I really don't think this thread was asking if the exact sentence "Charlie ate another apple." is a good way to start a scene. It was an example to illustrate a bigger picture question.
Yep; that's why I'm calling it a backstory issue. The narrative is referring to something that happened before the moment being narrated, but that something is not explicitly stated or described--the backstory is left out. Edited to clarify: And that's often a good thing.
Charlie grabbed another nail from the table. He let the rusted tip scrape against the bare skin of woman tied to the top. Fresh blood from the new circles washed away the old, flaked blood from previous treatments. He drew a path to a point just above the heart. "Please Charlie. Mercy." Charlie tilted his head and smiled. "Sure Mom. I love you." --- That nail obviously isn't the first. There's a back story including everything from Charlie's birth to now, and certainly an eventful day. But I'm going to determine the reader does not need any of that. I want to convey Charlie is a little off, and his mother is dead by his hands. I think I have accomplished that and can move on with the story.
@Samurai Jack I don't think your style or wording in either of the 2 examples you present, are confusing in the least. I read both and had no trouble with either at least as following an idea that you are conveying with in the context. So in short, no they are not confusing. Though they might question Charlie's relationship with his mother, but that is an entirely different discussion. So I say you are good on your original point.
No, just the first sentence. The other sentences about food are fine because they stand alone. even if you put in "Charlie savored the apple" instead it would make sense and sound less awkward than "Charlie ate another apple." the fact that he at another with no mention of the time he took to eat the first one doesnt add much to the paragraph when you are already talking about him eating everything else. Eating one apple vs. another apple doesn't matter in this case. Charlie ate another an apple as he bagged the silver. He finished off the caviar while lovingly nesting the first editions, each wrapped in acid-free paper, into UHaul boxes. He lowered the last few slices of nova into his mouth as he surveyed the walls. But Mr. Jenkins' taste in art was as bad as Mrs. Jenkins' palate was good. Charlie washed his hands, packed the last of the boxes in his van, called to make an appointment with his fence, and drove away.
@ChickenFreak provided an example that works well, in my view, and the thread has demonstrated how writers can fixate on minutiae and create issues in their mind where there isn't one. The robbery example works OK with or without "another." One version imparts slightly more information than the next. Neither is confusing. No reader is going to be tripped up or even hesitate a moment at either version. It's all down to exactly what the author means to convey and nothing more than that. The word changes the context just a bit, and if that's what you want you use it. If not you eliminate it.
Such a rule makes no sense to me. Using words that say something happened already can convey the scene you want to portray. Is it important that this is not the first apple? Go for it. If it isn't, maybe you don't want to clutter the sentence.
Another rule of writing is to not follow rules about writing. Paradoxical and true, for the most part. As long as it doesn't effect the scene as a whole, why does it matter what tense you use? Anything that happened before the chapter began is irrelevant enough that it's not in the story, so it doesn't matter how many apples Charlie ate. Especially if Charlie is a hero out to save the world or some-such. It's an just apple. And it's just a simple, single sentence. No biggie. Also, Charlie is an asshole. If I've learned anything from CinemaSins, it's that people who eat apples are assholes.
Yup, definitely could show how long he's been there as well as his attitude. The number of apples might also be important if he ends up with a stomach ache later (a critical moment) when he needs to have his wits about him.
