Post #5: Point of View

This wasn’t a topic that I thought I would have to dedicate an entire post to, but it seems that a cursory google has proven me wrong. Not many aspiring writers really think about this when they start planning their book, and I fall into that category… unfortunately. And those who are more experienced in the writing department may be wondering why I didn’t think about it. And my answer will probably be completely unsatisfactory for most people out there, but here it goes.

Point of View

The easiest way to explain this topic is by using the analogy of a camera. If your book was a movie, where would the camera be? In other words, from which angle would the reader/ viewer be experiencing your story from? I didn’t think that this question was so important to answer, but clearly google disagrees with me… again. But this time, and this time only, I admit defeat. This is an important question to answer.

There are multiple different types of point of view that could be used when writing a book. But to make it simpler for you, and me, I’ve narrowed it down to three different methods. They all have their own uses, but the differences are clear enough to have a huge impact on the style of book you write.

First-Person

The first is, quite obviously, writing from a first-person point of view. This means that, continuing with the past analogy, you would be shoving your camera into your protagonist’s brain so that you reader could experience the story as if they were the character themselves. There are a lot of advantages to this type of writing since it allows the reader to fully step into the shoes of the main character. They’ll be able to know everything that the character knows and experience what they experience. The writer will also be able to explain how the character feels and reacts in the same way that they would explain it if they reacted that way themselves. This can quite often be easier for a beginner writer to wrap their head around.

However, there are downsides to this method. There are always going to be people who do not connect with your character on a personal level. Because of this, they will not enjoy being thrust inside of your character’s shoes in order to experience the story, no matter how good that story is. This style of writing requires the reader to connect with the character on a far more personal level than the other methods. This can also limit a writer as the reader should only see what the character sees. That can make it far harder to fully explain everything that needs to be explained for the plot to make sense.

Third Person Omniscient

Now, I’m hoping that everyone reading this blog knows what the third word in the sub-title means, and if you don’t… google it, duh.

The other two types of point of view that are used in fantasy writing are both third person, but still very different. The third person omniscient point of view is much like having a narrator who already knows the ending of the story, in other words… a know-it-all. This method allows the writer to explain everything they need to in order for their story to make sense. Using this method, the writer can explain what each and every entity is doing without needing to rely on any specific character to do so. This may seem very freeing for a lot of beginning writers, but I would advise most people to steer clear of this style when it comes to writing fantasy.

The aim and hope of any writer should be to have the reader connect with their story and characters on a personal level. They should be able to easily immerse themselves in the world as if they were actually there, at least… that’s the aim. However, this point of view can often hinder that aim. When books are written in this style, it makes it hard for the reader to connect with any of the characters. That’s why most writers choose not to use this point of view when writing their fantasy novels.

Third Person Limited

As promised, this is the second type of third person point of view that will be discussed in this post. It also happens to be the most used style when it comes to fantasy writing. Both Tolkien and Rowling used this method to write their highly acclaimed series… so obviously, it works. But why is this the most popular point of view for fantasy? My answer is simple, it combines the best aspects from the previous two. You get the freedom of not having to stick to only what your character sees, but also what happens around them. This allows you to more easily explain how other characters in the story are behaving and reacting.

But there is always a downside. The writer will still have to stick to what happens in your character’s immediate vicinity rather than being able to have an omniscient view point. Also, the reader will not be able to know exactly what the character is thinking. This may provide some mystery for the reader, but it can also make it harder to get the character’s motivations across because of this. It makes you wonder if the pensieve in ‘Harry Potter’ was used to get around this flaw.

Conclusion

In reality, you should a hundred percent not be taking my advice on this topic. I have no idea what I’m doing since, surprise, I’ve never written a book. In my opinion, the answer to this question should come from how you tell the story to yourself in your head. When you think of your story, are you the main character? Or are you simply viewing the main character’s actions from above? And are you the type of writer who knows the ending before they ever put a grubby finger to the keyboard? Because the answer to these questions will decide which point of view you should use.

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