Tuesday 14 August 2012

You, Herself, and I - Charley R's Guide to Viewpoints

Starting a new story is fantastic. It's fresh, it's exciting, it's full of potential for fun and mischief and all-round awesomeness. It's also something of a triumph, because getting to the start point is more trouble than a bag of cats dipped in hot sauce on a summer afternoon. Characters, setting, storyline - everything has a wonderful habit of mutating and changing and refusing to co-operate with you as you desperately try to hash out the idea before putting pen to paper.

And then this last little blighter jumps up and bites you on the nose. Never mind the story itself - how on earth are you going to tell it? One narrator? Is one enough? Which character should be the narrator? First person? Third? Stream of consciousness? Do you really trust a stream to keep track of all their names?

Many a great tale has been delayed because the author couldn't work out who was telling the tale.

Hence why I am doing this post today. In a vain attempt to aid all writers in the struggle over viewpoint, I'm going to pin down every option I can think of, from the norms to the nonsensical. Think of it as a metaphorical recipe- pick whichever options suit your proverbial supper. I don't recommend putting it on your actual supper. It tastes a bit like rhubarb crumble with jalapeno peppers and aubergine juice.

AISLE ONE: THE BASICS

Third Person, Past Tense, Limited Narrator - This is probably the most common form of narrative strand, and also the easiest to follow. Written in past tense, we follow a single character's actions throughout the narrative, from an "over their shoulder" perspective. E.G. - Bob was walking to the shop to buy some eggs when, suddenly, his chihuahua exploded after eating a radioactive fish finger. Startled, he fell on his backside and let out a cry as the pavement bit him cruelly on the backside.

Pros: Its popularity probably lies in its simplicity. While we are encouraged to engage and relate to the narrator, we also have the advantage of distance from the tricky stream-of-consciousness elements that a first person narration can bring up. Third person also allows for greater description of setting, and physical appearance of other characters (first person narrators often don't have great reason to describe characters they are familiar with). Allowances for short deviations into explanatory passages from the author also tend to flow better from a third person perspective.

Cons: Being unable to deviate from a single point of view could be limiting to a complex, multi-stranded plot, and if the story contains a wide variety of characters with very important roles, the readers might feel they are missing out on exciting events that happen away from the narrator. Giving a character a distinctive "voice" is also more difficult, as there are few available contrasts, except  via dialogue.

First Person, Past Tense, Limited Narrator - Another popular form of narration, especially in thrillers and some romance novels. Written in past tense, but using the "I" voice, as if the character vocally recounting the events of the story. E.G. - I could hardly believe it, the chihuahua's body was levitating in the air! I ran to Bob's side and thrust my chicken drumstick into his hand, hoping he could use it as a weapon if need be.

Pros: First person allows for a more personal relationship with the narrator than third, especially if the story is written in the form of a diary, or a series of letters. The character's thoughts and feelings are made more explicit, and the potential for an individual "voice" and personality to come through is huge, and relatively easy to exploit (though one does have to be careful not to get too lost in the narrator's thoughts and forgetting the story). Also, the ability to hide elements of the story from both character and reader encourages a more gradual revelation, and further engagement from the reader as they learn along with the protagonist.

Cons: Potential for confusion is high. Having a single character try and explain a complex situation to a reader can end in messy transgressions, and if the reader does not find the character engaging and interesting, they may give up on the story if they know this is the only voice they will hear for 800+ pages. As with its third person counterpart, too, a complex story with a wide cast can also be inhibited by the one-man-band style of narrative.

AISLE TWO: INTERESTING ALTERNATIVES

Omniscient Narrator - Here, the reader sits on a proverbial flying carpet, viewing all the characters' thoughts and feelings in the same narrative strand. Mostly applicable to third-person narration. E.G - The chihuahua's body, enraged at the fate it had suffered, launched itself upon its terrified owner. Bob shrieked and hurled himself instinctively behind Brenda. Luckily, she was feeling braver than him, and brandished her handbag fiercely. The chihuahua shuddered in fear and shrank back, plotting its next move.

Pros: The potential to introduce, develop and work with multiple characters is huge. Here, a reader has potential to look over characters and plot elements that they find less interesting in favour of other events and / or people they prefer. Characters' motives and feelings can be clarified, and the relationships between different people are clearer. Explanatory digressions flow near seamlessly into the narrative as, being detached from any particular viewpoint, an impersonal passage is less noticeable.

Cons: It's hard. Really really hard. Even with one or two characters, keeping an even balance between their thoughts and viewpoints in the same passage is a logistical nightmare. Complications can also arise  when characters are separated, or come together in a group, as one is not sure who to follow and when. Potential to hide characters' motives and plot elements from the readership is also more difficult. Potential for characters' individuality to come through in the writing is also seriously limited.

Rotating Narrators - Each chapter or paragraph, the viewpoint rotates to a different character. 

Pros: Applicable to both third and first person plots, rotating viewpoints can encompass a large cast whilst also providing contrasts that can highlight their individual quirks and traits. Favourite characters can be more closely tracked, while ones that an individual is less fond of are easier to skim over and / or ignore, depending how much you genuinely wish a painful end on them. Complicated plots can be brought together in strands by different characters, making for a more intriguing story while still retaining the personal relationship / ability to hide key plot points for the author

Cons: Choosing which characters should be narrators is a hard job - especially if your plot has a habit of mutating on you, and people end up in different roles to those you planned. It's easy to develop George R. R. Martin syndrome and give a viewpoint to the world and its 49 cats because you're sure they'll be useful later. It also makes killing off characters hard, as you lose their strand in the narrative, and often can't be sure whether to replace them with another narrator or not. The story can also end up a lot longer than it needs to be, as individuals have to be rounded off in some way or another (provided you don't pick them all off one by one . . . which is an interesting option, if a little psycopathic.)

Present Tense - Instead of telling the tale as a finished event, this time we see the story "as it happens". E.G. - Brenda leaps into action, swatting the chihuahua around the head with her purse. However, the blow bounces off and sends her crashing on top of Bob with a sickening crunch that perfectly mimics the noise that chihuahua is making as it slowly decomposes stinkily in mid-air. 

Pros: I think "The Hunger Games" proved how tense a present tense narrative can be. Increased immediacey heightens the stakes, as we cannot be sure that there is, theoretically, any end to tale beyond the last page of the book. We are drawn deeper than ever into the character's immediate thoughts and feelings, literally as they happen, and with no endpoint in sight, our emotions can be merrily shredded by any sadistic entity who likes throwing spanners in the works of poor figurative creations.

Cons: Some people are put off just by the fact that present tense can be slightly awkward to read. Digressions for explanatory passages are practically impossible, and if you have more than one narrator in this setup then the timefram can get wobblier than a fairground ride that hasn't seen repairs in a long while. Potential for foreshadowing is also seriously restricted.

AISLE THREE: AND IF YOU'RE FEELING ADVENTUROUS . . .

Second Person Narrator - Here, we are told the story as if we are being talked to by another figure. E.G. - You gasp as your companion lands on top of you, crushing the air from your long-suffering lungs. She's heavier than you expected, and you're pretty sure she's broken something - namely the eggs in your shopping bag.

Pros: Anyone who's ever dressed up as their favourite movie character knows how awesome it is to play the hero - and here, you literally are! Never mind a narrator, here it's the reader who is the center of attention, the chosen one, the hope of all peoples, the kicker of backside. The story is entirely yours to discover as you go along.

Cons: This viewpoint only really works in second person, and I've never seen it used anywhere effectively outside of a Goosebumps "choose your own death" style book. It's awkward to read, there's little room for exploring setting or relationships with other characters that aren't pre-determined, and a complicated story will only serve to confuse all involved.

"Fragment" Narrative - A personal term for a story that really has no distinctive narrator at all, but seems to be played out in the mindset of another observing party. E.G. - It was strange, what happened next. Amidst dreaming spires and confusion, the half-comic, half-tragic battle continued. Such is the struggle of life; a neverending whirl of emotion and panic all bottled up and falling through an endless spacial abyss.

Pros: If your project is reaching for some metaphysical truth or deeper message, a narrative like this can be fascinating. Opportunity for abstract language and expression abounds, and everything can contain a deeper meaning with greater ease than if you were in a more conventional narrative frame. Explanative digressions? Who needs those. This sort of story doesn't even have to make sense if it doesn't want to.

Cons: The optional nature of sense can be horribly confusing. Anyone who's read a William Faulkner novel will know how hard a really fragmented and abstract narrative is to read. Unless you're writing for a highbrow audience, or aiming for a deeply philosophical tone, this confusing bundle of madness is probably best left alone.

***

And what about all of you? What's your favourite sort of narrative style? Have you ever tried any of these up here? What happened? What would you recommend to other writers when helping to choose their narrative styel? Leave a comment and let us know!

~ Charley R

22 comments:

  1. Loved it! (And seriously now, I do love your way with words..."radioactive fish finger" You make me laugh!) :]
    I write in present tense/first person. And I couldn't WAIT to get to your section about it. Totally true (actually, the whole article was great!). It can be limiting, but it's so much more intimate then, say, an omnipresent voice. It is a bit of a startler if you aren't used to it tho. Definitely.
    Write *how* and *what* you love to read! That's the best advice I've been given. :D

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    1. Haha, thank you very much! I've always struggled with first person viewopint myself, I tend to stick to third limited, but I'm going to try using a first person diary form for this year's NaNo, so that'll be an experiment in carnage :P

      Ah, that's a good point there! I shall add it to my WIse Words Bank ;)

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  2. YOU SO STOLE MY WRITING TIPS POST! *checks to make sure he actually posted that, rereads it* I WILL GET REVENGE!

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    1. WHAT IS ON THE INTERNET IS COMMON PROPERTY UNDER THE CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE ACT! THEREFORE I AM ON THE MORAL HIGH GROUND!

      . . . ADVANCE TOWARDS ME, MALE SIBLING!

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    2. BUT I WROTE IT SO MUCH BETTER! MINE WAS ACTUALLY FUNNY! YOURS WAS... STRANGE! BUT NOT STRANGE IN A FUNNY WAY!

      ...IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A HUG, YOU'RE IN THE WRONG PLACE!

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    3. I DON'T CARE! I ENJOYED DOING IT! SO THERE!

      . . . I'M NOT! I'M TRANSLATING THE MODERN PHRASE "COME AT ME, BRO" INTO ARCHAIC LANGUAGE FOR MY OWN AMUSEMENT! I KNOW BETTER THAN TO TRY AND HUG ONE SUCH AS THEE!

      Delete
    4. WELL, YOU MIGHT THINK THAT'S ALL THAT COUNTS, BUT IT ISN'T! IT'S GOT TO BE ENJOYABLE TO THE READER! AND THIS ISN'T! MAYBE! I DIDN'T GET ALL THE JOKES!

      ...YOU WANT ME TO COME AT YOU? I'LL COME AT YOU! PERMISSION TO BORROW THE HALBERD, SIR? THANK YOU, SIR! AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

      Delete
    5. MAYBE THAT'S JUST YOU FAILING TO GRASP MY COMIC GENIUS!

      FINE! *whips out flamethrower* MEET YOUR MAKER!

      Delete
    6. MAYBE THAT'S JUST YOU FAILING TO HAVE A COMIC GENIUS!

      WAIT, CAN'T I PREPARE FIRST?

      Delete
    7. MAYBE IT IS! I CARE NOT!

      NO! *laughs maniacally as she blasts Liam from head to foot with the flamethrower*

      Delete
    8. THE WORSE FOR YOU, THEN!

      AH, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW THAT I RECENTLY COVERED MYSELF IN DRAGON MUCUS, WHICH AS I HAVE EXPLAINED TO YOU BEFORE IS IN FACT FIREPROOF! *laughs even more maniacally*

      Delete
    9. CURSES! FOILED! AH WELL, YOU SHALL NOT THWART ME AGAIN! UNTIL NEXT TIME, FOOL! *vanishes in a puff of orange smoke. She seems to have lost all her other colours in the move.*

      Delete
    10. LIKEWISE. *vanishes in a darker orange smoke; the movers stole all of his as well* WAIT... NOW WHAT?

      Delete
    11. *disembodied voice echoes from somewhere in the ether* I DON'T KNOW! WOULD YOU LIKE A BISCUIT?

      Delete
    12. *similarly disembodied voice replies* ABSOLUTELY. ARE THEY SHAPED LIKE FISHIES?

      Delete
    13. MOST CERTAINLY. UNLESS YOU WOULD PREFER A RABBIT?

      Delete
  3. My favourites are first person, present tense. Well, past tense is fine, too, but I LOVE first person. I think the reader can get to know the character better.

    My biggest problem with points of view is that at the end of my book, I need a chapter that's by someone who isn't my narrarator. Then in the second book, they come back and run the show. So for the sake of the second book, I want them in first person, but for the first book, third person would be better and first would be confusing. Confused? So am I. :) Anyway, that's the least of my worries right now. Anyone know a good place to find plots? ;)

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    1. Ahahaha, oh the confusion, you poor creature.

      As for plots . . . writer's block? Gah, that sucks. I just find plots wandering into my head, so I'm afraid I'm no help there xD

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  4. Another Con to Roatating Narrartors is to have too many and/or no consistatncy in the rotation. Chapter 1 is by Hibab, but then his voice doens't appear again until chapter 55... It's confusing. Or trying to follow fifteen people, but the time you get to Hibab's second chapter, you've read 14 others and can probably barely remember what he sounds like. (And heaven help us if they are all in first person!)

    Sorry - I landed myself into a situation where I discovered that con by reading two multi view point books in sucession. One did it well the other, not so much and the bulb in my brain lit up. :}

    As to view points I prefer - Limited third, past tense - my drafts often waver between two protagonists, but I've been working on keeping their thoughts out of each others (unles they are mentally communicating of course).

    I did step out on a limb and try First person present, and while I'm not sure I'd use it for all my charcters (I really don't want to know what Rachel's stream of conscious is) it works really well with Morgan's quiet and thoughtful personality.

    I've also used Second person - but that was for a Goosbumps choose your own death type book (I loved those!) - which reminds me I should probably get back to it - but like most of my experamental work I probably bit off more than I could chew trying to coordinate three perspectives. *grins*

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    1. *has to push Ash back into his box at the mention of Morgan*
      He wants to eat me. And is it me who's due with a chapter on that, or someone else? I've forgotten :P

      I tend to class "Rotating Narrator" as three or more characters, two is more like "alternating", and is a heck of a lot easier to manage. My saxon-ish project that I've momentarily abandoned in favour of moving house is stuck somewhere between two and three (dunno if I should cut one of the narratives or not), and the three is so much harder than two . . . and even then I"m not sure if I should just stick to one. So much hard work xD

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  5. My favourite is rotating - first person, each chapter. You'll know that from "Watching", of course. I had five narrators and each chapter I changed to a different one.

    However, I've also written third person, limited, past tense - such as "The Quiet Ones". We're 'inside' Aniviel's head but it's all third person. And "Rite" is in first person, present tense. I like that. It works for that story. Mind you, Rite is basically like the ballet world's version of the Hunger Games, only you can't win.

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    1. Hehehe, you seem to have a good grasp of a nice variety there! I need to practice my first person - everything ends up either going off in character-brain tangents, or being so boringly written it almost makes me cry. NaNoWriMo ought to clear that up - I'm going first person mode there.

      Any tips on how to make first person engaging and interesting?

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