: Re: Is it plausible for a narrator to "hear" and describe sounds which would normally be out of earshot? Found myself in a bit of a logical pickle in regard to the below piece: The number

@Cody1607638

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The first thing to understand is that there are no rules of logic that must be applied a story. There is only the set of rules (narrative style) that you apply to your story.

Personally, I generally use two styles. Transition narrative conforms to a different set of rules to scene narrative.

Transition narrative is the text between scenes where the story is literally TOLD (usually in past tense). Anything in past tense does not require real-time facts. i.e. Your narrator knows the sound of tyres on snow and assumes the bus is making that sound - even he can't hear it. Within a transition things can be foreshadowed or foretold et.

Scene narrative is delivered in real time and may not include speculation.

[Transition]
That morning Sophie awoke with a smile on her face ready to face whatever the day could throw at her. By the time she reached the breakfast table that smile was gone.

Unless the narrator was in Sophie's bedroom how could they know she had a smile on her face.

The story then goes into a scene.

[Scene]

"Sophie, what's wrong?" asked her mother.

"I just got fired," replied Sophie, staring at her phone.

"What?"

"Just now, they fired me by TEXT."

[Transition]
Today was the worst day of young Sophie's adult life. Tomorrow would be a better day, probably the best ever.

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