by DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on Facebook: www.facebook.com/diannmills, Twitter: https://twitter.com/diannmills or any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.
Varying degrees
of point of view (POV) allows the writer to establish emotional distance
between the reader and the character. The distance is set in direct
relationship to the role the character plays in the story, the mood, and voice.
The POV
character takes the spotlight and has the most to lose or the highest stakes.
Every word in the scene and subsequent internal reaction is filtered through
the character’s sensory perception and life experiences.
The mood of the
scene is the writer’s GPS. Adjusting the emotional distance creates a level of
emotional tension that parallels the mode of the story.
The distance the
writer chooses for the character to internalize what previously occurred varies
per:
- The action prompting the character’s reaction.
- The traits assigned to the character guiding how the character views life in a range of introversion to extraversion.
- The character’s fears and past wounds.
- The character’s goal or problem to solve.
- The character’s knowledge of the incident.
- The ability of the character to honestly process information.
Some scenes
require a close emotional distance, such as a character’s revelation or facing
a hard truth. Other scenes may have more impact with greater distances such as
a character who doesn’t have all the information. An unstable character,
especially one who is insensitive, evil or selfish, can set the stage for a
gripping scene.
First Person
Everything is
told from the narrator’s viewpoint of I. The advantage is intimacy. It’s easy
to believe what the character says, thinks, does, and experiences—like a friend
telling you about an event or reading someone else’s diary. Multiple first-person POVs with
varying degrees of emotional distance are powerful stories.
The following
are examples of first person from distant to close. Note how each sentence
brings the character closer to the reader.
I saw heavy traffic from my office
window.
I saw more trucks than cars in the
heavy traffic.
Julie’s BMW emerged from the heavy traffic like a silver
bullet, and I held my breath until she exited safely.
I followed the woman through the
mall.
I followed the young woman dressed in
jeans through the mall.
I followed the young woman dressed in
jeans and red stilettos through the mall and labeled her as my next victim.
Multiple
first-person is becoming more prevalent.
Third Person
In third-person,
the writer uses he, she, or the
character’s name.
Third-person is
the most prevalent among writers. Multiple third-person POVs gives the writer a
variety of perspectives from which to show the story.
The following
are examples of third person from distant to close. Again, note how each
sentence brings the character closer to the reader.
He saw heavy traffic from his office
window.
He saw more trucks than cars in the
heavy traffic.
Julie’s BMW emerged from the heavy traffic like a silver
bullet, and he held his breath until she exited safely.
Jean agreed to go to the baseball
game.
Jean agreed to go to the baseball
game although the opposing team was favored.
Jean feared the home team might lose
again since the opposing team’s pitcher had pitched three straight shutouts.
Look at your own
story. Do you see where varying the emotional distance can add dimension to
your story?
TWEETABLE
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Firewall, the first book in her Houston: FBI series, was listed by Library Journal as one of the best Christian Fiction books of 2014.
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Suspense Sister, and International Thriller Writers. She is co-director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and The Author Roadmap with social media specialist Edie Melson. She teaches writing workshops around the country.
This is a keeper post, DiAnn! Thank you! I especially liked your quote that "the mood of the scene is the writer's GPS." A great visual!
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you!
MaryAnn
___________________________
www.maryanndiorio.com