Beautiful Swirls; Writing Tips

NUGGET 8-POV

The point of view refers to the perspective a story is narrated or told from. In other words, who's telling the story? And to whom?

It's important you establish your story’s point of view at the start and then stick to it. POV is a literary device, think of it as a writers tool (weapon). If it’s wielded correctly, the results are immense.

 As creators, you need to be versed with the two most commonly used POV styles;

1)      The first person POV

2)      The second person POV.

But before we dive into this whole POV gist, it should be pointed out that a second and perhaps fourth person POV does exist, though not as widely used as the rest. They are rather uncommon so we have no need to discuss them.

Where were we again? Right, first person POV, let’s get into the good stuff!

            First person POV

This, in my opinion, is the most prevalent POV style. The pronoun “I” and basically all first person pronouns (me, we, us) are used. A single character— this could be the main character or someone close to the mc— tells the story from their own perspective.

Now, check this out;

“I dab my cheeks with the lace trimmed handkerchief in my hand. My eyes squeeze shut. What happened to me back there? That wasn’t me. Couldn’t be me. I reach out to grab hold of something… anything. That’s the last I remember.”

Now, let’s talk about the uniqueness of the first person POV;

·        Proximity : This POV ties your readers close to your lead character. Close enough that they see things through your character’s eyes and even know their thoughts. This way, your readers can identify with your character.

·        Limits: Although some may say this POV limits the reader’s knowledge to only what the mc knows, there’s are upside to this. When other characters know something your central character, and by extension, your readers don’t know, it creates suspense or an air of mystery around that other character.

And on to the next;

           Third person POV

A story told in this POV style uses pronouns, he/his, she/her, they/them/their, and the likes of them. Let’s understand this better with an illustration. How about we convert the previous illustration in first person POV to a third person POV;

“Carla dabs her cheeks with the lace trimmed handkerchief in her hand. Her eyes squeeze shut and her thoughts run wild. ‘What happened to me back there? That wasn’t me. Couldn’t be me.’ She thinks. She reaches out to grab hold of something… anything. That’s the last she remembers.”

… Et voila! Did you notice something? In this POV style, readers aren’t in the character’s minds, so Carla’s thoughts are clearly expressed as hers. And there’s a change in proximity between reader and character.

What’s unique about the third person POV?

·        Flexibility; This is the most important feature the third person POV offers. Readers are able to see things not only from Carla (the MC’s) point of view but every other characters’ POV if the writer chooses. This is in contrast to the first person POV where everything is told from one character’s perspective.

Back to the previous illustration, Carla faints. In the first person POV, the character (and readers) won’t know what happens during the period the lead character isn’t conscious. Perhaps, the character awakes in the hospital and gets told what happened.

In the third person POV however, we may see:

“Noah stumbles into the bathroom, frantic eyes roaming around. He finds Carla sprawled on the floor near the toilet.  ‘Carla!’ he screams and jumps into action. He kneels at her side, cradling her head on his laps. ‘Carla, wake up.’ His voice cracks up with emotion.”

Now, this is a continuation of what happens after Carla passes out. We now know how and who finds and takes Carla to the hospital.

Comparing both POVs, first person allows the writer and reader a like have a deep connection to the narrating (main) character. While, in third person, the writer isn’t limited to a single character’s actions or thoughts. This is not to say one POV style is superior or more professional than another. It all comes down to the writer’s style, preferences or maybe what’s best for the story.

At this point, don’t get confused about which POV is most suitable for your story. Here’s my advice;

1) Consider the trope of your story. Do you feel comfortable telling your story from a single perspective or it requires multiple perspectives.

2) Try writing a scene of your story in different POVs and see which works best. Trust your instincts.

3) Consistency is key. Your story’s POV should best be known right from the first page of your work. You wouldn’t want to confuse your readers. Then avoid unnecessary POV shifts.

We’d conclude with the idea of switching POVs. Is that a thing? Yes it is, and very well possible. But be careful not to jar your readers while doing so. Switching between character POVs while writing in first person, in my opinion, is rather unprofessional, perhaps even sloppy.

While writing in third person, character POVs can be switched with each chapter, each scene (use appropriate scene breaks, this could be a couple of asterisks) and with each paragraph.

There’s one more thing. It’s rare to see a story a story told from the antagonist’s perspective. Antagonists are characters too and they deserve to be heard! It doesn’t always have to be about the protagonist. Or does it? What do you think?

Action point

Spend some time reading some of your favorite novels. Take mental notes of not just the POV style it’s told in but also the verb tense used.