McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

OK how about third person Inanimate

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R. S. Leergaard:
I've used myself (The Author) as a narrator type to put in random details (in an MST3000ish sort of way), but that was in a humorous setting. I'm not sure how well that would work in a more serious setting.

 In a different story I have a town square where variou factions meet to discuss things without being overheard by others (noise of the fountain, etc). However, there is also a plum tree there, and when no one else is around, Ipsalee (a plum in the tree) and the fountain discuss what they've heard everyone else talking about. This is probably also better used in a humor setting, but these are a couple ways I got around giving readers details the characters don't know about each other.

Quantus:

--- Quote from: KevinEvans on March 02, 2012, 06:44:09 AM ---Thanks every one,

The story involves a steam explosion of a locomotive boiler. There are things that the reader needs to know that no one in the narrative observes. In order to bring tension to the story, the relentless progression to catastrophe needs to be shown to the reader, while the protagonists of the story remain oblivious.

I have seen it done in disaster stories, like a dam bursting, or a ship running on to the rocks. I am looking for other examples to refine the method.

Thanks again,
Kevin

--- End quote ---
Sounds like it could be a classic "Little Did He Know" opprotunity. Is there a character nearby that could be used as a branching point?  Somthing like "he was running for his life, oblivious to the fact that..."  or maybe "If he hadnt been distracted by the view of the countryside, he might have noticed..."

Another option is to do it in a flashback (if your narrative allows for it), perhaps as some investigator is piecing together the series of events after the fact. 

Or you could add a supporting Red Shirt Character to witness the events, then fail to warn other people in time and/or die in the explosion.  Certainly would build tension, but a death that personal may not be the tone you want to strike at that point in the story. 

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