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Q&A How to describe a scene involving a shift in the environment due to forbidden magic?

I can't call specific examples to mind right now, but I've seen this sort of "wait, the world is not quite as it should be" situation handled by sharing the POV character's inner dialogue as he gra...

posted 9y ago by Monica Cellio‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Answer
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T03:43:08Z (over 4 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/12751
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T03:43:08Z (over 4 years ago)
I can't call specific examples to mind right now, but I've seen this sort of "wait, the world is not quite as it should be" situation handled by sharing the POV character's inner dialogue as he gradually notices peculiarities. Something like this:

> "Sharon, no!" he shouted to no one in particular as he cradled her in his arms. "Sharon!" He shuddered as he began to absorb the shock of it, then shuddered again. What was that odd feeling?
> 
> "Sharon!" he repeated. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Why was it suddenly so warm in here? And quiet -- the sounds of the traffic outside seemed muffled. He shook his head to clear it.
> 
> Nope, definitely getting warmer. Stuffier, too. It almost felt like the walls were closing in on him. Gotta knock off the coffee, he thought.
> 
> He looked again at the lifeless body in his lap. How could they have snatched her away from him? It was wrong! Unfair! Nearly shouting, irrationally hoping he could yet bring her back, he screamed -- "Sharon!"

Etc.

The point I'm trying to make is that we get hints as the main character gets "that niggling feeling" that things are Not Right, but he's focused on something else so his tendency is to dismiss them -- his head is fuzzy from the shock, he's had too much coffee, etc. The reader will figure out that things are changing before the character does, and then will get the pleasure of watching the character work it out.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2014-08-31T03:41:42Z (over 9 years ago)
Original score: 5