It looks like this: "I spoke to M--- today" or When Mr. T--- and I went to town."
2007-03-09 05:06:15 · 4 answers · asked by jvalli76 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
To keep the character anonymous. You do this in a diary or other sensitive material where you don't want some people to know the actual identity of the person you are writing about. The initial will make it clear the the writer, but not the undesired reader.
Early diarists and letter writers did this to conserve paper. Before the industrial revolution, paper was expensive and names are long. It simply saved space.
2007-03-09 06:01:28 · answer #1 · answered by suzykew70 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the type of book. Some older detective novel writers did it to make the characters sound more mysterious. Some nonfiction writers do that to hide somebody's identity instead of changing their name.
2007-03-09 05:17:24 · answer #2 · answered by wilye21680 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Individual writing styles.
2007-03-09 05:09:29 · answer #3 · answered by WC 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sometimes its just to shorten the name. it was probly mentioned earlier in its "normal form" some authers just leave out that they shortened the name
2007-03-09 06:21:08 · answer #4 · answered by ippyja 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋