: Point of view, narrative voice, and when to name a character in narration Let's say you have a scene with Maria, written in third person from Maria's point of view. Then you have a scene

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You can choose to not use narration. Use dialog and action instead.

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Ultimately, it's up to you what you prefer stylistically and what best serves your story. As an extreme example, consider a mystery novel where clues are peppered throughout, for a savvy reader to find and assemble. In that case, you're taking the reader on the same path as a detective investigating the mystery, and having the reader preempt the dramatic conclusion may be rewarding, as long as it's not too obvious. They might revel in their own "eureka" moment, or exult "I knew it!" when the game is up, so to speak.

On the flipside of that, a thriller/horror story might be better served by demonstrating early on from an omniscient POV that Akash is a ruthless serial killer, so that every moment Maria spends getting closer to him makes the reader's skin crawl - because of course, from her POV, he's a handsome stranger.

So to relate back to your example. If Akash is a very well established character, naming him from the outset colours the reader's perception of the "handsome man". If it better serves your narrative to illustrate Maria's perception of him without the reader's preconceived notions, then he becomes "the man", possibly with little clues for the savvy readers. If it better serves your story to clearly illustrate that two of your main characters are meeting for the first time, name him.

On timing, I'd be very wary of deferring identification of Akash until a future scene, unless you have a compelling reason to do so.

Enforcing a strict POV will make your job and potentially the reader's job more difficult, so it's really up to you to draw a line where you feel comfortable. For me personally, the only real rule I adhere to is to enforce hard separation of inner monologue. For instance, I would avoid the following:

Damn, Maria thought. That is one fine gentleman.

You, smiled Akash, silently regarding his next victim. Yes, you will do nicely!

For me, jumping POV so quickly is really jarring - but your mileage may vary! Stylistically, you might decide that contrasting the characters' inner monologues like that enhances your narrative.

It really is down to your personal preference and what best serves your narrative. Good luck!

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Such situations in writing could be resolved once you attribute certain qualities specific for your character.

When Akash is introduced in a scene (before meeting Maria), make sure to detail his appearance and behaviour specific to him. Next, when he meets Maria, she notices these peculiarities in him while still addressing him as 'the man'. So the readers know Maria has met Akash in that particular scene, while she can remain ignorant about his identity in as many scenes you choose. Better yet, introduce him in a particular setting, defining his entire look, and in the next scene he bumps into Maria.

For example, Akash is a handsome young man with specs, keeps his beard trimmed, is not comfortable around strangers, and constantly fidgets with things when nervous. In his introduction scene, he was in his office, dressed in formals, negotiating a deal with his clients. Next, he comes in cafeteria and meets Maria.

Maria saw a handsome man (describe his look briefly). He scratched his beard as he approached her.

"Hi," the man said. "How are you?" He ran his hands on the bridge of his nose.

"I'm good," Maria said.

"Do you know the time?" the man asked nervously looking at his empty wrist.

"It's 3:00PM," Maria said. "What's your name?"

"Akash," the man said.

Remember not to overdo the description or it might reduce the impact of the scene. Just drop subtle hints specific to the character and bring it back when needed.

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