Welcome to Writers Talkback. If you are a new user, your account will have to be approved manually to prevent spam. Please bear with us in the meantime
Chapter one - Written from Steve's point of view.
Steve thinks he's killed Lisa and dumps her unconscious body in the woods.
Chapter two - The first few pages are written from the point of view of some travellers who find Lisa's body and rescue her, but they don't know who she is until she wakes up and tells them.
Here's my dilemma -
In Ch one we know she is Lisa, so in Ch 2 we know who she is while the travellers don't.
Do I refer to her as "the body" or "the unconscious woman" until she identifies herself, or do I call her "Lisa" because we know who she is?
Comments
If it's 3rd person and it's obvious to the reader this is Lisa you could say either 'the body' or 'Lisa's body'. I think I'd go with not naming her until she tells them, especially if it's not too long before she identifies herself.
Sounds good. When can I read it?
What with .... several details deleted .... and an apartment to sell, I am a bit distracted!
the shape half-hidden in the undergrowth [when somebody first spots something lying on the ground] >>> the body [when they're near enough to see it's a person >>> the unconscious woman [when they can see she's a woman] >>> the woman [when she wakes up] >>> Lisa [once she's well enough to introduce herself].
Always keep in mind who's 'telling' that part of the story (i.e. your viewpoint character) and stay true to what they know at that moment in time.
Nice explanation danfango