META: Plot vs. Character

[Tom Russell]

Martin Phipps wrote:
> Saxon Brenton wrote:
> > I would submit that _Nostaglics_ is a slightly different animal:
> > it belongs more to the detective mystery style of story, in
> > which lots of background information is added.  In a more
> > conventional story that sort of surfeit of information would
> > constitute something like characterisation or even world
> > building, but in this style it's primarily about hiding clues
> > among red herrings. Whether that's the true nature of the
> > story itself is something that I can't tell. However, since the
> > narrative is not so much a confessional by Jason (he's freely
> > admitted he killed one of his teammates) but rather an
> > attempt by him to ellicit help to identify why he did it, it
> > makes sense that Jason himself would be deliberately
> > giving as much potentially relevant information as possible.
>
> I suppose it is a question of who he is actually talking to.  He can't
> be talking to a police officer because the police officer would have
> asked him to get to the point.  So presumably he has already confessed
> to the crime and provided an answer as to why he did it and at this
> point he's talking to somebody else.  So the big reveal would be not
> only why he did it but who (he thinks) he is talking to and why he
> feels he has to explain himself.

Another thing to consider is that the narrator's powers would certainly
colour his mental state and his ability to communicate with the world.

> 
> Martin

==Tom