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Q&A How do I differentiate characters in first person POV when the narrator doesn't know them yet?

Well, first thing, how would you differentiate these two people if you met them in real life? Imagine yourself with a group of friends talking about a couple of strangers and think of how you would...

posted 5y ago by mario mario‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Answer
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T11:33:20Z (over 4 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/44135
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar mario mario‭ · 2019-12-08T11:33:20Z (over 4 years ago)
Well, first thing, how would you differentiate these two people if you met them in real life? Imagine yourself with a group of friends talking about a couple of strangers and think of how you would make it clear which one you talk about.

As far as I know, people would tend to attribute a name or nickname to the unknown person based on their first impression and use it to refer to them.

Another way you can vary how you refer to them it by using their mannerisms. Does one act like's he's always high on cafeine or does his neutral face looks like a permanent frown? Is his companion always serious? It works for voice too.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2019-03-28T08:29:11Z (about 5 years ago)
Original score: 6