: Re: What to call a nameless character in a 3rd person narrative? How do I present a nameless character in a 3rd person narrative who has never known his parents? And has never had extended human

@Shanna875

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I would agree with Bella Swan - you can just call him 'the boy' unless there are other characters present who would fit that description. The Road manages to get away with this beautifully for an entire novel. Granted, there are only really two characters throughout most of the book, but it could be done with a bit more effort in another setting.

I would recommend starting by using descriptors the first several times you speak of him, based upon how you first mentioned him. Call him "the brown-haired boy", "the small boy", "the boy in the corner", etc. so that the reader is reminded who you are speaking about. Once the reader understands that the boy is sticking around for at least a little while, you can transition to a more consistent and shorter tag, like "the boy".

Just my opinion; I am not an expert by any means.

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