Post History

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/29601
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Let's say you have a scene with Maria, written in third person from Maria's point of view. Then you have a scene with Akash, written in third person from Akash's point of view - and suppose they do **_not_** know each other.

Next, we have a scene with Maria meeting Akash for the first time, written in third person from Maria's point of view. Before Maria finds out Akash's name through dialogue, how should the narrator address Akash in the scene?

For example (1st scenario):

> Maria saw a handsome man.
> 
> "Hi," the man said. "How are you?"
> 
> "I'm good," Maria said.
> 
> "Do you know the time?" the man asked.
> 
> "It's 3:00PM," Maria said. "What's your name?"
> 
> "Akash," the man said.

Then from here on I would address "the man" as just "Akash" in this scene.

OR (2nd scenario):

> Maria saw a handsome man.
> 
> "Hi," Akash said. "How are you?"
> 
> "I'm good," Maria said.
> 
> "Do you know the time?" Akash asked.
> 
> "It's 3:00PM," Maria said. "What's your name?"
> 
> "Akash," Akash said.

My hunch is the first scenario, but I wanted to see what others thought. **The reason I ask is because of timing.** Let's say the scenarios above are much longer, and Maria doesn't find out the name of Akash until much later in the scene, or she finds out his name in another scene later on.

Original score: 2