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Thanks go to Alan Harnum for pre-reading this. If you want to read more on the subject, look at your local public library for a book called "Character and Viewpoint" by Orson Scott Card. Some of what I write here is paraphrased from that book.
The idea of this is to help you better tell the story that you want to tell. In cases where it doesn't, it should be ignored. Use whatever in here will help you best convey the story you want to tell, and disregard the rest with extreme prejudice.
Comments of all kinds are welcomed.
Use of Viewpoint in Prose Fiction
an essay on writing, by Gary Kleppe
Next time you're reading your favorite manga, or watching anime, pay attention to the different types of camera shots used. Imagine how much less interesting it would seem if it was like a stage play, shown entirely from one angle and at one distance. Varying the viewer's perspective (the camera angle and distance) is an important way the people who work with these media bring their stories alive for the viewer.
Prose fiction doesn't have pretty pictures to show the reader. Writers of it need to rely on the power of their words to hook readers' interest. The viewpoint from which the story is narrated has a lot to do with how the readers will experience it.
For example, you could show a scene using script-style descriptions:
We see Ranma standing next to Akane. He is in girl form. The dojo has been generally wrecked, and there's a lot of garbage lying on the floor.
This is the equivalent of the stage play. The reference to "we" tells us that we're a passive observer, watching the action without being part of it. The descriptions are dry and lifeless; they show us the scene, but don't really inspire us to feel anything about it. This kind of narration is probably not the best way to engage your readers.
The idea of this is to help you better tell the story that you want to tell. In cases where it doesn't, it should be ignored. Use whatever in here will help you best convey the story you want to tell, and disregard the rest with extreme prejudice.
Comments of all kinds are welcomed.
Use of Viewpoint in Prose Fiction
an essay on writing, by Gary Kleppe
Next time you're reading your favorite manga, or watching anime, pay attention to the different types of camera shots used. Imagine how much less interesting it would seem if it was like a stage play, shown entirely from one angle and at one distance. Varying the viewer's perspective (the camera angle and distance) is an important way the people who work with these media bring their stories alive for the viewer.
Prose fiction doesn't have pretty pictures to show the reader. Writers of it need to rely on the power of their words to hook readers' interest. The viewpoint from which the story is narrated has a lot to do with how the readers will experience it.
For example, you could show a scene using script-style descriptions:
We see Ranma standing next to Akane. He is in girl form. The dojo has been generally wrecked, and there's a lot of garbage lying on the floor.
This is the equivalent of the stage play. The reference to "we" tells us that we're a passive observer, watching the action without being part of it. The descriptions are dry and lifeless; they show us the scene, but don't really inspire us to feel anything about it. This kind of narration is probably not the best way to engage your readers.
