First person POV
·
The viewpoint
character is “I.” Nothing can be heard, seen, or experienced except through the
senses of the character relating the story
Third person
·
Most commonly
used for storytelling
·
Viewpoint
character is “he” or “she” (or “it”)
Third person, single POV
·
Remain inside
one character throughout the story (like first person POV)
·
Pros: Allow
readers to identify with the character and drawn into the story without
switching to another character
·
Cons: Limited to
what can be shown “on stage.” Outside events must be told to the character or
discovered some other way.
Third person, multiple POV
·
The writer puts
the reader into the heads of more than one character through the story. E.g.,
romances (man and woman), thrillers (hero, villain)
·
Maintain a
single POV in each scene; do not head-hop
Third person, omniscient POV
·
Viewpoint
character is an omniscient narrator who tells the story about a cast of
characters
·
Occasionally
used in epics with many characters (e.g., Lord of the Rings)
TENSES:
·
Past = He went
to the store
·
Present = He is
going to the store
·
Future = He will
go to the store
·
Most novels are
written in past tense, though some use present tense
QUESTIONS
1. Can you mix POVs in a single novel? (e.g., first and
third, mixing omniscient with other POVs)
2. What tense—past, present, or future—are you using to
tell the story? Why have you selected this tense?
3. What person are you using to tell the story? Why did
you select this person?
4. If you have chosen more than one person, does the
mixture best serve the story? Why or why not?
