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Q and A: Point of View
What point of view is the best bet for the novice writer?
It depends, but the best bet is usually third person limited--limited
to one character. This is easiest because there's only one character
to keep track of. You don't have to be inside his head or reproduce
his diction the way you would in first person. You can use standard
English.
"Third person limited" means limited to one character, "third person
multiple," to more than one. You're limited to only what he, she,
or they see. Each point of view also has distance: close, distant,
or omniscient.
When is it essential to switch from the "best bet?"
For the novice, it's essential if you have scenes in which your
protagonist can't be present, and you must include those scenes.
You'll probably need multiple third person in those cases.
To make multiple third work, it is important to confine yourself
to one point of view per scene. In other words, don't switch
viewpoint unless you're starting a new scene.
Aren't certain forms like second person pretty corny and avoided now?
Second is very rare because it draws such attention to itself. It's
usually used only as an experiment or in the kind of work where the
author wants to draw attention to it. First person, which seems like
it should be the simplest, is in some ways more difficult than third,
because you must adapt your diction and thought pattern far more completely
to the character you're creating.
In third person, in contrast, you can usually maintain enough distance
so that the use of uncustomized standard English is sufficient. In
addition, in writing first person, there is a much stronger temptation
to not examine the assumptions and beliefs that underpin successful
characterization .
Does writing in first person make it easier to build a voice--your own, perhaps?
It's not really easier because it makes different demands. It works
if we're not going to feel claustrophobic trapped in the person's head.
Also, the voice has to be interesting enough to live with, and writer has to
be able to create a distance between himself and first person narrator in
order to create a real character on the page. The lazy way out is to use
yourself, which is almost never successful, because that approach doesn't
create an interesting character on the page. You're too close and not distinct
enough. You can't really see or feel the character; you can't get the distance
to bring the character to the reader.
Does it work to write from the first person points of view of several characters?
Multiple first person is very rare because the "I" persona creates a strong
identification. Thus, every time you change viewpoint you have to become a
different "I." This can create a sense of fragmentation.
When can you get away with two or more points of view?
In a longer work, when there is enough space to establish the characters.
Can you get away with lapses in point of view?
Writers do it frequently, but they shouldn't. It's really more effective
to stick to one point of view.
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