Author function

Author function:

Author function: writer (scriptor?) of fiction

Notion: pain

She opened her eyes carefully and for a few seconds her mind was completely blank. She was lying on her back on a floor. Her vision was blurred but she could make out two figures who sat at a desk to the left of her. They seemed to be studying a map. She tried to lift her head to get a better view, but ceased as pain shot through the back of her head. Then she remembered how two police officers had blocked the narrow forest track and had motioned her to pull over her van and step out. They must have knocked her out, but she had no recollection of it.
The floor beneath her was damp and she registered its coldness through her jeans and denim jacket. One of the figures suddenly rose from the table and came over to where she was lying. Bending his knees lightly, he leaned over her. “The bitch has joined us again. I'll sort her out!” He had a brisk voice. Before she could react, his right fist had struck her in the middle of the face. For a moment it seemed as if someone had switched on a sharp bright light, then her nose exploded. She tried to lift her right arm to protect her face but her attacker was too quick. Another blow. This time the pain was instant and unbearable as her upper lip tore open and her front teeth splintered. Then everything went black...

What differences would the text have had if I had chosen another author function?

Writer of an academic text:

If we look at the content, the text would presumably have included an exploration of the concept of pain from a scientific angle. Relevant sources to substantiate the writer's points-of-view and arguments would also have been present in an academic text on the topic of 'pain'.

With regards to the form, the vocabulary would have been formal, complex, precise and objective. Adjectives would only have been used sparingly, and subjective expressions such as 'unbearable' would not have been used. Technical or scientific terms would possibly have been used where appropriate. The syntax would have been more complex and grammatically correct. That is, an incomplete sentence such as, 'Another blow' would not have occurred in an academic text. There would not have been direct speech either.

Writer of tabloid journalism:

The story would have be presented in a sensational light. The point-of-view would have be the woman's (as in the original fictional text above), but in order to dramatize the events, the story would presumably have been related in direct or possibly reported speech, or even a combination of the two. For the same reason, there would have been a lavish use of adjectives. The register and syntax would have remained relatively simple as in the original text.

Writer of a personal letter:

If the text had been written as a personal letter, it would have been written from a first person narrative perspective. The syntax and vocabulary would both have been relatively simple. And there may also have been several exclamations or examples of spoken language in writing. The tone would have been subjective and confidential.