{"id":570,"date":"2011-02-04T18:20:35","date_gmt":"2011-02-04T23:20:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.laserfarm.com\/?p=570"},"modified":"2011-02-04T18:35:52","modified_gmt":"2011-02-04T23:35:52","slug":"writing-lesson-3-choosing-a-point-of-view","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.laserfarm.com\/?p=570","title":{"rendered":"Writing Lesson #3: Choosing a Point of View"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It\u2019s important to establish the point of view of your story. Before typing the first word, you must identify who\u2019s telling the story and how. Will your story be told by a man? A woman? A sexless beast named The Un-Thing? Maybe a cat is telling your story? Or a really smart pen. The possibilities are endless, and by endless, that means you have about ten options. \u00a0Let\u2019s examine the use of each POV type.
\n
\nFirst Person Narrative<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re writing about a sad woman trying to find herself in this crazy world, you\u2019ll need to use a first person point of view. In first person storytelling, the events are explained through the thoughts of the main character, sometimes named Beatrice. It\u2019s an easy way to clarify your main character\u2019s feelings and motivations. Use this point of view if you want to keep something hidden from the reader and the main character. Here\u2019s an example:<\/p>\n

\nMy name is Beatrice and I\u2019m sad because I need to find myself. I sure hope my best friend isn\u2019t evil.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And then in the last chapter, we\u2019d learn that the friend was, indeed, evil. How shocking, right?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Second Person Narrative
\n<\/strong>
\nThis is weird. It\u2019s sort of like the book is written as a letter and the reader is the recipient of the letter\u2026sort of. Don\u2019t use this point of view because it is dumb and stupid and I don\u2019t know how.<\/p>\n


\nThird Person Omniscient Narrative<\/strong><\/p>\n

This common way to tell a story uses an all-knowing, all-powerful, super being as the narrator. This narrator can see everything, all the time. So they\u2019re probably pretty tall, or inside a blimp. How can they know what the characters are feeling and thinking? The omniscient narrator once made a bet with a Wind Wizard, and won. Since that fateful day, the omniscient narrator is able to read minds and see through most walls. (Note: omniscient narrators cannot see through wicker.)<\/p>\n

Example:<\/p>\n

\nOnce upon a time there was a man named Benny Hines who lived in a house. His wife had blonde hair and liked noodles. Benny\u2019s neighbor Shamus had 17 shirts in the closet and was allergic to apples. Meanwhile, in China, Edgar was sleeping and dreaming of robotic women. Meanwhile, in Brazil, it wasn\u2019t raining.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Fourth Person Narrative<\/strong><\/p>\n

This can refer to two different things. First, it might mean the original narrator dies and a new narrator takes his place. Example:<\/p>\n

And so Jimmy went to the lake where he saw a big\u2026Ouch! My organs!<\/p>\n

Um. What\u2019s up? My name is Trevor. I\u2019ll take over from here. Where were we? Who the hell is Jimmy? What\u2019s this book about? Lame. Want to play me in Mario Kart?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Fourth Person Point of View may also refer to a story told by someone who wasn\u2019t even there when the events took place. Example:<\/p>\n

Hey. What the hell happened? Why is everyone crying? What’s wrong with that horse?<\/p>\n

The End<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Smartass Fifth Person Narrative<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is how fancy, post-modern novels are written. The narrator is a self-aware character in the story, and the story is really about the creation of the story and the author is a real smartass about it. Example:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe man is in the hallway,\u201d I said to the reader of this book.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Sixth Person Narrative
\n<\/strong>
\nPlease see \u201cSmartass Fifth Person Narrative\u201d but make it even more confusing. Example:<\/p>\n

\n\u201c’The man is in the hallway,’ said the narrator of this book,\u201d wrote the author.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Seventh Person Narrative<\/strong><\/p>\n

When no narrator is used, we call it Seventh Person Narrative. Example:<\/p>\n

\nThings.<\/p>\n

The End<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Eighth Person Narrative<\/strong><\/p>\n

This refers to a dog or cat narrator, since dogs and cats are about 1\/8th<\/sup> as smart as a human and don\u2019t really count as a person at all. If your story is told from the point of view of eight cats or eight dogs grouped together, then you\u2019re using First Person Perspective, according to the Law of Literary Fractions. \u00a0Example:<\/p>\n

Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Slightly open eyes. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Forget what my tail is. Watch tail expectantly. Sleep. Sleep.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ninth Person Narrative<\/strong><\/p>\n

Use this if your story is really just a sound or odor. Example:<\/p>\n

\u2026<\/p>\n

[Smell your keyboard. There. That\u2019s the whole story.]<\/p>\n

Tenth Person Narrative<\/strong><\/p>\n

You\u2019re not writing a story at all, but instead you\u2019re making macaroni salad and for some reason calling it a novel.<\/p>\n

Homework Assignment:<\/strong> This week, write a paragraph about a man who finds a harp, but the harp is really some sort of turtle. The story should end with, \u201cMucus was everywhere.\u201d Use three different points of view in the paragraph, and the paragraph should be less than five sentences. Due Thursday, at 9:30 in the afternoon. No partial credit. Spelling counts. Counting spells. Show all your work.<\/p>\n

Tune in next time for more writing tips, when we\u2019ll explore the art of character creation and learn how adding the adjective \u201cbonkers\u201d can greatly influence the protagonist\u2019s personality.<\/p>\n

Until then, remember: Great writing is a thing that is good and nice.<\/p>\n