Let's say you are working from Molly's POV, and Emma comes into the scene. The reader knows Emma very well. Molly has never met Emma. The situation doesn't allow for polite intro ("Gimme the cash or I shoot!"). You don't want to be coy and hide that Emma is Emma, but you're trying to stay in Molly's head. What do you do?
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Character Meeting Other Character
- Thread starter M.C.Statz
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Is there a visual clue you could use? Something you've pre-fed the reader, that M would also notice? (A conversational tic would also work.) It can be as in-your-face or as obscure as your style and readers demand.
Good luck with it.
A sensory detail will go a long way as mccardey says. Something visual, or maybe audible (jangling jewelry, something like that) the reader associates with Emma.
As said above. By the time we jump out of Emma's head, we should have at least one distinctive cue that will tell us this random stranger who just showed up is Emma. She might be the only redhead we've met, or wear a distinctive necklace, or something--but it's something we recognize her by. We won't necessarily know for sure until she introduces herself, but we won't be surprised when it turns out to be her. And it might even give us more depth to how we see her when we do get confirmation.
A tattoo or something? I read a book where I knew one of the mc husbands was cheating with another mc daughter only because of the belly piercing. Could be something subtle a birthmark etc.
If it truly is from Molly's POV, and Molly wouldn't have noticed Emma, then perhaps it doesn't matter whether Emma is brought to the attention of the reader within the context of the Molly-POV scene. Is there a way, in the immediately previous scene (Emma's POV, presumably) that Emma could establish that she'll be there? [e.g. "I'm going over to the First National Bank now, George. See you in a few," Emma called over her shoulder as she walked out the door.] If it's necessary that the reader recognize Emma, even though Molly doesn't, then I agree with the comments above, give Emma something recognizable and distinctive [e.g. "Going to the bank now, George," Emma said, checking the tilt of her orange and yellow polka-dot beret in the mirror before sailing out the front door. (And then Molly notices the woman in the polka-dot beret as she's standing in line at the bank.)]
You have to describe Emma as Molly would see her--her appearance, speech, and actions. This is not being coy and hiding Emma from the reader; it's staying true to Molly's POV.
+1 And if readers are familiar with Emma's manner, speech patterns, dress etc.. and already know she is in the vicinity, they will quickly twig it's Emma - and possibly well before Molly learns who it is, and also even if she never does.
I remember recently reading something using this technique extremely effectively.
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