- Sep 20, 2018
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Sure, naming characters can help flesh out the world. But it is interesting that Monica is referenced by name so often when other, more significant background characters are not. Maya's dad, for example, has had a much larger impact on the story and even a brief appearance on screen, but no one has ever mentioned his name.Not entirely true. Even when I'm doing edits/ghostwriting for authors, and we collab, a lot of people in these books that are mentioned are there to add some depth to the story. They don't all need to be relevant to be memorable.
If Monica never comes up in the game, it won't hurt the storyline -- (at the same time, she can always be added in later via a presage) -- at least you have that idea that she is a "real" person with a "name." But if none of them were ever mentioned, the pace of the story would feel rushed, despite many parts feeling rushed. But again, he just doesn't know how to write. There are snippets of good writing, and then it's as if he falls into a mood and barrels through some of his ideas and cuts them out completely.
It is not an easy thing to write a story. I've written over a million words before I got the idea of it
Personally, I think it's actually a side effect of Josy's characterization. She doesn't like or respect Monica, so she prefers to call her by name rather than the semi-honorific "my step-mom." We learn her name in the process more or less as collateral damage.
As for DPC's skills as a writer, I think you're a little hard on him. As I said above, he certainly has weaknesses, but he has very real strengths, too.