Hello one and all!
One of the most integral aspects in crafting a story is the point of view. It is the lens through which the reader will see events unfold, and as a result it colours what type of experience they will have. Point of view is a powerful tool and through it the emotions can be represented.
First Person
The first person is the "I" voice narrator. In this point of view one of the characters of the story is speaking directly to the readers. This is very intimate, and gets under the skin of a character, letting one explore who they really are. Readers are invited into the character's head.
The concern with this form of narration is to keep the character interesting and gripping enough so that a reader will stay with them for any length of time. One of the drawbacks of the first person is that one is limited to what the character knows and sees. For example, you couldn't suddenly have a character talking about something happening in another room in a house without them experiencing it. The writer has to craft a story so that the character that narrates is present at the events that are important for the narrative.
Omniscient Point of View
The omniscient point of view is where a scene is not written from the perspective of anyone. This form of narration was especially popular in nineteenth century novels. Because this form of narration is so detached some cite it's lack of emotion as problematic, but it definitely has its uses. One of its advantages is that the writer can focus on disparate events separated by large distances.
Third Person
The third person narrator is a mix between the first person's intimacy and the omniscient point of view's perspective. This point of view also has room for a continuum of intimacy that allows the writer to zoom in on a character or create distance. Syntax and word choice plays a large part in determining this intimacy.
Conclusion
One of the most important things for a writer is to maintain control of narrative distance and to deliberately tailor it to any given scene. Point of view allows for an emotional connection with characters, and as a result it's wise to establish it as quickly and effectively as possible.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment!
One of the most integral aspects in crafting a story is the point of view. It is the lens through which the reader will see events unfold, and as a result it colours what type of experience they will have. Point of view is a powerful tool and through it the emotions can be represented.
First Person
The first person is the "I" voice narrator. In this point of view one of the characters of the story is speaking directly to the readers. This is very intimate, and gets under the skin of a character, letting one explore who they really are. Readers are invited into the character's head.
The concern with this form of narration is to keep the character interesting and gripping enough so that a reader will stay with them for any length of time. One of the drawbacks of the first person is that one is limited to what the character knows and sees. For example, you couldn't suddenly have a character talking about something happening in another room in a house without them experiencing it. The writer has to craft a story so that the character that narrates is present at the events that are important for the narrative.
Omniscient Point of View
The omniscient point of view is where a scene is not written from the perspective of anyone. This form of narration was especially popular in nineteenth century novels. Because this form of narration is so detached some cite it's lack of emotion as problematic, but it definitely has its uses. One of its advantages is that the writer can focus on disparate events separated by large distances.
Third Person
The third person narrator is a mix between the first person's intimacy and the omniscient point of view's perspective. This point of view also has room for a continuum of intimacy that allows the writer to zoom in on a character or create distance. Syntax and word choice plays a large part in determining this intimacy.
Conclusion
One of the most important things for a writer is to maintain control of narrative distance and to deliberately tailor it to any given scene. Point of view allows for an emotional connection with characters, and as a result it's wise to establish it as quickly and effectively as possible.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment!
Comments
Post a Comment