HI guys, I just run into something and I thought I'd better check with the community. Basically, in my story the MC remembers bits of a conversation he had hours earlier with another character. He is now really upset and seeks refuge in the bottle. While he drinks, he recalls a few points the other character made and I actually quote them in the text: is that OK to do so?
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Basic Writing questions is not a crit forum. All crits belong in Share Your Work
Quoting and remembering previous exchanges
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Like all such questions, it's okay to do it if and only if it works. Yeah, real helpful, huh?
Things to bear in mind include whether your reader needs to be reminded of the exact words which were said earlier, whether remembering the event as it happened is as important as how your character is feeling about it now, and whether the remembering adds anything to plot or character development. If you get three no's on that, then it's probably not a good idea.
Maryn, who'd have to see it to know
Things to bear in mind include whether your reader needs to be reminded of the exact words which were said earlier, whether remembering the event as it happened is as important as how your character is feeling about it now, and whether the remembering adds anything to plot or character development. If you get three no's on that, then it's probably not a good idea.
Maryn, who'd have to see it to know
Really? Cool. It seemed almost flippant as I reread it, but what the hell, it was already written... I'm glad you were able to get something out of it.
FWIW, sometimes as a reader I definitely need to be reminded of something that happened or was said, especially if it was far back in the book and/or didn't seem especially significant at the time.
Maryn, poor retention star
FWIW, sometimes as a reader I definitely need to be reminded of something that happened or was said, especially if it was far back in the book and/or didn't seem especially significant at the time.
Maryn, poor retention star
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Unless the character is dwelling on one particular bit of dialog, in which case it might get repeated multiple times.
I have something similar, only the character is remembering a phrase I used in narrative (his POV) from an earlier scene. There was a particular simile I used to describe a female character's hair when he first met her, and when he meets someone who reminds him of her, he recalls that simile. I was worried that it might come across as a bit too meta, but because he has been obsessing over her ever since they met, I think I got away with it being a bit weird 
So yeah, if it works, why not?
So yeah, if it works, why not?
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