Viewpoint.  Whose skin am I in?

I would normally teach viewpoint under the heading characterization, after all it is an essential part of the character.  In today’s fiction writing viewpoint is all over the place.  Multiple viewpoints are the most rewarding in romance novels because you get into both the hero and heroine’s mindset and that’s important emotionally.  In a mystery novel staying with the main character seems to do best so you can unravel the mystery as it happens, but this too is not set in stone.  I know…there is always an exception to the rule.  Once you understand viewpoint, and with an editor’s blessing, you can bend the rules for effect.  Many of your favorite authors do just that.

However, for learning purposes, you must learn about viewpoint.

Most novels are written in third person viewpoint, also known as objective viewpoint.  This viewpoint shows what a character is doing, saying, seeing, feeling and smelling.  You are in the character’s mindset.  You would say he said, she said, when talking.  Using past tense throughout the story.  You would use all five senses and let the reader in on all the character’s thoughts as they occur.

First person viewpoint is also known as subjective viewpoint.  This viewpoint is used in personal experience books and memoirs, which are non-fiction.  Rarely are they used in fiction.  The reason?  It’s boring and dull in fiction, but absolutely necessary in memoirs.  This viewpoint lets you inside the character’s head as if you were the character, as if you are seeing through your own eyes.  You would say I said, when speaking.  This viewpoint is somewhat limited in action.  If you have your character black out or fall asleep then the story shuts down, because the character shuts down.  Not so in third person viewpoint, the story can go without the main character.

There is a third viewpoint that is called omniscient.   This is rarely, if ever used.  And as sure as I say that a reader will write and tell me differently.  Let’s stay commercial writing here.  This viewpoint is when a character is on stage (so to speak), is mute and all the words (voice) come from off stage and describe what is happening on stage.  Once a popular form of viewpoint it’s even duller than first person viewpoint.  The character can’t, and doesn’t react to anything.  This viewpoint should not be confused with narration in a story because this is another element all together.

Assignment:  If your students are writing (any age) and they have developed a character, have the character take the author through the character’s bedroom.  Using all three viewpoints to describe what they see.  This will help develop the character as a person.  Go inside the closet, what does the character see, say, smell?  Use the imagination here.  What types of clothes are there?  What kinds of shoes?  Go into the dresser; is it neat or cluttered?  What does the bedroom tell the author about the character?  The bedroom is one of two areas where your character can be who they are.  The bathroom being the other, but unless it’s necessary let’s not go there.  Although, what’s in that medicine chest?

Example Third Person:  He opened the closet door to the smell of stale tennis shoes in dire need of washing. 

Example First Person:  I opened the closet door and inhaled the scent of lavender, my favorite aroma.  A flood of memories came to mind of my ??????, use your imagination.

Example Omniscient viewpoint:  There it was, an open closet door revealing the contents inside.

Now, when you pick up a book to read, whose viewpoint are you in?