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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/42739
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

In my planned novel the main character is essentially from a less technologically advanced society and is learning about the "civilized world" beyond their village. He has above average intelligence, but everything is going to be 'new' to him. It is an entirely fictional world so the reader will also have no familiarity with the world. I do describe his own culture as rich in it's own way.

I thought this could have pros and cons. The reader is also new to the world, but it is a cardinal rule in writing not to get too verbose in worldbuilding detail to the detriment of the story. The drawback is that it may become tedious to the reader to always describe the main character as "amazed" at the architecture or in awe at this or that about the civilized settings of the world compared to their remote village.

My answer so far is to timeskip the acculturation process where the main character learns the standard language and customs while living with a family that is closer to the civilized world. I still planned to write about them being in awe at cities, and certain major sights though as even civilized characters would be. The problem with this may be I also have another possible timeskip where the character is an apprentice in their homeland after a rite of passage.

I still want to properly contrast the settings the main character is passing through with where the main character came from. I just do not want to overdo it. "He was in awe at x." "He had never seen x." "He wondered at the exotic x." Perhaps such usage is fine though.

Original score: 11