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Techniques
Point
of
View
One of the most
important decisions you will make in writing your story is choosing
which point of view to use. The point of view is the "head" or "camera
angle" from which you filter the action. Here are five commonly used
points of view.
- First Person Point of View - The narrator is "I"
or "we." A writer only reveals things the narrator sees, hears, thinks
or knows. I knew I shouldn't have let Grandma go down there. She isn't
too steady on her feet to start with, and then she gets those dizzy
spells. But she insisted, and the next thing I know, she's tumbling
down those stairs like a gymnast.
- Second Person Point of View - The narrator
addresses the reader. You know how it is. You think you shouldn't
intervene, you think she'll get mad at you if you don't let her do what
she's always done.
- Third Person Point of View, Panoramic - The
narrator sees all the action, but doesn't read minds. Think of this
like a movie camera--describe anything you see or hear, but not
thoughts. Mrs. Smith stood at the top of the stairs, her son John next
to her. Clinging to the handrail, she planted her trembling foot on the
first step. But the other foot caught on the carpet.
- Third Person Point of View, Controlled
Consciousness - Like first person, the reader sees all the action
through the eyes of a single character and can only see what that
character sees. The difference is the writer uses "he" or "she" instead
or "I" or "we". When using a controlled consciousness point of view,
choose one character, called the viewpoint character, to experience the
story through. A writer can have more than one viewpoint character in a
novel. The viewpoint character should change only at chapter or scene
breaks and should never change without good reason. John knew he
shouldn't have allowed his grandmother to go down the stairs alone. She
wasn't steady on her feet and sometimes she grabbed onto the nearest
object when dizziness overwhelmed her.
- Third Person Omniscient - God-like; the narrator
knows and sees everything, and can move from one mind to another.
Although third person omniscient allows the most flexibility, it's
difficult to manage. Besides visiting the heads of different
characters, the reader can also see into the future or see things that
none of the characters can see. John stood next to his grandmother. He
wanted to help her down the stairs. Mrs. Smith looked at her grandson,
her blue eyes sharp, and moved a strand of hair from her face. She was
determined to do this on her own, to prove she wasn't helpless.
By changing your
viewpoint character, readers get a different account of the action.
Therefore, carefully choose whose viewpoint to use so they can get the
greatest power from each scene.
Even within third
person omniscient, there should be only one viewpoint character at a
time, only one character whose thoughts and mind readers visit. If you
must switch "heads" within a scene, clue the reader to allow for a
transition. Once the switch is made, stay with it. "Head-hopping"
confuses the reader.
Besides point of view,
intimacy and voice affect how close the reader feels to the story and
the characters. Intimacy is how close the reader is to the action and
to the character's thoughts and emotions. Like a video camera, a writer
can zoom in and out, getting close (into a character's head) when she
needs to and then back off when things get too hot or when a broader
perspective works better.
Voice is the way in
which the narrator talks—it
can
be proper and formal, conversational, or even illiterate. To be
effective, it must be natural and unique, just like each person's
voice. An author's voice may be one of the most difficult things to
develop. When you first begin putting words on paper, you "try out"
different voices, trying to find the one that suits you. Of course,
each story can have a different voice and still be the author's. The
more you write, the more comfortable you become with your voice.
Likewise, the tense
chosen affects the power of the story. Writers often use past tense (he
was) in fiction, although some effectively use present (he is). Past
perfect (he had been) and future perfect (he will be) should be saved
for flashbacks and special effects. It is extremely important to
maintain tense. Like viewpoint changes, tense changes jar the reader
and mark the writer as an amateur. Unless you are an accomplished
writer, do not even consider changing tenses within your novel. If you
are uncertain which tense to choose, go with past tense. It is the
easiest to handle and the most invisible to the reader.
Point of view, voice,
intimacy and tense are the spices in your main dish of plot, character
and setting. As such, they must exist, but they should be invisible to
the reader, allowing for a smooth, full-bodied flavor without any
jarring inconsistencies.
For additional tips,
worksheets, and discussions, order your own copy of the Inspiration for Writers Tips and
Techniques Workbook.
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