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Researching a specific point for my book

edited April 2014 in - Writing Problems
Hello, good afternoon, I trust you are well.

Can anyone enlighten me please. A character I have in mind is in the habit of calling their home 'an apartment'. For years this character has called this home 'a flat.' This change in their understanding came about in the last four years.

The home itself has not changed. It is still, as I would say, a flat, a one bedroomed place with a kitchen in the living room, a small hall and a bath room. It is in a block of other similar units.

What do you think - apartment or flat? And why would the character change their title for where they live?

Thanks.

Comments

  • Creeping Americanisation, is my take. A trend. The same way some people think it's cool to pay over the odds for a cup of coffee and drink it through the plastic lid as they walk along the high street (which will probably mutate into 'main street' soon).
  • A flat is, I believe, a purely English expression. Here in Tenerife we live in an apartment in a block of apartments. We have a living room opening onto a terrace, a kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom.
    The size isn't important except in England, where a "no-separate-bedroom" flat might be called a bedsit - short for bed-sitting-room.
  • Yep, I think of Americans when I hear it, or maybe someone rich living in a luxurious rooftop apartment in a big UK city.
  • As much as I'm not a huge fan of the word 'apartment', the phrase: luxurious flat, doesn't have the same ring to it.
  • It seems to be getting used more often, especially in cities where big older buildings are being renovated and turned into living accommodation. They then get marketed as apartments.

    But perhaps Dora's character is trying to big himself/herself up in the eyes of other people- wants to give a different impression by using apartment rather than flat...
  • TN, this character's home is certainly not a luxurious flat. It's pleasant and comfortable but not luxurious.

  • Could they have decided to call it an apartment while trying to show off, like Carol suggests, and the feeling it gives them makes them decide to call it a apartment? If you don't want this to stand out in the story line they could perhaps decide to change the name of other things too... their settee or sofa to a couch, their kitchen to a kitchen/diner...
  • I always believe you should listen to your characters. They do tell you a lot if you really listen to them.

    Something about your character has changed or developed, hence their now calling their flat an apartment.
  • Yes, thanks Carol. I think something definitely has changed about this character.

    I don't think it's a change for the better, if they're struggling with a pretence about what they're not rather than accepting who they are.

    I think it's all about not being happy in their natural skin which must be a difficult state of being. Don't think I could live like that, always having to check on myself I'm behaving correctly.

    Demonstrates the character has become ashamed of who they are for some reason. I wonder what boundaries and pressures have been put on them to make them think who they are is not acceptable?

    I will enjoy turning that one over in my mind.

    Thanks for your help.
  • Sounds like you're on the way with this character already. :)
  • Apartment does sound somewhat pretentious in this case, but if your character has illusions of grandeur, why not?

    (this has reminded me of an incident some years ago when I managed to refer to a condominium, or condo, as a condom :\"> )
  • When watching the programme 'homes under the hammer' the presenters also choose their words carefully, or maybe not, to where they are geographically. In less affluent parts they refer to flats as flats, but when in a posh area they refer to the residence for sale as an apartment. Maybe the area your character is situated is becoming a more desirable location. But should that change the way they are as a person, interesting, and maybe a sharp reminder of his/her origin should come into play at sometime in the story.
  • Thanks Maro. Interesting points you make there.

    Tbh, S&M, this character is certainly having illusions that's for sure.
  • Yes Carol sometimes it feels as if I have been all the way already, with this one.

  • I have this image of you in a surveillance vehicle, listening to this person for four years in which they evade all attempts to penetrate their character, then they get careless, they let slip the bombshell 'apartment'. At last you have the key to their story but wtf does it mean?
  • I like this post I recently completed a book where a lot of the story took place in an apartment/flat and I just used both descriptions interchangeably - I think it reads fine!!
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