POV: Point-of-view. First or third.
No matter what kind of writing you do, POV and Tense will affect you and your writing. Tense will be covered in the next lesson. Let’s start with the basics of POV:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is written in first person present. Everything that happens to Katniss is as if it’s happening to us. First person is the intimate style that gets you right into your character’s head. An advantage of writing in first person is how the narrator can portray their view of the other characters. The disadvantage is that, if something is happening away from the protagonist, the reader won’t be able to know about it.
Currently, first person seems to be the most popular POV structure, as well as my favorite POV structure. It takes some talent to get right—if something dramatic is happening (Someone dying, feelings reaching a boiling point, etc) you are tasked with making it sound realistic without making it sound “narmy” (Narmy: When a situation is supposed to be serious but comes off as unintentionally funny. See http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Narm for full explanation.).
Third person has two forms: limited and omnipresent. In limited, the writing is very similar to first person, except the narrator is someone different than the protagonist. Sometimes, the narrator themselves is another character, as in A Series of Unfortunate Events. In Omnipresent, the narrator is all-knowing, and can drop into any mind of any character at any time. It must be treated with care, therefore, so not too much information is released prematurely.
BEWARE THE PASSIVE VOICE!
Passive voice: The difference between active and passive voice was studied by the writer.
Active voice: The writer studied the difference between active and passive voice.
Now, how can a protagonist appear to have mind reading powers when s/he doesn’t? If you handle the first person POV badly, of course. *this primarily has to do with first person
Don’t give information about other characters that your protagonist has no way of knowing.
“I handed the cashier my card. She studied it, wondering how much longer she had until her shift was over.”
Now, hopefully your prose isn’t as obvious as what I just wrote, but please, proof read before uploading. It’s sloppy. If your protagonist couldn’t know it, leave it out.
YOU ARE READING
Writers: Tools of the Trade
Non-FictionA simple, easy to understand tool to help improve your writing. This is more aimed towards those who want to make something of themselves by writing, rather than a just how-to write on Wattpad. Note: This was originally published in 2013.
