How do I show the confusion my character feels?
I am trying to show the confusion my character feels (first person narrative) but am not sure what techniques to use. I have tried to achieve this using questions that arose through my character's confusion, but I feel like that is not enough. Could someone tell me the techniques they use to show a character's confusion in the first person narrative?
Example:
He told me he currently worked at NASA. Huh? Various thoughts floated in my head. But he used to hate science!
That is about it. I would like the reader to feel a greater sense of confusion my character feels but I am not sure how to convey it.
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3 answers
In addition to the good answers given so far, confusion can manifest itself literally as confusing the unexpected information with the more familiar.
For example:
He told me he currently worked for the NASA.
I smiled. "Yes, the NSA, that fits him well. He loved spy stories as far back as I knew him and he is a convincing talker. Could have become a good con m..."
"Not NSA, N-A-S-A", he interruped me, spelling out every letter.
This post was sourced from https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/36083. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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I think confusion takes time to portray, and I would do this in dialogue; a kind of argument.
He told me he worked at NASA. NASA. He must be kidding.
I said, "What? You hated science! Math, biology, computers ... everything, you were the worst student in high school!"
"What can I say? They didn't teach game animation in high school."
"So you do game animations at NASA? It isn't science, I guess."
"No, I thought I wanted to learn animation, and I discovered simulations, and had to learn physics for it. With a goal, I was an A student for applied physics. Now I do realistic simulations of hostile environments at NASA, and lives depend on it. I'm not a kid anymore, Frank."
It made him a different person, really, and I wasn't sure what to say to this stranger. I held out my hand. "Nice to finally meet you, Dave. I did not know that is who you were."
Dave laughed, and shook my hand. "Neither did I, Frank."
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Usually if you're confused, you would most likely do the following:
Act weird (He told me he currently worked at NASA. "Huh? Oh y-yeah. T-that's nice. H-how is the um.. The job?)
Look confused (Describe the eyes, his/her look)
Have thoughts rushing through their head (What? But .... And .... And .... So ....)
Talk about their confusion ("Wait what?")
Hope it helps!
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