Ian Dawson's Blog - Posts Tagged "point-of-view"
Writing Tip of the Week: Learning to Write While Reading
If you're like me, if you like to write, you like to read. Reading can be a passive, fun activity. It can also be used as a learning tool for writers to develop their craft and improve their writing. Like students learn from textbooks, writers can use novels as study aids and guides to help them learn by example and see what others have done before.
Why do we like the books we do? How do they hook us? What tools and techniques does an author use to drive the story forward and keep us interested? How does an author introduce new plot points and develop compelling story arcs?
Let's talk about it!
Pick a Familiar Book
Most of us have a book that we really enjoyed. One that we read through at breakneck speed, mesmerized by the story, the characters, and the twists and turns.
Choose a book that you've read before that really hooked you. Grab a red pencil, pen, and paper and reread the book. This time, however, you're not reading to be entertained; you're reading to learn.
Analyze This, Analyze That
What point of view does the author use? Do they use different ones for different characters (the main character is in first-person, and other characters are in third-person)?
As you read, mark in the book with the red pencil how the author effectively uses description to introduce a character or location. Are they verbose in how they describe, or is it simple?
How does the author draw the reader into the story from the start? What techniques do you think they utilize?
When does the story change direction? How does the main character receive new information that causes them to switch tactics? Do they receive this information passively or actively?
How does the author introduce conflict? Is there an overarching conflict throughout the novel, or do things get resolved and new conflicts arise? How does that affect your enjoyment of the story?
How does the author show us the main character's evolution from start to finish? Are they open with other characters, or is the reader privy to things other characters in the book aren't?
What are the main themes of the story? How are they presented by the author? Are they spelled out to the reader or more subtle?
Break It Down
Now that you've taken the time to deconstruct the story and its elements write down a bare-bones version. Break it down into the main plot points, the main character's arc, and how these elements keep the narrative compelling and moving forward.
Write these points out as statements, but also quote the lines of dialogue or description that showcase these moments.
How can you use this information to make your story and writing stronger?
Repeat the Process
Reread the book, keep an open mind and see if your initial views change. Did you get something deeper from the second analysis than the first one?
Final Thoughts
Analyzing a favorite author's work is a great way to dig deeper into another person's creative mind. You can see how a story works by breaking it down and see how the author uses character and plot elements to drive the narrative forward. Multiple readings may deliver new and deeper information that can help you as a writer in the long run.
Why do we like the books we do? How do they hook us? What tools and techniques does an author use to drive the story forward and keep us interested? How does an author introduce new plot points and develop compelling story arcs?
Let's talk about it!
Pick a Familiar Book
Most of us have a book that we really enjoyed. One that we read through at breakneck speed, mesmerized by the story, the characters, and the twists and turns.
Choose a book that you've read before that really hooked you. Grab a red pencil, pen, and paper and reread the book. This time, however, you're not reading to be entertained; you're reading to learn.
Analyze This, Analyze That
What point of view does the author use? Do they use different ones for different characters (the main character is in first-person, and other characters are in third-person)?
As you read, mark in the book with the red pencil how the author effectively uses description to introduce a character or location. Are they verbose in how they describe, or is it simple?
How does the author draw the reader into the story from the start? What techniques do you think they utilize?
When does the story change direction? How does the main character receive new information that causes them to switch tactics? Do they receive this information passively or actively?
How does the author introduce conflict? Is there an overarching conflict throughout the novel, or do things get resolved and new conflicts arise? How does that affect your enjoyment of the story?
How does the author show us the main character's evolution from start to finish? Are they open with other characters, or is the reader privy to things other characters in the book aren't?
What are the main themes of the story? How are they presented by the author? Are they spelled out to the reader or more subtle?
Break It Down
Now that you've taken the time to deconstruct the story and its elements write down a bare-bones version. Break it down into the main plot points, the main character's arc, and how these elements keep the narrative compelling and moving forward.
Write these points out as statements, but also quote the lines of dialogue or description that showcase these moments.
How can you use this information to make your story and writing stronger?
Repeat the Process
Reread the book, keep an open mind and see if your initial views change. Did you get something deeper from the second analysis than the first one?
Final Thoughts
Analyzing a favorite author's work is a great way to dig deeper into another person's creative mind. You can see how a story works by breaking it down and see how the author uses character and plot elements to drive the narrative forward. Multiple readings may deliver new and deeper information that can help you as a writer in the long run.
Writing Exercise of the Week: A Matter of Perspective
A while back, I wrote a post about the different points of view that can be used in a story. First-person. Second-person. Third-person. Third-person limited. Omniscient. All have been used by writers for millennia. Using one over another can alter how readers perceive the events presented in your narrative.
It’s easy to get comfortable using one POV, so I thought we’d have fun and mix things up a bit today.
Let’s get started!
The Scenario
Write a short story that takes place in one location and involves three characters:
Character One doesn’t like Character Three and wants to leave. Character Two is trying to get Characters One and Three to resolve their differences, but also has to get somewhere in the next twenty minutes. Character Three believes they are turning into some mythical creature and needs Characters One and Two to be present as long as possible for the transformation to stick.
The Assignment
Using the above scenario, outline a short story between 1000 to 1500 words. You can place them anywhere; give them names and any additional characteristics you like. Make sure the story has a beginning, middle, and end.
Now the fun part...
Exercise #1
Write one version from the first-person POV of Character Two. Why don’t they want to be there? What’s their issue with Character Three? How are they kept from leaving as soon as they arrive? Do they resolve their issues with Character Three with the help of Character Two? What happens if they don’t? Give us their side of things and how they view the circumstances they find themselves in.
Exercise #2
Write this version from the third-person POV of Character Two. What led them to attempt a resolution between Characters One and Three? Are they hopeful their plan will work? What other ideas or tactics have they tried in the past? What is their relationship to the other two characters that has sparked this mediation? And where do they need to be in twenty minutes, and what happens if they don’t arrive on time? How can you show this urgency to the reader without telling them?
Exercise #3
Write this version from the second-person POV of Character Three. Just like the classic Choose Your Own Adventure books, put the reader in the driver’s seat. Make the reader the person who believes they are turning into a mythical creature. What are they feeling? What do they believe must happen for the full transformation to occur? Why do they feel this way? What was their relationship with Character One, and what caused the fallout? What mythical creature do they believe they’re turning into?
Exercise #4
It’s time to go Omniscient. Give us the perspectives of all three characters as they traverse this conflict to its resolution. Feel free to change things; there’s no need to stick with what you wrote in the previous versions.
Bonus Exercise #5
Once you’ve picked a location, choose an inanimate object in the space and write the story from that object’s POV. What does it see? What does it think is going on? What are its thoughts on the characters and their conversations?
Wrap-Up
Which POV did you enjoy writing in the most? The least? Was there a POV you feel you could become better in with practice? Experimenting with POV within the same scenario is a fun way to see how a story’s trajectory changes when a different character controls what the reader is witnessing.
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
It’s easy to get comfortable using one POV, so I thought we’d have fun and mix things up a bit today.
Let’s get started!
The Scenario
Write a short story that takes place in one location and involves three characters:
Character One doesn’t like Character Three and wants to leave. Character Two is trying to get Characters One and Three to resolve their differences, but also has to get somewhere in the next twenty minutes. Character Three believes they are turning into some mythical creature and needs Characters One and Two to be present as long as possible for the transformation to stick.
The Assignment
Using the above scenario, outline a short story between 1000 to 1500 words. You can place them anywhere; give them names and any additional characteristics you like. Make sure the story has a beginning, middle, and end.
Now the fun part...
Exercise #1
Write one version from the first-person POV of Character Two. Why don’t they want to be there? What’s their issue with Character Three? How are they kept from leaving as soon as they arrive? Do they resolve their issues with Character Three with the help of Character Two? What happens if they don’t? Give us their side of things and how they view the circumstances they find themselves in.
Exercise #2
Write this version from the third-person POV of Character Two. What led them to attempt a resolution between Characters One and Three? Are they hopeful their plan will work? What other ideas or tactics have they tried in the past? What is their relationship to the other two characters that has sparked this mediation? And where do they need to be in twenty minutes, and what happens if they don’t arrive on time? How can you show this urgency to the reader without telling them?
Exercise #3
Write this version from the second-person POV of Character Three. Just like the classic Choose Your Own Adventure books, put the reader in the driver’s seat. Make the reader the person who believes they are turning into a mythical creature. What are they feeling? What do they believe must happen for the full transformation to occur? Why do they feel this way? What was their relationship with Character One, and what caused the fallout? What mythical creature do they believe they’re turning into?
Exercise #4
It’s time to go Omniscient. Give us the perspectives of all three characters as they traverse this conflict to its resolution. Feel free to change things; there’s no need to stick with what you wrote in the previous versions.
Bonus Exercise #5
Once you’ve picked a location, choose an inanimate object in the space and write the story from that object’s POV. What does it see? What does it think is going on? What are its thoughts on the characters and their conversations?
Wrap-Up
Which POV did you enjoy writing in the most? The least? Was there a POV you feel you could become better in with practice? Experimenting with POV within the same scenario is a fun way to see how a story’s trajectory changes when a different character controls what the reader is witnessing.
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
Writing Tip of the Week: Should Your Story Have Rules? – Part One, Technical Rules
Rules. While it’s odd to think about, stories do come with their own sets of fixed rules and regulations that help the author know what can and can’t happen in a story. These can be simple or complex, but establishing a set of rules for your story and its characters can help you as you craft your narrative.
The best time to establish rules for your story is before you begin the outline/drafting process. This will help you have these guardrails in place as you venture out into the creative world of your story.
Over the next three posts, we’ll discuss the areas where you should establish rules beforehand. Let’s begin with…
Technical Rules
These are aspects that affect not just how you write your story, but how the reader experiences it. These include:
Point-of-View:
Will the story be told through first-person, second-person, third-person omniscient, or third-person limited narration? Will you use more than one point of view during the story?
Think about your story and what you want to establish about what the characters know and are aware of, and what you want the reader to know about your characters. Do you prefer the reader to hear directly from the character, or do you prefer an ever-present narrator to give insight into your characters’ lives and choices?
Tense:
I would venture to guess that most books are written in the past tense, where the story is being told to us after the fact. However, I have recently read a few books where the story is told in the present tense, placing the reader in the moment and experiencing things as the characters do, as the story unfolds.
Screenplays, plays, and TV scripts are written in the present tense. If you’re interested in experimenting with this story tense, I recommend reading some scripts or seeking out novels like Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuistion in this style to see if it would work for your story.
Basic Structure:
How will the story be told? In chapters? In sections (Part One, Part Two, etc.)? In a long-running narrative with no breaks? In chapters with segments?
Depending on the story being told, the majority of books utilize standard chaptering, but you can decide how you want to label the chapters (Chapter One or Chapter 1). Stephen King often has the main chapter, then sub-sections in those chapters designated by Roman Numerals.
The nice thing about novels versus screenplays is that there is no hard and fast rule about how long the book has to be. Screenplays are typically 110 pages, whereas a novel can be as long as needed to convey the story.
Next Time…
In the next post, we’ll explore some Narrative Rules to consider while brainstorming and plotting your story. Happy writing, and I’ll see you next time!
The best time to establish rules for your story is before you begin the outline/drafting process. This will help you have these guardrails in place as you venture out into the creative world of your story.
Over the next three posts, we’ll discuss the areas where you should establish rules beforehand. Let’s begin with…
Technical Rules
These are aspects that affect not just how you write your story, but how the reader experiences it. These include:
Point-of-View:
Will the story be told through first-person, second-person, third-person omniscient, or third-person limited narration? Will you use more than one point of view during the story?
Think about your story and what you want to establish about what the characters know and are aware of, and what you want the reader to know about your characters. Do you prefer the reader to hear directly from the character, or do you prefer an ever-present narrator to give insight into your characters’ lives and choices?
Tense:
I would venture to guess that most books are written in the past tense, where the story is being told to us after the fact. However, I have recently read a few books where the story is told in the present tense, placing the reader in the moment and experiencing things as the characters do, as the story unfolds.
Screenplays, plays, and TV scripts are written in the present tense. If you’re interested in experimenting with this story tense, I recommend reading some scripts or seeking out novels like Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuistion in this style to see if it would work for your story.
Basic Structure:
How will the story be told? In chapters? In sections (Part One, Part Two, etc.)? In a long-running narrative with no breaks? In chapters with segments?
Depending on the story being told, the majority of books utilize standard chaptering, but you can decide how you want to label the chapters (Chapter One or Chapter 1). Stephen King often has the main chapter, then sub-sections in those chapters designated by Roman Numerals.
The nice thing about novels versus screenplays is that there is no hard and fast rule about how long the book has to be. Screenplays are typically 110 pages, whereas a novel can be as long as needed to convey the story.
Next Time…
In the next post, we’ll explore some Narrative Rules to consider while brainstorming and plotting your story. Happy writing, and I’ll see you next time!
Writing Tip of the Week: Should Your Story Have Rules? – Part Three, Character Rules
Over the last two posts, we’ve explored the Technical and Narrative Rules to consider when crafting a story. In this final post, we’ll explore the third leg of the story rules stool.
Let’s dive in and explore the world of…
Character Rules
They are an essential element of any story, but they should come with their own set of parameters before you toss them into the narrative chaos they are about to experience.
Who’s in Charge of the Story?:
Which of your characters should shoulder the burden of carrying the reader through the story from beginning to end? Which of them has the most to lose, the most to gain, and the most incredible ability to change as the story unfolds?
Sometimes, a character we initially think would be the ideal main character gets sidelined by one that captures our attention more effectively. This attention-seeking character might be a perfect candidate for the position of story protagonist. The protagonist should be someone capable of change, who is directly impacted by the events unfolding in the story, and who will engage in a confrontation with the story’s antagonist.
Look at your cast of characters and decide if the person you’ve chosen to be the main character is the best choice, or if there’s someone else waiting in the wings for their moment in the spotlight.
How Many POVs:
Some writers throw lots of points of view at their readers. James Patterson likes to do this, giving characters a single chapter to inform the reader of things the main character doesn’t know yet, so we’re ahead of them in the narrative.
Others stick with just the protagonist’s point of view; we find out information at the same time they do.
Others alternate, such as Nelson DeMille, who will give us the POV of the main character, then intersperse a few chapters from the antagonist’s POV so we understand their mindset and perspective, usually before the final showdown.
This is worth considering, since the more POVs you have, the more story you have to craft for these characters to have something to do that adds to the story and provides additional conflict or tension for the main character.
Even if these characters are embroiled in a subplot, they still must connect to the main character and story in some significant way; otherwise, their existence in the story is pointless.
Also, too many POVs could lead to confusion for the reader, which is the last thing you want to do.
If this is your first novel, I suggest sticking to one or two POVs to maintain your sanity as you write the story. Keep things simple and easy to follow. You’ll thank me when you begin the rewrite process and don’t have to keep track of eight different POVs!
A Character’s Purpose:
Step back and examine each character that will populate your story. What function do they provide in the overall narrative structure of the story?
Each character should exist to serve the story. If they’re just there, they need to go. It’s as simple as that.
From the main character to the people in a crowd, each character you include in your novel, short story, screenplay, or play needs to have a definite purpose. It can be simple or complex, but they need to have a reason to be there.
Let’s break things down:
Main Character: They drive the story forward; without them actively pursuing a goal, the story has nowhere to go.
Antagonist: The person opposing the main character and trying to prevent them from reaching their stated goal.
Secondary Characters: These can be friends, love interests, sidekicks, pets, or anyone who is around the main character or antagonist, offering them advice, support, or assistance.
Tertiary Characters: Minor characters your main character meets along their journey. They may be in only one chapter or scene, but the information they provide or the actions they take assist the main character positively or negatively and can contribute to the story’s direction.
Utility Characters: A crowd at a concert. Protesters. Campers. Patrons at a biker bar. These are usually nameless characters that help give a location atmosphere and personality. These are extras (aka background artists) that can be described to enhance the location currently inhabited by your other characters.
As you add characters to your story, ask yourself what purpose they serve. If their presence doesn’t enhance or help move the story forward, then it might be wise to remove them from the narrative.
Final Thoughts…
I know it’s a lot to consider. Still, by taking the time to think about and establish the basic Technical, Narrative, and Character Rules for your story, you will give yourself a great advantage as you begin writing. Since these rules have already been set, you can now focus on the creative side of things and get into the creative side of things: the drafting process.
Happy writing, and I’ll see you next time!
Let’s dive in and explore the world of…
Character Rules
They are an essential element of any story, but they should come with their own set of parameters before you toss them into the narrative chaos they are about to experience.
Who’s in Charge of the Story?:
Which of your characters should shoulder the burden of carrying the reader through the story from beginning to end? Which of them has the most to lose, the most to gain, and the most incredible ability to change as the story unfolds?
Sometimes, a character we initially think would be the ideal main character gets sidelined by one that captures our attention more effectively. This attention-seeking character might be a perfect candidate for the position of story protagonist. The protagonist should be someone capable of change, who is directly impacted by the events unfolding in the story, and who will engage in a confrontation with the story’s antagonist.
Look at your cast of characters and decide if the person you’ve chosen to be the main character is the best choice, or if there’s someone else waiting in the wings for their moment in the spotlight.
How Many POVs:
Some writers throw lots of points of view at their readers. James Patterson likes to do this, giving characters a single chapter to inform the reader of things the main character doesn’t know yet, so we’re ahead of them in the narrative.
Others stick with just the protagonist’s point of view; we find out information at the same time they do.
Others alternate, such as Nelson DeMille, who will give us the POV of the main character, then intersperse a few chapters from the antagonist’s POV so we understand their mindset and perspective, usually before the final showdown.
This is worth considering, since the more POVs you have, the more story you have to craft for these characters to have something to do that adds to the story and provides additional conflict or tension for the main character.
Even if these characters are embroiled in a subplot, they still must connect to the main character and story in some significant way; otherwise, their existence in the story is pointless.
Also, too many POVs could lead to confusion for the reader, which is the last thing you want to do.
If this is your first novel, I suggest sticking to one or two POVs to maintain your sanity as you write the story. Keep things simple and easy to follow. You’ll thank me when you begin the rewrite process and don’t have to keep track of eight different POVs!
A Character’s Purpose:
Step back and examine each character that will populate your story. What function do they provide in the overall narrative structure of the story?
Each character should exist to serve the story. If they’re just there, they need to go. It’s as simple as that.
From the main character to the people in a crowd, each character you include in your novel, short story, screenplay, or play needs to have a definite purpose. It can be simple or complex, but they need to have a reason to be there.
Let’s break things down:
Main Character: They drive the story forward; without them actively pursuing a goal, the story has nowhere to go.
Antagonist: The person opposing the main character and trying to prevent them from reaching their stated goal.
Secondary Characters: These can be friends, love interests, sidekicks, pets, or anyone who is around the main character or antagonist, offering them advice, support, or assistance.
Tertiary Characters: Minor characters your main character meets along their journey. They may be in only one chapter or scene, but the information they provide or the actions they take assist the main character positively or negatively and can contribute to the story’s direction.
Utility Characters: A crowd at a concert. Protesters. Campers. Patrons at a biker bar. These are usually nameless characters that help give a location atmosphere and personality. These are extras (aka background artists) that can be described to enhance the location currently inhabited by your other characters.
As you add characters to your story, ask yourself what purpose they serve. If their presence doesn’t enhance or help move the story forward, then it might be wise to remove them from the narrative.
Final Thoughts…
I know it’s a lot to consider. Still, by taking the time to think about and establish the basic Technical, Narrative, and Character Rules for your story, you will give yourself a great advantage as you begin writing. Since these rules have already been set, you can now focus on the creative side of things and get into the creative side of things: the drafting process.
Happy writing, and I’ll see you next time!
