This is probably a really, really simple question but its been bothering me since forever.
My MC's mom is going to appear a whole lot in my story but I have no idea how I as the narrator should refer to her, as Mom, Ms Flynn of Martha. What confusing is that as the story is centered around my MC so it feels strange using Martha or Ms Flynn, but it feels even weirder writing Mom.
I don't think I've explained this very well but it's confusing, so basically how do you refer to a characters parents, by name or by mom and dad?
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43,280 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 09 12
I refer to parents with their first names. So in your case, I'd just call her Martha through the novel. Make it clear at the start who Martha is and leave it at that.
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15,600 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 09 12
What about as 'his mom' when the action is centering around your MC and by her name at other times?
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Non-NaNo Rantings
40,141 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 15 42
I'm having the same problem, but as I'm actually yet to settle on names for my MC's parents, I'm going with Mum or 'his mum' and will throw the name in later on. It doesn't feel right though, so I suppose she'll get a name eventually and I'll work it in.
Straight-forward 'mum' saves excessive pondering right now, though. ^_^
40,023 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 20 06
I am using mama...but not sure whether or not to capitalize it...seems to look odd either way so i may change it to her first name during revisions.
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Nov 5, 2009 - 22 34
Mom would be referred to however the POV character thinks of mom. If it's the kid, then use "mom" is he thinks of her as mom, and "Betty" is he really calls her by her first name. If she's "mom" to him, but you call her Betty all the time, like her husband does, it'll be weird. Know what I mean?
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50,305 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 11 38
What I was told agrees with the other posters: use the viewpoint character as a guide. If they refer to the character as "Mom" - they are Mom. If the viewpoint character refers to them as Ms. Flynn, then that's what they are. If the viewpoint character actually calls them Martha, that's what they are in narration.
@serena_dove: if someone is called something other than their name, consider how it's used. If the viewpoint character is using that word as the character's name, it gets a capital letter at the front (Mama), if not, it doesn't (my mama). The same is true of other stand-ins for names: Professor, Doctor, Dad, Brother (if the character actually calls their sibling "Brother", rather than their name).
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23,553 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 13 10
why not just plain "ma"? I think it works, however if the MC is the narrator of the story then reffering to the character as ma or mom is ok, if not, then the character can adress it as "ma" but the narrator as the first name.
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Characters: 7
Chapters: 7
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21,861 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 18 11
You capitalize it when it's used like a name (eg. "I told Mama I was going to the shops"), and it's not capitalized when it's used as an improper noun (eg. "She told her mama she was going to the shops")
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"Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true." - Demosthenes
