Dear All, I've been trying to avoid making topics here so that I can develop my own slightly lacking imagination, however one issue has been bugging me for a while. The town in my story has been affected by a virus, which the protagonist is actively trying to get rid of. However, I also want (basically need, it's crucial to the story) to show how the city changes due to the fear of being affected by the virus (it targets people seemingly randomly), although I just feel it would be slightly weird for the protagonist to be mixing with the locals when her main priority is to get rid of the virus. Not sure how I can solve this problem.
You don't say, but I'm going to assume your problem is because you're writing in first-person. What role does your MC play? Is she a scientist? If so, then can she not investigate the affected areas while wearing protection? Could she be immune, in the way Matt Damon's character was in Contagion?
Even though your protag isn't mixing with the locals doesn't mean they're unobservant. Subtle changes in the habits of the village, the tone, the level of energy. Plus, wouldn't the the protag have to be looking at environmental factors?
She'll have to go out for supplies, won't she? Maybe working 24/7 to find a cure has exhausted her, and she knows she needs to take a break and recharge, so she goes for a walk and sees disturbing things happening throughout the town?
Well, how does the city change? Is it minute stuff like people's mannerisms, or is it bigger events like rioting? Both? Newscasts would cover the bigger events going on, I would think. Radio, TV... maybe she's got some background noise while she works.
Yes, it is in first person. I don't get what you mean by role, she's pretty young. She can investigate the areas, but not everyone is affected at the same time. So sort of, but it's not really answering the question. Completely forgot about that; I can probably factor it in somewhere. Got far too caught up to think of simple solutions like that. People become more dependant on a key character, but yes, there will be an uprising, but people's attitudes towards life changing a lot. They don't have TV or radio, really.
