Change POV and change the story

I had finished writing a creative non-fiction story and felt disappointed. I knew the story had potential, but it fell flat. I asked a friend to take a look, and she suggested changing the POV from third person to first person. The change breathed life into the piece and it was accepted for publication.

That short story was accepted for publication. And learning that change in POV trick has inspired my novel writing as well. In my Dragonborn series, I often use another character's POV to help answer a question. When my main character must accomplish something the question I most often ask is why? Not only why are they doing it, but why do they feel this way do about it, and even ask why what they are doing is important. 

 

For instance if a barking dog is keeping your character awake, knowing why the dog is barking provides additional details. 

If the reader is going to care, they must understand why so they can feel what the character feels. Another character's POV can often reveal the why and answer the other important questions that bring about that engaging understanding writers seek for their readers. 

 

Other questions that must be answered

• Who? You can leave mystery as to who, but in such cases, you do want to generate curiosity as to who.
• What? I'll use the Dragonborn world again as an example. In this fantasy series, characters time through travel in four different ways. The Labyrinth of Times, the Midlands, tears in time, and the obelisk, which I have not named as yet. It is one thing for a character to know about them and what they do, but what are they? If you create something characters use or experience, your readers must be able to envision what they are. With these fictional fantasy elements, I learned details from the dragon POV as well as that of Dragonborn humans, and even through the evil antagonist.
  
• Where? This goes back to creating a setting readers experience rather than just something they know about. If your main character is operating in a stark world, show them from another character's POV and you'll see many details you can add to the original scene. If there isn't a second character, get your details from a reflection of the person. Yes, have the reflection tell the story from its POV as it looks back into the real world setting.
  
• How? How do things work? In fantasy and science fiction writing, it is necessary to educate readers to understand how things work. It's the same with historical fiction, mysteries; you name it. Readers need to know how things work, but not through an information dump, and not through author intrusion. It needs to be in an experiential way. Writing from another POV can often help you find the answers you are looking for, as they see how things work, or are taught how things work or even read about how things work. 

 

Today's Pumping Your Muse writing prompt

Today's prompt is a photo prompt. Write a short scene or story based on one of the two photos I've included. Based on the first picture, write using the POV of the person or one of the animals pictured. Or choose to write from the reflection in the second photo. If you really want to see the difference POV can make, write two pieces from two different points of view. Using this trick often helps me find the "magic" that makes many a story work.

Photo credits: Michelle Cox, Norma Desmond

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About The Inheritance by Donna Sundblad

Written within the allegorical tradition of classics like Pilgrim's Progress, The Inheritance offers a literal but symbolic story for today's fantasy enthusiasts. This cleverly devised tale doesn't tell you what to think, but stimulates thought as to why you believe what you believe in your own quest for the Eternal City. The Inheritance is an ideal discussion starter for youth groups, homeschoolers, and families who enjoy meaningful discussions. 

 

The Inheritance is available on Kindle, paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo (Christian fiction), Smashwords and Google Books. When you read it, be sure to leave a review! Thanks for your support. 

Coming soon! Dragonborn by Donna Sundblad

Dragonborn conjures up a winning fantasy with dragons, humans, time travel, and magic. Follow the journey of the young prisonguard, Ervig Greenfields, as he seeks out dragons to remove a curse. The dragons offer him access to the Labyrinth of Times, which will purge the dark magic. But there’s a catch. Erving must take the Dragon Oath that requires allegiance--to fight alongside dragons for centuries, never to return to his own time. He and a handful of others take the selfless oath and become Dragonborn. The Dragonborn and their dragons become seeds of change, in this epic tale, of sacrifice for the greater good. Ride along with them as they slip through a tear in time to the past to change the future.

 

Backseat Driver

In my book, Pumping Your Muse, the Flip Side exercises often take us from one point of view (POV) to another to teach something new about a character or the emerging world developing on the stage of imagination. Sometimes with a simple switch in POV you can find a whole new story, discover a plot thread or learn something different about your character. Today's prompt will take a Flip Side approach to see how new details can come about even in a small space--a car.

Pumping Your Muse Prompt

This prompt takes place in a car. Two characters are necessary, but if you feel more characters are needed feel free to add them. However, the scene will take place in one character's POV times 2.

Driver's POV - Write a short scene from the driver's POV. Show what the driver sees, feels, smells, and oh yes, that irritating "backseat driver" telling them what to do.

Backseat Driver's POV -- Now write the same scene, but write it from the backseat driver's POV.

Add one or more of these elements to make things interesting:

*Cell phone

*Cigarette

*Music

*Radio talk show

*An emergency

When you done, ask the following:

Which POV makes for the most interesting story?

Did you learn something new about the driver by writing from the backseat driver's POV?

Learning From a Different POV

Point of view (POV) offers readers a glimpse into the world you've creative on paper. Based on this POV, they take in visual and other sensory information limited to that POV. For example, if you have three characters in a scene, and it is written from an outside POV--readers will not know the characters' thoughts or feelings. Instead they must make determinations based on what is said and in interpreting body language.

Today's Prompt:

Today we're going to have fun with POV. Take out an existing story (preferably one of your own) and write it from another POV.

Note: If you're ever stuck at a point in a story you're working on, this is a great way to get unstuck. You may never use the additional scene, but information gleaned from it can help you get on with writing.

Photo Prompt and More About Me

I fell in love with this little bug today as I searched for an appropriate photo for mood swings over at my Losing Weight From a Writer's POV blog . I won't say too much about this grub, because I don't want to influence your writing--I want the photo to do that. Here are some ideas to get you started. Write from:

• the grub's POV
• a gardener's POV
• a child's POV

While you're here, I want to announce that I'm featured over at The Fearless Blog: Seeking Courage and Inspiration. Take a moment and stop by. I'll be checking in over there. If you have a question you can ask it. :)

Switching POV on Purpose

Switching places is a popular theme that makes for an interesting story, whether it is a husband and wife switching roles, or a child and parent accidentally swapping bodies and experiencing each other's lives first hand. But today, we're going to walk in someone else's shoes to learn about our characters.

Prompt:

Take a scene you've already written and rewrite it switching to another POV. I did this when I wrote Windwalker and my protagonist, Manelin, narrowly escaped the monster chasing him through the woods. This threat broke trees like they were toothpicks! When I forced myself to write from another POV, I learned some interesting facts about that monster. In fact, I learned a weakness. Have fun as your POV character walks in someone else's shoes! You may be surprised what you learn!

Babysitter

Inviting a stranger into the home is uncomfortable, but the babysitter in your story was recommended by the grocery clerk. Write a scene from: (choose one)

the mother's POV as she opens the door and sees the babysitter

the father's POV as the babysitter steps into the kitchen

the child's POV when they first lay eyes on the babysitter

the babysitter's POV when meeting any of the above

Write the piece in first person and me sure to include sensory information. What dose the character see, smell, taste, and hear?

NaNo Day 7 - Another POV

Today I broke from my protagonist's POV and told another part of the story. What fun to put foundational backstory into place, not as narration but as an active scene.

Create a new scene written from the POV of a secondary or window character.

Donna
Check out more articles and classes on writing at the Inspired Author

NaNoWriMo Current Word Count: 12,257

Point of View

I sat at a traffic light watching an Osprey fly overhead, carrying a fish in its talons.

Tell this story from the driver's POV, the Osprey's POV and then the fish's POV.

Signs of change meet POV

Life has seasons. The weather has seasons. Relationships have seasons. Even our perishable groceries have seasons. What those seasons look like depends on the perspective. For instance, we just entered fall. Where I live, a few trees have a kiss of color. The grass is green and still needs mowing and I still have periwinkles in bloom. 

Seasons of weather

In northern Illinois, where I lived the first half of my life, it is already dropping into the 40’s at night and only warming to the 60s during the day. When I lived in Florida, the seasons as I knew them growing up in the Midwest were turned on their head. Because of the intense summer heat, gardens were started in October. 

Life seasons

Life seasons differ too. The point of view regarding a specific season will also differ. When I was in my mid 20s I had a friend who turned 30 and just sat in his easy chair watching TV at night. At the time, I thought, “That’s what 30 is like!” But he had gone through a difficult divorce, had not children, and his dreams had been dashed. His view of 30 differed from my view of 30 when I got there. 

Different POV equals different story

I remember when my daughter went to Haiti for five weeks and a teen, to help with a number of things. One thing they did was dig a garbage pit. Another, they helped teach to garden. When she returned home just before school was to start, I had thrown away some withered tomatoes from the garden. She stared into the pale and said, “You know, the people in Haiti would eat those.” Same items, different POVs, equals a different story.

Pumping Your Muse writing prompt

For today’s creative writing prompt choose one item from the list below and write a scene that shows the change noticed by your character (or you). Then take the same item and write another short scene from a differing POV.

• Look out a window: show the same scene at two different times of life. Let thoughts of the character reflect the seasons of life.
• Show two people with a fresh relationship that is close. Show passage of time and a different perspective on the same relationship (if it no longer exists memories of the relationship).
• Use some perishable item as the centerpiece to your scene. First scene it is fresh, and the scene is full of hope and dreams. The second scene show the same item stale, spoiled, petrified, etc. Think of Miss Havisham in Great Expectations as she talks to Pip. “What do you think that is?” she asked me, again pointing with her stick; “that, where those cobwebs are?”

      “I can’t guess what it is, ma’am.”

      “It’s a great cake. A bride-cake. Mine!”

 

Photo credits: June Campbell, wikimedia

 

* * *

About The Inheritance by Donna Sundblad

Written within the allegorical tradition of classics like Pilgrim's Progress, The Inheritance offers a literal but symbolic story for today's fantasy enthusiasts. This cleverly devised tale doesn't tell you what to think, but stimulates thought as to why you believe what you believe in your own quest for the Eternal City. The Inheritance is an ideal discussion starter for youth groups, homeschoolers, and families who enjoy meaningful discussions. 

 

The Inheritance is available on Kindle, paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo (Christian fiction), Smashwords and Google Books. When you read it, be sure to leave a review! Thanks for your support. 

About Dragonborn by Donna Sundblad

Dragonborn conjures up a winning fantasy with dragons, humans, time travel, and magic. Follow young Ervig Greenfields as he seeks out dragons to remove a curse. The dragons offer access to the Labyrinth of Times, which will purge the dark magic. But there’s a catch. Erving must vow allegiance to fight alongside dragons for centuries, never to return to his own time. He and a handful of others take the selfless oath and become Dragonborn. The Dragonborn and their dragons become seeds of change, in this epic tale, of sacrifice for the greater good. Ride along with them as they slip through a tear in time to the past to change the future.

 

Show Up Naked

Today I'm doing something a little different. I came across this class and it caught my interest and my imagination and inspired today's prompt. Because of that, I'm including information for the class below.

Prompt

Take an existing scene and undress your character. I'm not suggesting you write erotica. I only want you to enhance your characters senses. If they enter stage right naked, how does that change their experience? What senses are heightened? How are they perceived by others? What do they feel and why? This exercise is designed to help you learn more about your character to be used later in your story.

Show Up Naked Class: Writing from the Man's POV

******PERMISSION TO FORWARD GRANTED AND ENCOURAGED!!********

WritersOnlineClasses.com is proud to present its $30,four-week online class for the month of May, 2008:

INSTRUCTOR: Chris Redding
4-week class: $30
May 1-31, 2008
Registration ends 30 April, 2008


CLASS DESCRIPTION: Show Up Naked: Writing from the Man's POV.

This class is a fun, but informative trip through a man's mind. Scary thought, I know, but when you finish this course you will know more about that man in your
life and, more importantly, you'll write believable male characters.

INSTRUCTOR BIO: Except for her writing life, Chris Redding is surrounded by men. In her house with her husband and two boys. At both of her part time jobs: a rescue squad and the Emergency Medical Services department of her local hospital, both male dominated fields. And she's studied them all intently. She lives in New Jersey. Corpse Whisperer came out in October of 2007. Incendiary is due out later this year and Along Comes Pauly, a romantic comedy will be out in 2010.

Animal Talk

Write a scene from an animal's POV. This will not only be fun but also opens your eyes to details you might not otherwise consider. The POV can belong to a family pet, a domestic animal or a critter in the wild. Heck, it can even be that raccoon that rummages through your trash each night.

First Person POV

Write a short scene using first person POV. Choose one of the following subjects or choose one of your own:

Christmas memory

Playing a sport

Finding the perfect pair of shoes

Buying your first car

Check out more articles and classes on writing at the Inspired Author
or my fantasy blog for writers

Check out more articles and classes on writing at the Inspired Author
or my fantasy blog for writers

A Plane POV

POV can get a bit confusing at times. The best way to remember how it works for me is to imagine yourself inside the character's head. You see what they see, feel what they feel and know what they think. For today's exercise, imagine yourself on a plane sitting in the window seat. What do you see? What do the clouds look like? What does the landscape look like?

Now, put your character on the ground beneath the plane. Now what do the clouds look like? The landscape?

In both cases, how do they feel?

Chores

Mundane chores can be boring--until you change the POV. Write a scene depicting a chore from the POV of an object involved. For example: A dirty garment as laundry is being done (or the washer or dryer)

Ideas:

Dusting
Cleaning the bathroom
Cleaning up after a pet
Washing the car

An Animal's POV

Describe the world through an animal's POV. Choose one of the following:

fish
old dog
puppy
cat
parrot
rabbit
raccoon

Sports

Sports--fun, stress, and more.

Write a scene at a sports event from two points of view. The first from the player's POV and the second--the same scene from a spectator's POV.

Pets See It Differently

Write a scene from a pet's POV. It doesn't matter what the pet is--dog, cat, bird, snake or other reptile. Pick an animal and write a scene from their POV.

Embarrassed

Embarrassment is one of those things writer's often use in their stories, and sometimes poses a problem when you want to show embarrassment rather than passively say what a character feels. Write a short scene that shows an embarrassed character and include one of the following:

• shoe
• wallet
• passing gas
• a touch

Remember that the POV character cannot see their own face blush, so if they are the one who is embarrassed they will have to feel it rather than see it.

First Kiss

Learning to write sexually sensual scenes can challenge writers who choose to keep their writing appropriate for all ages. Today's prompt is to write a scene including a first kiss. Write it from the POV of one of the characters involved in the kiss.

A Day in the Life

As a kid, I remember watching a Twilight Zone episode where a young girl hears her dog barking and finds that he has found a portal in her bedroom wall that leads to another dimension. She follows after her pet, and adults realize not only that the girl and her dog are in this other dimension but the portal is closing as the wall gradually is turning solid and closing the way of return.

We've also read stories of kidnapping, identity theft, and all kinds of situations where suddenly reality has changed for those involved. Today's writer's prompt involves change. This one is just for fun, though you never know where it will lead.

Write about a day in your life as if someone else was walking in your shoes. For example, if you have an elderly mother and she suddenly had the opportunity to live your life for a day, what would it be like?

Or a young child...taking over the role as parent.

The POV can make this one fun!

Today's photo was taken by photographer Dan Colcer.