving at all. The tall figure moved to the opposite side of the room
and started palpating the wall as if it was looking for something. The
skinny figure then started crawling and palpating the floor as if it
were looking something. The tall figure then started laughing loudly
and clapping his hands as if it were overjoyed. The skinny figure
hearing this started doing the same.
How do I minimize the amount of repetition? Is there a way of doing this without changing drastically the sentences? What would you suggest? As you can see, I used "it" immediately after using the adjective-noun pairs but, when I switch person, I have no choice but to use the appropriate adjective-noun pair.
characters description naming
edited Jan 24 at 0:17
Cyn
11.7k12559
asked Jan 23 at 23:55
repomonsterrepomonster
1,059422
|
show 1 more comment
The tall figure was overwhelmingly tall. It stood in the corner of the
room. The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. It wasn't
moving at all. The tall figure moved to the opposite side of the room
and started palpating the wall as if it was looking for something. The
skinny figure then started crawling and palpating the floor as if it
were looking something. The tall figure then started laughing loudly
and clapping his hands as if it were overjoyed. The skinny figure
hearing this started doing the same.
How do I minimize the amount of repetition? Is there a way of doing this without changing drastically the sentences? What would you suggest? As you can see, I used "it" immediately after using the adjective-noun pairs but, when I switch person, I have no choice but to use the appropriate adjective-noun pair.
characters description naming
edited Jan 24 at 0:17
Cyn
11.7k12559
asked Jan 23 at 23:55
repomonsterrepomonster
1,059422
6
Hey repomonster, I'm really glad you liked my answer. I will encourage you though to hold off on choosing a "best answer" for a day or two. This gives other people a chance to answer too, which is of course your goal, to have as many answers as possible. You have enough rep now that you can upvote it, which I hope you will do instead. If you still like my answer best in a couple days, I'd be pleased if you choose it as "best" then. Thanks!
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 1:31
4
It's only been an hour. I know that's forever on the internet but :-) Don't worry, it's okay to take your time choosing. But upvotes are always welcome. And you can upvote all the answers you get if you want. Do go ahead and choose a best answer eventually, for those questions you ask that have one you think is worthy. That will pop you up a couple points too.
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 1:35
1
For an excellent example on how to make such an interaction not-boring, see Cormac McCarthy's novel "The Road". There are only two main characters, referred to as "the boy" and "the man", and most of the book is just dialogue between the two and their lonely journey across post-apocalyptic America.
– Fixed Point
Jan 24 at 22:46
1
@FixedPoint I don't think The Road is a good example - it's a novel that seems to polarise opinion, and its bleakness, repetitiveness and quite limited dialogue no doubt lead some readers to find it's very boring. I personally think it's cleverly written, and the very things others find boring are to me a deliberate artistic representation of existential doom.
– Chappo
Jan 25 at 3:48
1
i love this question
– DeerSpotter
Jan 25 at 14:04
|
show 1 more comment
The tall figure was overwhelmingly tall. It stood in the corner of the
room. The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. It wasn't
moving at all. The tall figure moved to the opposite side of the room
and started palpating the wall as if it was looking for something. The
skinny figure then started crawling and palpating the floor as if it
were looking something. The tall figure then started laughing loudly
and clapping his hands as if it were overjoyed. The skinny figure
hearing this started doing the same.
How do I minimize the amount of repetition? Is there a way of doing this without changing drastically the sentences? What would you suggest? As you can see, I used "it" immediately after using the adjective-noun pairs but, when I switch person, I have no choice but to use the appropriate adjective-noun pair.
characters description naming
edited Jan 24 at 0:17
Cyn
11.7k12559
asked Jan 23 at 23:55
repomonsterrepomonster
1,059422
The tall figure was overwhelmingly tall. It stood in the corner of the
room. The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. It wasn't
moving at all. The tall figure moved to the opposite side of the room
and started palpating the wall as if it was looking for something. The
skinny figure then started crawling and palpating the floor as if it
were looking something. The tall figure then started laughing loudly
and clapping his hands as if it were overjoyed. The skinny figure
hearing this started doing the same.
How do I minimize the amount of repetition? Is there a way of doing this without changing drastically the sentences? What would you suggest? As you can see, I used "it" immediately after using the adjective-noun pairs but, when I switch person, I have no choice but to use the appropriate adjective-noun pair.
characters description naming
characters description naming
edited Jan 24 at 0:17
Cyn
11.7k12559
asked Jan 23 at 23:55
repomonsterrepomonster
1,059422
edited Jan 24 at 0:17
Cyn
11.7k12559
asked Jan 23 at 23:55
repomonsterrepomonster
1,059422
edited Jan 24 at 0:17
Cyn
11.7k12559
edited Jan 24 at 0:17
Cyn
11.7k12559
edited Jan 24 at 0:17
Cyn
11.7k12559
11.7k12559
asked Jan 23 at 23:55
repomonsterrepomonster
1,059422
asked Jan 23 at 23:55
repomonsterrepomonster
1,059422
asked Jan 23 at 23:55
repomonsterrepomonster
1,059422
1,059422
6
Hey repomonster, I'm really glad you liked my answer. I will encourage you though to hold off on choosing a "best answer" for a day or two. This gives other people a chance to answer too, which is of course your goal, to have as many answers as possible. You have enough rep now that you can upvote it, which I hope you will do instead. If you still like my answer best in a couple days, I'd be pleased if you choose it as "best" then. Thanks!
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 1:31
4
It's only been an hour. I know that's forever on the internet but :-) Don't worry, it's okay to take your time choosing. But upvotes are always welcome. And you can upvote all the answers you get if you want. Do go ahead and choose a best answer eventually, for those questions you ask that have one you think is worthy. That will pop you up a couple points too.
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 1:35
1
For an excellent example on how to make such an interaction not-boring, see Cormac McCarthy's novel "The Road". There are only two main characters, referred to as "the boy" and "the man", and most of the book is just dialogue between the two and their lonely journey across post-apocalyptic America.
– Fixed Point
Jan 24 at 22:46
1
@FixedPoint I don't think The Road is a good example - it's a novel that seems to polarise opinion, and its bleakness, repetitiveness and quite limited dialogue no doubt lead some readers to find it's very boring. I personally think it's cleverly written, and the very things others find boring are to me a deliberate artistic representation of existential doom.
– Chappo
Jan 25 at 3:48
1
i love this question
– DeerSpotter
Jan 25 at 14:04
|
show 1 more comment
6
Hey repomonster, I'm really glad you liked my answer. I will encourage you though to hold off on choosing a "best answer" for a day or two. This gives other people a chance to answer too, which is of course your goal, to have as many answers as possible. You have enough rep now that you can upvote it, which I hope you will do instead. If you still like my answer best in a couple days, I'd be pleased if you choose it as "best" then. Thanks!
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 1:31
4
It's only been an hour. I know that's forever on the internet but :-) Don't worry, it's okay to take your time choosing. But upvotes are always welcome. And you can upvote all the answers you get if you want. Do go ahead and choose a best answer eventually, for those questions you ask that have one you think is worthy. That will pop you up a couple points too.
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 1:35
1
For an excellent example on how to make such an interaction not-boring, see Cormac McCarthy's novel "The Road". There are only two main characters, referred to as "the boy" and "the man", and most of the book is just dialogue between the two and their lonely journey across post-apocalyptic America.
– Fixed Point
Jan 24 at 22:46
1
@FixedPoint I don't think The Road is a good example - it's a novel that seems to polarise opinion, and its bleakness, repetitiveness and quite limited dialogue no doubt lead some readers to find it's very boring. I personally think it's cleverly written, and the very things others find boring are to me a deliberate artistic representation of existential doom.
– Chappo
Jan 25 at 3:48
1
i love this question
– DeerSpotter
Jan 25 at 14:04
6
6
Hey repomonster, I'm really glad you liked my answer. I will encourage you though to hold off on choosing a "best answer" for a day or two. This gives other people a chance to answer too, which is of course your goal, to have as many answers as possible. You have enough rep now that you can upvote it, which I hope you will do instead. If you still like my answer best in a couple days, I'd be pleased if you choose it as "best" then. Thanks!
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 1:31
Hey repomonster, I'm really glad you liked my answer. I will encourage you though to hold off on choosing a "best answer" for a day or two. This gives other people a chance to answer too, which is of course your goal, to have as many answers as possible. You have enough rep now that you can upvote it, which I hope you will do instead. If you still like my answer best in a couple days, I'd be pleased if you choose it as "best" then. Thanks!
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 1:31
4
4
It's only been an hour. I know that's forever on the internet but :-) Don't worry, it's okay to take your time choosing. But upvotes are always welcome. And you can upvote all the answers you get if you want. Do go ahead and choose a best answer eventually, for those questions you ask that have one you think is worthy. That will pop you up a couple points too.
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 1:35
It's only been an hour. I know that's forever on the internet but :-) Don't worry, it's okay to take your time choosing. But upvotes are always welcome. And you can upvote all the answers you get if you want. Do go ahead and choose a best answer eventually, for those questions you ask that have one you think is worthy. That will pop you up a couple points too.
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 1:35
1
1
For an excellent example on how to make such an interaction not-boring, see Cormac McCarthy's novel "The Road". There are only two main characters, referred to as "the boy" and "the man", and most of the book is just dialogue between the two and their lonely journey across post-apocalyptic America.
– Fixed Point
Jan 24 at 22:46
For an excellent example on how to make such an interaction not-boring, see Cormac McCarthy's novel "The Road". There are only two main characters, referred to as "the boy" and "the man", and most of the book is just dialogue between the two and their lonely journey across post-apocalyptic America.
– Fixed Point
Jan 24 at 22:46
1
1
@FixedPoint I don't think The Road is a good example - it's a novel that seems to polarise opinion, and its bleakness, repetitiveness and quite limited dialogue no doubt lead some readers to find it's very boring. I personally think it's cleverly written, and the very things others find boring are to me a deliberate artistic representation of existential doom.
– Chappo
Jan 25 at 3:48
@FixedPoint I don't think The Road is a good example - it's a novel that seems to polarise opinion, and its bleakness, repetitiveness and quite limited dialogue no doubt lead some readers to find it's very boring. I personally think it's cleverly written, and the very things others find boring are to me a deliberate artistic representation of existential doom.
– Chappo
Jan 25 at 3:48
1
1
i love this question
– DeerSpotter
Jan 25 at 14:04
i love this question
– DeerSpotter
Jan 25 at 14:04
|
show 1 more comment
5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
You have a few choices here:
1. You can group each person's actions together more (I've also edited a couple errors).
The tall figure was overwhelmingly tall. It stood in the corner of the
room then moved to the opposite side of the room and started palpating
the wall, as if it was looking for something. Then it started
laughing loudly and clapping its hands as if it were overjoyed.
The skinny figure sat right beside the tall one on a chair. It wasn't
moving at all. It then started crawling and palpating the floor as if
it were looking for something. When the tall figure was laughing and
clapping the skinny figure started doing the same.
2. You can name the characters. If you don't want to use real names, try the characteristics.
Tall was overwhelmingly tall. It stood in the corner of the room.
Skinny right beside it sat on a chair. It wasn't moving at all. Tall
moved to the opposite side of the room and started palpating the wall
as if it was looking for something. Skinny then started crawling and
palpating the floor as if it were looking for something. Tall then
started laughing loudly and clapping its hands as if it were
overjoyed. Skinny hearing this started doing the same.
3. You can make them different genders. Instead of making them both "it" (with some accidental? "he" in there), make one "he" and one "she."
The tall figure was overwhelmingly tall. He stood in the corner of the
room. The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. She wasn't
moving at all. He moved to the opposite side of the room and started
palpating the wall as if he was looking for something. She then
started crawling and palpating the floor as if she were looking for
something. He then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as
if he were overjoyed. Hearing this, she started doing the same.
answered Jan 24 at 0:26
CynCyn
11.7k12559
3
I've used all of these techniques, and they feel like good techniques, so I've voted for this answer. But I'd still like more options to handle this situation if feasible. Sigh.
– Ed Grimm
Jan 24 at 2:35
2
@EdGrimm I'm not sure I have any. I have a scene in my novel where my main group of characters meets the other group and I use descriptions ("the woman with the blue headscarf") before anyone knows their names. It's a little awkward but the important thing is to be brief. The other alternative is not to care who does which action, just to leave it open.
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 3:23
4
I agree on the being brief bit - the pressure caused by this issue is almost always the strongest driver to having the characters introduce themselves. However, it makes introductory fight scenes really awkward, because I don't typically like chit chat during a fight and I also dislike resorting to describing characters by their class. I mean, I accept others doing these things as I understand the pressures that prompt them, but I hold myself to a harder standard.
– Ed Grimm
Jan 24 at 3:53
Personally, I'd only use 2 if I'm writing from a character's perspective, in which case the names would reflect their impressions of the characters - Tall might be "Tall, Dark, and Handsome" and "skinny" might be, idk, "Miss Granola".
– Walt
Jan 24 at 18:45
1
Helpful post, it was greatly appreciated.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:38
|
show 3 more comments
You can look for other ways to identify the characters. For example:
The tall figure stood in the corner, towering over the unmoving skinny figure in the chair beside it. It moved away from the seated figure to the opposite side of the room and began palpating the wall as if looking for something. The other figure crawled from the chair and began palpating the floor. (etc)
In this example, "towering over" avoids repeating that the tall figure was very tall, "unmoving" avoids saying that the skinny figure wasn't moving, and once you know the identity of one you can refer to the "other". The riskiest thing in my version, clarity-wise, is who moved away, because the "it" could be ambiguous. That's why I said it moved away from the seated figure; that tells you who's acting by process of elimination.
I've stuck with your sparse description here, but if you had described the figures more, you could make use of that too -- referring to someone's lanky legs, blond locks, frayed cloak, or whatever.
You can identify characters in ways other than the noun phrases you used to introduce them.
answered Jan 24 at 4:11
Monica Cellio♦Monica Cellio
15k23381
Useful post, it was greatly appreciated.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:38
add a comment |
I think you can achieve a lot by just replacing the “was” sentence by making it an attribute in the following sentence, and making use of terms like “the first”, “the former” and “the other”.
The overwhelmingly tall figure stood in the corner of the room. The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. It wasn't moving at all. The first figure moved to the opposite side of the room and started palpating the wall as if it was looking for something. The other one then started crawling and palpating the floor as if it were looking something. The former then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as if it were overjoyed. The skinny figure hearing this started doing the same.
Note that I refrained from making any other changes to the text, so the impact of my suggestion can be seen in isolation.
answered Jan 24 at 8:51
celtschkceltschk
2,131719
Helpful bit of information, thanks.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:39
add a comment |
How about something like this:
An overwhelmingly tall figure stood in the corner of the
room. Beside him, a skinny figure sat motionless on a chair. Suddenly, the
tall figure moved to the opposite side of the room and started
palpating the wall, the other then started crawling and
palpating the floor, both acting as if looking for something. The tall
figure then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as if he
were overjoyed. His companion, on hearing this, started doing the
same.
Notes:
I didn't like the "tall figure was tall" construction in the first sentence, so lost one of the talls. The description of the skinny figure is also compressed.
I've used an adverb to emphasise a break between the initial description of the two figures and when they start moving. "Suddenly" might not be the right choice for what you have in mind.
I really didn't like "one did this as if looking for something, then the other did that as if looking for something." Way too repetitive. So I pull the "looking for something" bit into a separate sentence.
Although I've left it in my version, I'm not crazy about using "palpating" (especially twice!). It's a very technical term which doesn't properly apply to walls or floors. I'd consider looking for two suitable synonyms: "One started searching the wall, then the other started examining the floor." If you must, leave one figure palpating but choose a different verb for the other. I think, if you pick two more suitable verbs, you might not need to add the "as if looking for something" bit at all.
Is the tall figure a "him" or an "it"? You use both pronouns in your short passage: "The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. [...] The tall figure then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as if it were overjoyed!" I've gone with "him" in my version.
I swapped "the skinny figure" for "his companion" in the final sentence to reduce the repetition. The only repeated phrases left are three "tall figure"s (which I think is OK), and two "palpating"s (which I don't like - see above).
answered Jan 25 at 2:34
Chris HuntChris Hunt
1563
Thanks for your trouble.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:39
add a comment |
This is an easy problem.
After a brief description of the unnamed Tall Figure, you can simply refer to it as "Tall" henceforth.
Similarly the skinny figure can be referred to as Thin
And then until you reveal their name, you can simply refer to them as Tall and Thin
answered Jan 24 at 15:11
ashleyleeashleylee
5988
7
I believe that's @Cyn's #2 suggestion?
– Galastel
Jan 24 at 15:16
2
I believe mine is a more useful and concrete version of cyn's suggestion. And I tihnk Cyn made some assumptions regarding the figures. The way I read the original text, I am getting the sense that the OP's figures aren't necessarily even human.
– ashleylee
Jan 24 at 15:30
5
@ashleylee How is that any different than Cyn's second option? It's literally the same thing: naming the figures Tall and Skinny, or Tall and Thin (in your case). I really don't see how that changes anything
– Patrice
Jan 24 at 16:28
1
he said: "You can name the characters. If you don't want to use real names, try the characteristics. " I said: call them Tall and Thin. The difference is as stark as "zombies" and "Zombie Redneck Torture Family"...
– ashleylee
Jan 24 at 16:38
5
Cyn actually provided an example of how to do this using the paragraph provided in the question. I don't see how this is more "useful and concrete" than that.
– F1Krazy
Jan 24 at 18:43
|
show 4 more comments
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5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
You have a few choices here:
1. You can group each person's actions together more (I've also edited a couple errors).
The tall figure was overwhelmingly tall. It stood in the corner of the
room then moved to the opposite side of the room and started palpating
the wall, as if it was looking for something. Then it started
laughing loudly and clapping its hands as if it were overjoyed.
The skinny figure sat right beside the tall one on a chair. It wasn't
moving at all. It then started crawling and palpating the floor as if
it were looking for something. When the tall figure was laughing and
clapping the skinny figure started doing the same.
2. You can name the characters. If you don't want to use real names, try the characteristics.
Tall was overwhelmingly tall. It stood in the corner of the room.
Skinny right beside it sat on a chair. It wasn't moving at all. Tall
moved to the opposite side of the room and started palpating the wall
as if it was looking for something. Skinny then started crawling and
palpating the floor as if it were looking for something. Tall then
started laughing loudly and clapping its hands as if it were
overjoyed. Skinny hearing this started doing the same.
3. You can make them different genders. Instead of making them both "it" (with some accidental? "he" in there), make one "he" and one "she."
The tall figure was overwhelmingly tall. He stood in the corner of the
room. The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. She wasn't
moving at all. He moved to the opposite side of the room and started
palpating the wall as if he was looking for something. She then
started crawling and palpating the floor as if she were looking for
something. He then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as
if he were overjoyed. Hearing this, she started doing the same.
answered Jan 24 at 0:26
CynCyn
11.7k12559
3
I've used all of these techniques, and they feel like good techniques, so I've voted for this answer. But I'd still like more options to handle this situation if feasible. Sigh.
– Ed Grimm
Jan 24 at 2:35
2
@EdGrimm I'm not sure I have any. I have a scene in my novel where my main group of characters meets the other group and I use descriptions ("the woman with the blue headscarf") before anyone knows their names. It's a little awkward but the important thing is to be brief. The other alternative is not to care who does which action, just to leave it open.
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 3:23
4
I agree on the being brief bit - the pressure caused by this issue is almost always the strongest driver to having the characters introduce themselves. However, it makes introductory fight scenes really awkward, because I don't typically like chit chat during a fight and I also dislike resorting to describing characters by their class. I mean, I accept others doing these things as I understand the pressures that prompt them, but I hold myself to a harder standard.
– Ed Grimm
Jan 24 at 3:53
Personally, I'd only use 2 if I'm writing from a character's perspective, in which case the names would reflect their impressions of the characters - Tall might be "Tall, Dark, and Handsome" and "skinny" might be, idk, "Miss Granola".
– Walt
Jan 24 at 18:45
1
Helpful post, it was greatly appreciated.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:38
|
show 3 more comments
You have a few choices here:
1. You can group each person's actions together more (I've also edited a couple errors).
The tall figure was overwhelmingly tall. It stood in the corner of the
room then moved to the opposite side of the room and started palpating
the wall, as if it was looking for something. Then it started
laughing loudly and clapping its hands as if it were overjoyed.
The skinny figure sat right beside the tall one on a chair. It wasn't
moving at all. It then started crawling and palpating the floor as if
it were looking for something. When the tall figure was laughing and
clapping the skinny figure started doing the same.
2. You can name the characters. If you don't want to use real names, try the characteristics.
Tall was overwhelmingly tall. It stood in the corner of the room.
Skinny right beside it sat on a chair. It wasn't moving at all. Tall
moved to the opposite side of the room and started palpating the wall
as if it was looking for something. Skinny then started crawling and
palpating the floor as if it were looking for something. Tall then
started laughing loudly and clapping its hands as if it were
overjoyed. Skinny hearing this started doing the same.
3. You can make them different genders. Instead of making them both "it" (with some accidental? "he" in there), make one "he" and one "she."
The tall figure was overwhelmingly tall. He stood in the corner of the
room. The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. She wasn't
moving at all. He moved to the opposite side of the room and started
palpating the wall as if he was looking for something. She then
started crawling and palpating the floor as if she were looking for
something. He then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as
if he were overjoyed. Hearing this, she started doing the same.
answered Jan 24 at 0:26
CynCyn
11.7k12559
3
I've used all of these techniques, and they feel like good techniques, so I've voted for this answer. But I'd still like more options to handle this situation if feasible. Sigh.
– Ed Grimm
Jan 24 at 2:35
2
@EdGrimm I'm not sure I have any. I have a scene in my novel where my main group of characters meets the other group and I use descriptions ("the woman with the blue headscarf") before anyone knows their names. It's a little awkward but the important thing is to be brief. The other alternative is not to care who does which action, just to leave it open.
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 3:23
4
I agree on the being brief bit - the pressure caused by this issue is almost always the strongest driver to having the characters introduce themselves. However, it makes introductory fight scenes really awkward, because I don't typically like chit chat during a fight and I also dislike resorting to describing characters by their class. I mean, I accept others doing these things as I understand the pressures that prompt them, but I hold myself to a harder standard.
– Ed Grimm
Jan 24 at 3:53
Personally, I'd only use 2 if I'm writing from a character's perspective, in which case the names would reflect their impressions of the characters - Tall might be "Tall, Dark, and Handsome" and "skinny" might be, idk, "Miss Granola".
– Walt
Jan 24 at 18:45
1
Helpful post, it was greatly appreciated.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:38
|
show 3 more comments
You have a few choices here:
1. You can group each person's actions together more (I've also edited a couple errors).
The tall figure was overwhelmingly tall. It stood in the corner of the
room then moved to the opposite side of the room and started palpating
the wall, as if it was looking for something. Then it started
laughing loudly and clapping its hands as if it were overjoyed.
The skinny figure sat right beside the tall one on a chair. It wasn't
moving at all. It then started crawling and palpating the floor as if
it were looking for something. When the tall figure was laughing and
clapping the skinny figure started doing the same.
2. You can name the characters. If you don't want to use real names, try the characteristics.
Tall was overwhelmingly tall. It stood in the corner of the room.
Skinny right beside it sat on a chair. It wasn't moving at all. Tall
moved to the opposite side of the room and started palpating the wall
as if it was looking for something. Skinny then started crawling and
palpating the floor as if it were looking for something. Tall then
started laughing loudly and clapping its hands as if it were
overjoyed. Skinny hearing this started doing the same.
3. You can make them different genders. Instead of making them both "it" (with some accidental? "he" in there), make one "he" and one "she."
The tall figure was overwhelmingly tall. He stood in the corner of the
room. The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. She wasn't
moving at all. He moved to the opposite side of the room and started
palpating the wall as if he was looking for something. She then
started crawling and palpating the floor as if she were looking for
something. He then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as
if he were overjoyed. Hearing this, she started doing the same.
answered Jan 24 at 0:26
CynCyn
11.7k12559
You have a few choices here:
1. You can group each person's actions together more (I've also edited a couple errors).
The tall figure was overwhelmingly tall. It stood in the corner of the
room then moved to the opposite side of the room and started palpating
the wall, as if it was looking for something. Then it started
laughing loudly and clapping its hands as if it were overjoyed.
The skinny figure sat right beside the tall one on a chair. It wasn't
moving at all. It then started crawling and palpating the floor as if
it were looking for something. When the tall figure was laughing and
clapping the skinny figure started doing the same.
2. You can name the characters. If you don't want to use real names, try the characteristics.
Tall was overwhelmingly tall. It stood in the corner of the room.
Skinny right beside it sat on a chair. It wasn't moving at all. Tall
moved to the opposite side of the room and started palpating the wall
as if it was looking for something. Skinny then started crawling and
palpating the floor as if it were looking for something. Tall then
started laughing loudly and clapping its hands as if it were
overjoyed. Skinny hearing this started doing the same.
3. You can make them different genders. Instead of making them both "it" (with some accidental? "he" in there), make one "he" and one "she."
The tall figure was overwhelmingly tall. He stood in the corner of the
room. The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. She wasn't
moving at all. He moved to the opposite side of the room and started
palpating the wall as if he was looking for something. She then
started crawling and palpating the floor as if she were looking for
something. He then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as
if he were overjoyed. Hearing this, she started doing the same.
answered Jan 24 at 0:26
CynCyn
11.7k12559
answered Jan 24 at 0:26
CynCyn
11.7k12559
answered Jan 24 at 0:26
CynCyn
11.7k12559
answered Jan 24 at 0:26
CynCyn
11.7k12559
11.7k12559
3
I've used all of these techniques, and they feel like good techniques, so I've voted for this answer. But I'd still like more options to handle this situation if feasible. Sigh.
– Ed Grimm
Jan 24 at 2:35
2
@EdGrimm I'm not sure I have any. I have a scene in my novel where my main group of characters meets the other group and I use descriptions ("the woman with the blue headscarf") before anyone knows their names. It's a little awkward but the important thing is to be brief. The other alternative is not to care who does which action, just to leave it open.
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 3:23
4
I agree on the being brief bit - the pressure caused by this issue is almost always the strongest driver to having the characters introduce themselves. However, it makes introductory fight scenes really awkward, because I don't typically like chit chat during a fight and I also dislike resorting to describing characters by their class. I mean, I accept others doing these things as I understand the pressures that prompt them, but I hold myself to a harder standard.
– Ed Grimm
Jan 24 at 3:53
Personally, I'd only use 2 if I'm writing from a character's perspective, in which case the names would reflect their impressions of the characters - Tall might be "Tall, Dark, and Handsome" and "skinny" might be, idk, "Miss Granola".
– Walt
Jan 24 at 18:45
1
Helpful post, it was greatly appreciated.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:38
|
show 3 more comments
3
I've used all of these techniques, and they feel like good techniques, so I've voted for this answer. But I'd still like more options to handle this situation if feasible. Sigh.
– Ed Grimm
Jan 24 at 2:35
2
@EdGrimm I'm not sure I have any. I have a scene in my novel where my main group of characters meets the other group and I use descriptions ("the woman with the blue headscarf") before anyone knows their names. It's a little awkward but the important thing is to be brief. The other alternative is not to care who does which action, just to leave it open.
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 3:23
4
I agree on the being brief bit - the pressure caused by this issue is almost always the strongest driver to having the characters introduce themselves. However, it makes introductory fight scenes really awkward, because I don't typically like chit chat during a fight and I also dislike resorting to describing characters by their class. I mean, I accept others doing these things as I understand the pressures that prompt them, but I hold myself to a harder standard.
– Ed Grimm
Jan 24 at 3:53
Personally, I'd only use 2 if I'm writing from a character's perspective, in which case the names would reflect their impressions of the characters - Tall might be "Tall, Dark, and Handsome" and "skinny" might be, idk, "Miss Granola".
– Walt
Jan 24 at 18:45
1
Helpful post, it was greatly appreciated.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:38
3
3
I've used all of these techniques, and they feel like good techniques, so I've voted for this answer. But I'd still like more options to handle this situation if feasible. Sigh.
– Ed Grimm
Jan 24 at 2:35
I've used all of these techniques, and they feel like good techniques, so I've voted for this answer. But I'd still like more options to handle this situation if feasible. Sigh.
– Ed Grimm
Jan 24 at 2:35
2
2
@EdGrimm I'm not sure I have any. I have a scene in my novel where my main group of characters meets the other group and I use descriptions ("the woman with the blue headscarf") before anyone knows their names. It's a little awkward but the important thing is to be brief. The other alternative is not to care who does which action, just to leave it open.
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 3:23
@EdGrimm I'm not sure I have any. I have a scene in my novel where my main group of characters meets the other group and I use descriptions ("the woman with the blue headscarf") before anyone knows their names. It's a little awkward but the important thing is to be brief. The other alternative is not to care who does which action, just to leave it open.
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 3:23
4
4
I agree on the being brief bit - the pressure caused by this issue is almost always the strongest driver to having the characters introduce themselves. However, it makes introductory fight scenes really awkward, because I don't typically like chit chat during a fight and I also dislike resorting to describing characters by their class. I mean, I accept others doing these things as I understand the pressures that prompt them, but I hold myself to a harder standard.
– Ed Grimm
Jan 24 at 3:53
I agree on the being brief bit - the pressure caused by this issue is almost always the strongest driver to having the characters introduce themselves. However, it makes introductory fight scenes really awkward, because I don't typically like chit chat during a fight and I also dislike resorting to describing characters by their class. I mean, I accept others doing these things as I understand the pressures that prompt them, but I hold myself to a harder standard.
– Ed Grimm
Jan 24 at 3:53
Personally, I'd only use 2 if I'm writing from a character's perspective, in which case the names would reflect their impressions of the characters - Tall might be "Tall, Dark, and Handsome" and "skinny" might be, idk, "Miss Granola".
– Walt
Jan 24 at 18:45
Personally, I'd only use 2 if I'm writing from a character's perspective, in which case the names would reflect their impressions of the characters - Tall might be "Tall, Dark, and Handsome" and "skinny" might be, idk, "Miss Granola".
– Walt
Jan 24 at 18:45
1
1
Helpful post, it was greatly appreciated.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:38
Helpful post, it was greatly appreciated.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:38
|
show 3 more comments
You can look for other ways to identify the characters. For example:
The tall figure stood in the corner, towering over the unmoving skinny figure in the chair beside it. It moved away from the seated figure to the opposite side of the room and began palpating the wall as if looking for something. The other figure crawled from the chair and began palpating the floor. (etc)
In this example, "towering over" avoids repeating that the tall figure was very tall, "unmoving" avoids saying that the skinny figure wasn't moving, and once you know the identity of one you can refer to the "other". The riskiest thing in my version, clarity-wise, is who moved away, because the "it" could be ambiguous. That's why I said it moved away from the seated figure; that tells you who's acting by process of elimination.
I've stuck with your sparse description here, but if you had described the figures more, you could make use of that too -- referring to someone's lanky legs, blond locks, frayed cloak, or whatever.
You can identify characters in ways other than the noun phrases you used to introduce them.
answered Jan 24 at 4:11
Monica Cellio♦Monica Cellio
15k23381
Useful post, it was greatly appreciated.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:38
add a comment |
You can look for other ways to identify the characters. For example:
The tall figure stood in the corner, towering over the unmoving skinny figure in the chair beside it. It moved away from the seated figure to the opposite side of the room and began palpating the wall as if looking for something. The other figure crawled from the chair and began palpating the floor. (etc)
In this example, "towering over" avoids repeating that the tall figure was very tall, "unmoving" avoids saying that the skinny figure wasn't moving, and once you know the identity of one you can refer to the "other". The riskiest thing in my version, clarity-wise, is who moved away, because the "it" could be ambiguous. That's why I said it moved away from the seated figure; that tells you who's acting by process of elimination.
I've stuck with your sparse description here, but if you had described the figures more, you could make use of that too -- referring to someone's lanky legs, blond locks, frayed cloak, or whatever.
You can identify characters in ways other than the noun phrases you used to introduce them.
answered Jan 24 at 4:11
Monica Cellio♦Monica Cellio
15k23381
Useful post, it was greatly appreciated.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:38
add a comment |
You can look for other ways to identify the characters. For example:
The tall figure stood in the corner, towering over the unmoving skinny figure in the chair beside it. It moved away from the seated figure to the opposite side of the room and began palpating the wall as if looking for something. The other figure crawled from the chair and began palpating the floor. (etc)
In this example, "towering over" avoids repeating that the tall figure was very tall, "unmoving" avoids saying that the skinny figure wasn't moving, and once you know the identity of one you can refer to the "other". The riskiest thing in my version, clarity-wise, is who moved away, because the "it" could be ambiguous. That's why I said it moved away from the seated figure; that tells you who's acting by process of elimination.
I've stuck with your sparse description here, but if you had described the figures more, you could make use of that too -- referring to someone's lanky legs, blond locks, frayed cloak, or whatever.
You can identify characters in ways other than the noun phrases you used to introduce them.
answered Jan 24 at 4:11
Monica Cellio♦Monica Cellio
15k23381
You can look for other ways to identify the characters. For example:
The tall figure stood in the corner, towering over the unmoving skinny figure in the chair beside it. It moved away from the seated figure to the opposite side of the room and began palpating the wall as if looking for something. The other figure crawled from the chair and began palpating the floor. (etc)
In this example, "towering over" avoids repeating that the tall figure was very tall, "unmoving" avoids saying that the skinny figure wasn't moving, and once you know the identity of one you can refer to the "other". The riskiest thing in my version, clarity-wise, is who moved away, because the "it" could be ambiguous. That's why I said it moved away from the seated figure; that tells you who's acting by process of elimination.
I've stuck with your sparse description here, but if you had described the figures more, you could make use of that too -- referring to someone's lanky legs, blond locks, frayed cloak, or whatever.
You can identify characters in ways other than the noun phrases you used to introduce them.
answered Jan 24 at 4:11
Monica Cellio♦Monica Cellio
15k23381
answered Jan 24 at 4:11
Monica Cellio♦Monica Cellio
15k23381
answered Jan 24 at 4:11
Monica Cellio♦Monica Cellio
15k23381
answered Jan 24 at 4:11
Monica Cellio♦Monica Cellio
15k23381
15k23381
Useful post, it was greatly appreciated.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:38
add a comment |
Useful post, it was greatly appreciated.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:38
Useful post, it was greatly appreciated.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:38
Useful post, it was greatly appreciated.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:38
add a comment |
I think you can achieve a lot by just replacing the “was” sentence by making it an attribute in the following sentence, and making use of terms like “the first”, “the former” and “the other”.
The overwhelmingly tall figure stood in the corner of the room. The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. It wasn't moving at all. The first figure moved to the opposite side of the room and started palpating the wall as if it was looking for something. The other one then started crawling and palpating the floor as if it were looking something. The former then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as if it were overjoyed. The skinny figure hearing this started doing the same.
Note that I refrained from making any other changes to the text, so the impact of my suggestion can be seen in isolation.
answered Jan 24 at 8:51
celtschkceltschk
2,131719
Helpful bit of information, thanks.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:39
add a comment |
I think you can achieve a lot by just replacing the “was” sentence by making it an attribute in the following sentence, and making use of terms like “the first”, “the former” and “the other”.
The overwhelmingly tall figure stood in the corner of the room. The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. It wasn't moving at all. The first figure moved to the opposite side of the room and started palpating the wall as if it was looking for something. The other one then started crawling and palpating the floor as if it were looking something. The former then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as if it were overjoyed. The skinny figure hearing this started doing the same.
Note that I refrained from making any other changes to the text, so the impact of my suggestion can be seen in isolation.
answered Jan 24 at 8:51
celtschkceltschk
2,131719
Helpful bit of information, thanks.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:39
add a comment |
I think you can achieve a lot by just replacing the “was” sentence by making it an attribute in the following sentence, and making use of terms like “the first”, “the former” and “the other”.
The overwhelmingly tall figure stood in the corner of the room. The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. It wasn't moving at all. The first figure moved to the opposite side of the room and started palpating the wall as if it was looking for something. The other one then started crawling and palpating the floor as if it were looking something. The former then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as if it were overjoyed. The skinny figure hearing this started doing the same.
Note that I refrained from making any other changes to the text, so the impact of my suggestion can be seen in isolation.
answered Jan 24 at 8:51
celtschkceltschk
2,131719
I think you can achieve a lot by just replacing the “was” sentence by making it an attribute in the following sentence, and making use of terms like “the first”, “the former” and “the other”.
The overwhelmingly tall figure stood in the corner of the room. The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. It wasn't moving at all. The first figure moved to the opposite side of the room and started palpating the wall as if it was looking for something. The other one then started crawling and palpating the floor as if it were looking something. The former then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as if it were overjoyed. The skinny figure hearing this started doing the same.
Note that I refrained from making any other changes to the text, so the impact of my suggestion can be seen in isolation.
answered Jan 24 at 8:51
celtschkceltschk
2,131719
answered Jan 24 at 8:51
celtschkceltschk
2,131719
answered Jan 24 at 8:51
celtschkceltschk
2,131719
answered Jan 24 at 8:51
celtschkceltschk
2,131719
2,131719
Helpful bit of information, thanks.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:39
add a comment |
Helpful bit of information, thanks.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:39
Helpful bit of information, thanks.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:39
Helpful bit of information, thanks.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:39
add a comment |
How about something like this:
An overwhelmingly tall figure stood in the corner of the
room. Beside him, a skinny figure sat motionless on a chair. Suddenly, the
tall figure moved to the opposite side of the room and started
palpating the wall, the other then started crawling and
palpating the floor, both acting as if looking for something. The tall
figure then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as if he
were overjoyed. His companion, on hearing this, started doing the
same.
Notes:
I didn't like the "tall figure was tall" construction in the first sentence, so lost one of the talls. The description of the skinny figure is also compressed.
I've used an adverb to emphasise a break between the initial description of the two figures and when they start moving. "Suddenly" might not be the right choice for what you have in mind.
I really didn't like "one did this as if looking for something, then the other did that as if looking for something." Way too repetitive. So I pull the "looking for something" bit into a separate sentence.
Although I've left it in my version, I'm not crazy about using "palpating" (especially twice!). It's a very technical term which doesn't properly apply to walls or floors. I'd consider looking for two suitable synonyms: "One started searching the wall, then the other started examining the floor." If you must, leave one figure palpating but choose a different verb for the other. I think, if you pick two more suitable verbs, you might not need to add the "as if looking for something" bit at all.
Is the tall figure a "him" or an "it"? You use both pronouns in your short passage: "The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. [...] The tall figure then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as if it were overjoyed!" I've gone with "him" in my version.
I swapped "the skinny figure" for "his companion" in the final sentence to reduce the repetition. The only repeated phrases left are three "tall figure"s (which I think is OK), and two "palpating"s (which I don't like - see above).
answered Jan 25 at 2:34
Chris HuntChris Hunt
1563
Thanks for your trouble.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:39
add a comment |
How about something like this:
An overwhelmingly tall figure stood in the corner of the
room. Beside him, a skinny figure sat motionless on a chair. Suddenly, the
tall figure moved to the opposite side of the room and started
palpating the wall, the other then started crawling and
palpating the floor, both acting as if looking for something. The tall
figure then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as if he
were overjoyed. His companion, on hearing this, started doing the
same.
Notes:
I didn't like the "tall figure was tall" construction in the first sentence, so lost one of the talls. The description of the skinny figure is also compressed.
I've used an adverb to emphasise a break between the initial description of the two figures and when they start moving. "Suddenly" might not be the right choice for what you have in mind.
I really didn't like "one did this as if looking for something, then the other did that as if looking for something." Way too repetitive. So I pull the "looking for something" bit into a separate sentence.
Although I've left it in my version, I'm not crazy about using "palpating" (especially twice!). It's a very technical term which doesn't properly apply to walls or floors. I'd consider looking for two suitable synonyms: "One started searching the wall, then the other started examining the floor." If you must, leave one figure palpating but choose a different verb for the other. I think, if you pick two more suitable verbs, you might not need to add the "as if looking for something" bit at all.
Is the tall figure a "him" or an "it"? You use both pronouns in your short passage: "The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. [...] The tall figure then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as if it were overjoyed!" I've gone with "him" in my version.
I swapped "the skinny figure" for "his companion" in the final sentence to reduce the repetition. The only repeated phrases left are three "tall figure"s (which I think is OK), and two "palpating"s (which I don't like - see above).
answered Jan 25 at 2:34
Chris HuntChris Hunt
1563
Thanks for your trouble.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:39
add a comment |
How about something like this:
An overwhelmingly tall figure stood in the corner of the
room. Beside him, a skinny figure sat motionless on a chair. Suddenly, the
tall figure moved to the opposite side of the room and started
palpating the wall, the other then started crawling and
palpating the floor, both acting as if looking for something. The tall
figure then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as if he
were overjoyed. His companion, on hearing this, started doing the
same.
Notes:
I didn't like the "tall figure was tall" construction in the first sentence, so lost one of the talls. The description of the skinny figure is also compressed.
I've used an adverb to emphasise a break between the initial description of the two figures and when they start moving. "Suddenly" might not be the right choice for what you have in mind.
I really didn't like "one did this as if looking for something, then the other did that as if looking for something." Way too repetitive. So I pull the "looking for something" bit into a separate sentence.
Although I've left it in my version, I'm not crazy about using "palpating" (especially twice!). It's a very technical term which doesn't properly apply to walls or floors. I'd consider looking for two suitable synonyms: "One started searching the wall, then the other started examining the floor." If you must, leave one figure palpating but choose a different verb for the other. I think, if you pick two more suitable verbs, you might not need to add the "as if looking for something" bit at all.
Is the tall figure a "him" or an "it"? You use both pronouns in your short passage: "The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. [...] The tall figure then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as if it were overjoyed!" I've gone with "him" in my version.
I swapped "the skinny figure" for "his companion" in the final sentence to reduce the repetition. The only repeated phrases left are three "tall figure"s (which I think is OK), and two "palpating"s (which I don't like - see above).
answered Jan 25 at 2:34
Chris HuntChris Hunt
1563
How about something like this:
An overwhelmingly tall figure stood in the corner of the
room. Beside him, a skinny figure sat motionless on a chair. Suddenly, the
tall figure moved to the opposite side of the room and started
palpating the wall, the other then started crawling and
palpating the floor, both acting as if looking for something. The tall
figure then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as if he
were overjoyed. His companion, on hearing this, started doing the
same.
Notes:
I didn't like the "tall figure was tall" construction in the first sentence, so lost one of the talls. The description of the skinny figure is also compressed.
I've used an adverb to emphasise a break between the initial description of the two figures and when they start moving. "Suddenly" might not be the right choice for what you have in mind.
I really didn't like "one did this as if looking for something, then the other did that as if looking for something." Way too repetitive. So I pull the "looking for something" bit into a separate sentence.
Although I've left it in my version, I'm not crazy about using "palpating" (especially twice!). It's a very technical term which doesn't properly apply to walls or floors. I'd consider looking for two suitable synonyms: "One started searching the wall, then the other started examining the floor." If you must, leave one figure palpating but choose a different verb for the other. I think, if you pick two more suitable verbs, you might not need to add the "as if looking for something" bit at all.
Is the tall figure a "him" or an "it"? You use both pronouns in your short passage: "The skinny figure right beside him sat on a chair. [...] The tall figure then started laughing loudly and clapping his hands as if it were overjoyed!" I've gone with "him" in my version.
I swapped "the skinny figure" for "his companion" in the final sentence to reduce the repetition. The only repeated phrases left are three "tall figure"s (which I think is OK), and two "palpating"s (which I don't like - see above).
answered Jan 25 at 2:34
Chris HuntChris Hunt
1563
edited Jan 25 at 3:28
answered Jan 25 at 2:34
Chris HuntChris Hunt
1563
answered Jan 25 at 2:34
Chris HuntChris Hunt
1563
answered Jan 25 at 2:34
Chris HuntChris Hunt
1563
1563
Thanks for your trouble.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:39
add a comment |
Thanks for your trouble.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:39
Thanks for your trouble.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:39
Thanks for your trouble.
– repomonster
Feb 19 at 1:39
add a comment |
This is an easy problem.
After a brief description of the unnamed Tall Figure, you can simply refer to it as "Tall" henceforth.
Similarly the skinny figure can be referred to as Thin
And then until you reveal their name, you can simply refer to them as Tall and Thin
answered Jan 24 at 15:11
ashleyleeashleylee
5988
7
I believe that's @Cyn's #2 suggestion?
– Galastel
Jan 24 at 15:16
2
I believe mine is a more useful and concrete version of cyn's suggestion. And I tihnk Cyn made some assumptions regarding the figures. The way I read the original text, I am getting the sense that the OP's figures aren't necessarily even human.
– ashleylee
Jan 24 at 15:30
5
@ashleylee How is that any different than Cyn's second option? It's literally the same thing: naming the figures Tall and Skinny, or Tall and Thin (in your case). I really don't see how that changes anything
– Patrice
Jan 24 at 16:28
1
he said: "You can name the characters. If you don't want to use real names, try the characteristics. " I said: call them Tall and Thin. The difference is as stark as "zombies" and "Zombie Redneck Torture Family"...
– ashleylee
Jan 24 at 16:38
5
Cyn actually provided an example of how to do this using the paragraph provided in the question. I don't see how this is more "useful and concrete" than that.
– F1Krazy
Jan 24 at 18:43
|
show 4 more comments
This is an easy problem.
After a brief description of the unnamed Tall Figure, you can simply refer to it as "Tall" henceforth.
Similarly the skinny figure can be referred to as Thin
And then until you reveal their name, you can simply refer to them as Tall and Thin
answered Jan 24 at 15:11
ashleyleeashleylee
5988
7
I believe that's @Cyn's #2 suggestion?
– Galastel
Jan 24 at 15:16
2
I believe mine is a more useful and concrete version of cyn's suggestion. And I tihnk Cyn made some assumptions regarding the figures. The way I read the original text, I am getting the sense that the OP's figures aren't necessarily even human.
– ashleylee
Jan 24 at 15:30
5
@ashleylee How is that any different than Cyn's second option? It's literally the same thing: naming the figures Tall and Skinny, or Tall and Thin (in your case). I really don't see how that changes anything
– Patrice
Jan 24 at 16:28
1
he said: "You can name the characters. If you don't want to use real names, try the characteristics. " I said: call them Tall and Thin. The difference is as stark as "zombies" and "Zombie Redneck Torture Family"...
– ashleylee
Jan 24 at 16:38
5
Cyn actually provided an example of how to do this using the paragraph provided in the question. I don't see how this is more "useful and concrete" than that.
– F1Krazy
Jan 24 at 18:43
|
show 4 more comments
This is an easy problem.
After a brief description of the unnamed Tall Figure, you can simply refer to it as "Tall" henceforth.
Similarly the skinny figure can be referred to as Thin
And then until you reveal their name, you can simply refer to them as Tall and Thin
answered Jan 24 at 15:11
ashleyleeashleylee
5988
This is an easy problem.
After a brief description of the unnamed Tall Figure, you can simply refer to it as "Tall" henceforth.
Similarly the skinny figure can be referred to as Thin
And then until you reveal their name, you can simply refer to them as Tall and Thin
answered Jan 24 at 15:11
ashleyleeashleylee
5988
answered Jan 24 at 15:11
ashleyleeashleylee
5988
answered Jan 24 at 15:11
ashleyleeashleylee
5988
answered Jan 24 at 15:11
ashleyleeashleylee
5988
5988
7
I believe that's @Cyn's #2 suggestion?
– Galastel
Jan 24 at 15:16
2
I believe mine is a more useful and concrete version of cyn's suggestion. And I tihnk Cyn made some assumptions regarding the figures. The way I read the original text, I am getting the sense that the OP's figures aren't necessarily even human.
– ashleylee
Jan 24 at 15:30
5
@ashleylee How is that any different than Cyn's second option? It's literally the same thing: naming the figures Tall and Skinny, or Tall and Thin (in your case). I really don't see how that changes anything
– Patrice
Jan 24 at 16:28
1
he said: "You can name the characters. If you don't want to use real names, try the characteristics. " I said: call them Tall and Thin. The difference is as stark as "zombies" and "Zombie Redneck Torture Family"...
– ashleylee
Jan 24 at 16:38
5
Cyn actually provided an example of how to do this using the paragraph provided in the question. I don't see how this is more "useful and concrete" than that.
– F1Krazy
Jan 24 at 18:43
|
show 4 more comments
7
I believe that's @Cyn's #2 suggestion?
– Galastel
Jan 24 at 15:16
2
I believe mine is a more useful and concrete version of cyn's suggestion. And I tihnk Cyn made some assumptions regarding the figures. The way I read the original text, I am getting the sense that the OP's figures aren't necessarily even human.
– ashleylee
Jan 24 at 15:30
5
@ashleylee How is that any different than Cyn's second option? It's literally the same thing: naming the figures Tall and Skinny, or Tall and Thin (in your case). I really don't see how that changes anything
– Patrice
Jan 24 at 16:28
1
he said: "You can name the characters. If you don't want to use real names, try the characteristics. " I said: call them Tall and Thin. The difference is as stark as "zombies" and "Zombie Redneck Torture Family"...
– ashleylee
Jan 24 at 16:38
5
Cyn actually provided an example of how to do this using the paragraph provided in the question. I don't see how this is more "useful and concrete" than that.
– F1Krazy
Jan 24 at 18:43
7
7
I believe that's @Cyn's #2 suggestion?
– Galastel
Jan 24 at 15:16
I believe that's @Cyn's #2 suggestion?
– Galastel
Jan 24 at 15:16
2
2
I believe mine is a more useful and concrete version of cyn's suggestion. And I tihnk Cyn made some assumptions regarding the figures. The way I read the original text, I am getting the sense that the OP's figures aren't necessarily even human.
– ashleylee
Jan 24 at 15:30
I believe mine is a more useful and concrete version of cyn's suggestion. And I tihnk Cyn made some assumptions regarding the figures. The way I read the original text, I am getting the sense that the OP's figures aren't necessarily even human.
– ashleylee
Jan 24 at 15:30
5
5
@ashleylee How is that any different than Cyn's second option? It's literally the same thing: naming the figures Tall and Skinny, or Tall and Thin (in your case). I really don't see how that changes anything
– Patrice
Jan 24 at 16:28
@ashleylee How is that any different than Cyn's second option? It's literally the same thing: naming the figures Tall and Skinny, or Tall and Thin (in your case). I really don't see how that changes anything
– Patrice
Jan 24 at 16:28
1
1
he said: "You can name the characters. If you don't want to use real names, try the characteristics. " I said: call them Tall and Thin. The difference is as stark as "zombies" and "Zombie Redneck Torture Family"...
– ashleylee
Jan 24 at 16:38
he said: "You can name the characters. If you don't want to use real names, try the characteristics. " I said: call them Tall and Thin. The difference is as stark as "zombies" and "Zombie Redneck Torture Family"...
– ashleylee
Jan 24 at 16:38
5
5
Cyn actually provided an example of how to do this using the paragraph provided in the question. I don't see how this is more "useful and concrete" than that.
– F1Krazy
Jan 24 at 18:43
Cyn actually provided an example of how to do this using the paragraph provided in the question. I don't see how this is more "useful and concrete" than that.
– F1Krazy
Jan 24 at 18:43
|
show 4 more comments
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6
Hey repomonster, I'm really glad you liked my answer. I will encourage you though to hold off on choosing a "best answer" for a day or two. This gives other people a chance to answer too, which is of course your goal, to have as many answers as possible. You have enough rep now that you can upvote it, which I hope you will do instead. If you still like my answer best in a couple days, I'd be pleased if you choose it as "best" then. Thanks!
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 1:31
4
It's only been an hour. I know that's forever on the internet but :-) Don't worry, it's okay to take your time choosing. But upvotes are always welcome. And you can upvote all the answers you get if you want. Do go ahead and choose a best answer eventually, for those questions you ask that have one you think is worthy. That will pop you up a couple points too.
– Cyn
Jan 24 at 1:35
1
For an excellent example on how to make such an interaction not-boring, see Cormac McCarthy's novel "The Road". There are only two main characters, referred to as "the boy" and "the man", and most of the book is just dialogue between the two and their lonely journey across post-apocalyptic America.
– Fixed Point
Jan 24 at 22:46
1
@FixedPoint I don't think The Road is a good example - it's a novel that seems to polarise opinion, and its bleakness, repetitiveness and quite limited dialogue no doubt lead some readers to find it's very boring. I personally think it's cleverly written, and the very things others find boring are to me a deliberate artistic representation of existential doom.
– Chappo
Jan 25 at 3:48
1
i love this question
– DeerSpotter
Jan 25 at 14:04