: Re: Using terms for clarity in first person When writing in 1st person POV, if your story's universe or your main character uses made up values of measurement or doesn't have a term for something

@Si5022468

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We should have more details about the story you are writing, its setting and themes.

But generally speaking, I think about two scenarios:

1) the character talks about things that are unusual to their world, but known to the reader (i.e. a streetlight). In this case it is enough to describe it, and the reader can quickly grasp it.

Ex.: Walking down the street, Julius noticed how the vehicles moved
according to the changing green and red light suspended above the
crossing. It was like watching a religious rite, where a silent but
authoritative priest would command his coloured orders to the obedient
crowd of machines below. [Julius never saw a streetlight, we
perfectly know what it's about]

2) the character talks about things that are common in their world, but unknown to the reader (i.e. a specific habit or lingo). In this case, the reader must accept the world as it is described by the characters. This is how the worldbuilding takes form.

Ex.: Julius jumped on the driftapan, which promptly moved on at the
safe speed of 10 burgius per minute, as all the other transportation
systems that were abiding by the nebularian laws. [i.e. we have no
idea what a driftapan is and what is a burgius unit, but it's clear
that we're talking about a vehicle and a measurement]

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