Who is telling the story? This might seem like a weird question, but it’s one that writers wrestle with all the time. Whenever a lightbulb story idea hits the writer’s mind he or she needs to know what point of view is going to work best. Will the story be told by the main character, a secondary witness, or an all-knowing godlike figure? This choice can have a drastic effect on the plot and structure.
There are two schools of thought on how to go about this. First is the pragmatic approach. This is where the writer takes a step back and looks at the plot from multiple angles, determining if the story is told by one or many characters.
Then there are the optimists. These writers surrender to the story. From the very start they go with gut feeling and work within the limits of their decision, devil may care.
There is no right or wrong way. It depends on what type of writer or person you are. And it’s possible to be somewhere in the middle, to dabble in both sides for different stories.
Let’s explore some methods that are available.
The first person narrative is the most common for beginner writers. It uses the “I” pronoun and is chosen when the narrator himself/herself is telling the story. For the reader, this is up close and personal storytelling. They get to see what the protagonist see,
feel what the protagonist feels, and have access to the inner workings of the main characters mind.
For the writer the first person is the most natural form and feels like telling a personal account. Using this form they are free to use all manner of colloquialisms and freer forms of speech.
In my younger and more valuable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. ”Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, ” he told me, ”just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”
F.Scott Fitzgerald The Ggreat Gatsby
That said, this method can be a double edged sword at times. Some writers find it hard to distance themselves from the character using first person, and often subconsciously include their own personality and voice.
The third person narrative comes in a variety of flavors. Using the pronouns he and she, in this method the narrator doesn’t participate in the story, instead they are on the outside looking in. There are three to four different versions, depending on who you ask,
however, I’m only going to discuss two. Limited and omnience.
In third person limited, as you can probably guess, the narrator has a finite access to knowledge. This point of view, like first person narrative, describes the thoughts and actions of one character. Like the narrator is an angel sitting on their shoulder
Winston stopped writing, partly because he was suffering from cramp.He did not know what had made him pour out this stream of rubbish. But the curious thing was that while he was doing so a totally different memory had clarified itself in his mind…
George Orwell 1984
For the reader this style of narrative can feel somewhat intimate, but there is a distinct distance, since the actions are filtered through the voice of the narrator. For the writer, however, this distance can offers a little more flexibility and freedom in writing but the language choice in the third person is usually a little more formal.
In third person omniscience, the narrator has access to all areas. There are no limits. Godlike, when the narrator turns their attention to anybody in the story, be it the protagonist, a secondary character or even a passer by, the narrator knows all. Every detail about that person.
They are able to recount the dreams, fears and hopes of anyone in the story.
Everyone in the group was excited after arriving at the old hotel, except Smith, Justin and Rachel. They were scared. Justin hands were sweaty and he felt his legs begin to shake. Sarah thought about an old movie she saw years before where an old man spied on guests through a hole in the wall.
Anonymous.
Experienced writers prefer this method because of the massive scope and huge potential. For the same reason, novice writers find it intimidating to have control of the universe under their fingertips. It can time to master this method without being too overwhelmed. And it’s best to remember, with great power comes great responsibility.