All Questions
Tagged with point-of-view or pov
151 questions
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Is it possible to kill a character while in their POV? [duplicate]
I'm writing a fantasy book that has 4 main characters. While I was planning, I thought it would be interesting to kill off one of the characters. I was thinking about doing it whilst in said character'...
- 1,061
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4
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115
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Logical flaws with 1st person pov
Quick disclaimer: Sorry, if my phrasing is not accurate, English is not my first language (and the stories I write are not in English).
I am currently writing a short story that is giving me headaches ...
- 27.8k
1
vote
1
answer
77
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Can the POV Change
So my question is if my POV can change like from one character (Ajax) to another character (his sister Storm) but it has their name at the top of each chapter so no one gets confused. Can I do that? ...
- 12.9k
1
vote
1
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38
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Using tenses in a fictional journal
I'm writing a fictional story through the journal of a main character. It's in 1st POV and each chapter/entry recalls the events of the day. He's writing the story day-by-day as it's happening, rather ...
- 1,061
3
votes
2
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139
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How do you write a convincing extrovert as the POV character?
One of the main characters in my story is an extrovert: people-loving (and pleasing), gung-ho cheerful attitude, and socially intelligent. She's a foil to the other main character, an introvert who ...
- 27.8k
2
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2
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300
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How do I write dual POV (probably in first person)?
Thinking about certain scenes in my book and the messages/themes I want to convey, it seems best to write from two different POVs: the young adult female protagonist and the older male protagonist.
In ...
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8
votes
2
answers
3k
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How do I write from a male's POV?
I am a female who is writing from two points of view: one being a female and one being a male. It is also a romance/mystery novel. I noticed when some of my male friends read it they said that some of ...
- 101
2
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1
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193
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How do you correctly write a Father-Daughter Relationship?
The two main protagonists aren't actually related and the initial relationship they have is filled with mistrust and irritation, but eventually it turns into an unspoken father-daughter kind of bond.
...
- 3,226
4
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4
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556
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How do I figure out which viewpoint is best for my writing?
Thanks to the many many questions about viewpoints on this site, along with added research, I know a lot about many different ways I could do things. First person, first person multiple povs, third ...
- 372
2
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3
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126
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How do you show the audience that the 3rd person limited narrator is deluded/wrong?
My character's home, both her family and society, are toxic, but in a way that she doesn't realise. They manipulate and essentially brainwash the inhabitants. It's not an evil place just a little ...
- 12.9k
5
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2
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768
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What is the difference between the character’s inner thoughts and the narrator’s way of describing the character’s thoughts?
I found this explanation about “subjective omniscient PoV”:
“A subjective omniscient PoV is one where there’s a narrator with a strong voice who can show the internal thoughts of the characters within ...
2
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2
answers
116
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What does it mean for subjective omniscient PoV to have “emotions filtered through the narrator’s words”?
I found this explanation about “subjective omniscient PoV”:
The most important thing when it comes to subjective omniscient PoV is that the narrator has a strong “voice” and that all emotions in the ...
- 114
0
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3
answers
92
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Can I switch the POV of a main character? [duplicate]
So I'm momentarily writing a fictional story for a class I'm taking, and I've run into a problem. I have one main character, but there is a scene where that character passes out. Is it possible to ...
- 3,844
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2
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698
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Should I use 1st-person or 3rd-person perspective for an alien character alone in a post-apocalyptic world?
This has been a difficulty for me for a bit. I'm writing a story about an alien character alone in a post-apocalyptic world. Them being alone makes me think it'd be easier and better to chose 1st ...
3
votes
1
answer
480
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Blending First and Third Person: A Wording Question
I'm writing a book with a blending of first and third person, and it switches whenever I need it to and not across chapters. The third person follows every character until the perspective changes to ...
- 14k
2
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3
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454
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Can my narrator's thoughts be in the same paragraph as another character's dialogue?
I'm writing a scene where my narrator (character A) is listening and reacting internally to character B, who is giving a long-winded explanation of something. Though is is a problem I run into ...
- 14k
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2
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137
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Can I just change the whole subplot for a new character?
I have a side character that I'm writing the POV of and their story just opened up so many possibilities for the story. I don't know what happens after this story, but so far it has all been rated E ...
- 14k
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2
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286
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How can I smoothly transition from my main characters to my secondary characters?
I am seeking examples of clean ways to transition from my main characters to my secondary characters. When I review what I have written, it is clunky and unclear that the story is now focusing on the ...
- 4,198
2
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3
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925
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How can I write in first person present tense without it being annoying or distracting?
I am currently writing a story in first person and present tense. I've read a lot about what various people think of this perspective and I've heard many people say they enjoy it when it's done well, ...
- 4,198
1
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530
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Third person narrator turns out to be a character
Background:
I'm writing a fan fiction story to a Harry Poter-like novel about a group of 3 close friends. The novel has the simple third person limited narrator, with POV generally following the ...
- 13.5k
16
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4
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5k
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Is omniscient observer POV really dead?
I am in the midst of reworking my latest manuscript into a shape that someone might be inclined to publish. To help me along I hired a professional editor and writer, whose comments and suggestions, ...
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36
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10
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13k
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How to write female characters with agency?
I'm attempting to write a novel, an historical fiction with a small fantasy component (time travel through a portal). The travelers (main characters) are a young couple from the late 23rd Century who ...
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6
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5k
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How to Write Like a Little Kid
I'm writing a story with 3 POV's. One of which is a 6 year old girl. The problem is simply this: I'm neither a girl nor in first grade. In fact, I'm quite a bit older. The first problem I've more-or-...
- 11k
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Can other characters than the main character have point of view?
I am writing a story. I actually just started and I am still writing the first chapter. Is it okay to write from a minor character's point of view first?
Simply put, the main character is unconscious ...
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2
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106
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Can I write from the point of view of a mentally unstable main character?
The main character of my novel is suffering from depression which resulted in shock and she has attempted suicide twice already. All of this has made her unbalanced mentally. I was wondering if I can ...
- 13.5k
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1
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104
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Who is the protagonist in the Hobbit movies?
You might think it is Bilbo (because it's his POV), but doesn't he play a rather minor role in the task to reclaim the mountain?
Isn't Thorin the one who is the causer of effects, who makes decisions, ...
- 12.9k
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1
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279
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What are some modern (2000 and beyond) books where the protagonist is not the POV character?
I did find some lists by means of Google, but most titles I found were somewhat dated and I was wondering if more recent authors have a take on this technique.
Also, bonus points if it is in the ...
- 13.5k
2
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3
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82
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When writing in third person limited point of view, can I throw out some quick information about the protagonist omniscience style?
For example, let's say that my protagonist has a special ability that he cannot die, literally, but he has lived a peaceful life and never been in any critical situation so far.
I want to write his ...
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1
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153
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Do dual narratives have to alternate every chapter?
I’m contemplating writing a dual narrative, because after much thought and research, I think it’s the most interesting/effective way to tell my story. All the dual narratives I’ve seen alternate ...
- 27.8k
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3
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136
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Writing a memory in a different perspective
When writing in limited third-person, would it pull a reader out of the story too much by having a memory from another character's perspective for a while? (Which I realise would make the story not ...
- 13.5k
4
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1
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305
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How could I format a character that thinks with two voices in her head?
I'm in close third PoV. My character has a specific way of thinking: two voices in her head discuss all the time.
In my paragraphs, I then have three "voices":
The usual, close Narrator ...
2
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2
answers
143
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How can I justify a choice that seems too binary?
My universe is a fantastical universe, and the area is a Viking area.
My three characters are :
S, a character who was born female but raised to think they are a man to protect them from their father ...
- 104k
3
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4
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213
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How to make zombies be the primary antagonist and humans secondary
In my outbreak story, the main focus is the zombie survival in the quarantined state. These zombies cannot take out the government, but rather weaken them greatly. In my story, there are bad humans ...
- 180
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4
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169
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Referring to a main character's father as "his father" vs. "their father" when siblings are in scene
I've got a close third person POV centering on a boy, Ray. When I refer to his father it's usually as "his father" or "Ray's father". I've got one scene in which Ray's brothers ...
- 6,080
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1
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102
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How do I switch between my POV and a character's POV midway a story?
I was recently writing a scene in my story, and wanted to switch between POVs of me and a character Carlie to develop her character, making her more connected to the reader; I began it this way:
&...
- 306
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1
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606
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What is this POV called, where most of the story is third person, but the narrator uses their own opinion in first person?
I have read some of C. S. Lewis's books (most notably The Chronicles of Narnia), and in it he uses (in my opinion) a peculiar narrative point of view. In most of the book, it is third person, but ...
- 12.9k
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2
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180
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Does third person deep POV inside an epistolary novel detract from the suspense?
My novel is an epistolary à la Bram Stoker's Dracula and there are some scenes that simply have no one around to record. Modern epistolary stories, such as the trend of “found footage” movies like ...
- 12.9k
3
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3
answers
129
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How to write a protagonist in 1st POV, who is talkative?
My character is very talkative. As the narrator, how is she to balance her talkativeness in dialogue, narration, and description without making it boring, too long, or make it seem like she's dumping ...
- 8,677
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4
answers
157
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How do I reveal the character identity from a first person point of view?
I am writing a book, and I'm trying to figure out how to reveal the main character's identity. It is a crime book set in modern day and is a story told in the perspective of a serial killer. I plan ...
- 8,677
2
votes
1
answer
64
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Is it problematic to transition from "I" to "we" when describing actions that took place as part of a team?
I am writing about my past job experience in a grant proposal. The proposal is in first person so I use "I" for most of it. At some point in the proposal, I describe a collaborative ...
- 4,198
2
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2
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168
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How would something be written in 3rd person omniscient as opposed to 3rd person limited?
I've often been accused of "head-hopping" in my stories and not always being consistent with POV. Also, I got a note from a beta-reader once saying that at some points, it sounded like they ...
3
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2
answers
178
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What are some cues and clues on 3rd person POV shift?
I am writing in 3rd person limited POV. I have noticed I have a section of text that seems to shift to omniscient. A lot of this happens when I'm forced to tell bits of information to the reader. By ...
- 4,198
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2
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361
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How to write the thoughts of a character in a drunken POV scene?
One of my POV characters is an overthinker. Partly because she wishes to stop thinking so much, and partly because of peer pressure, she gets super drunk... and ends up doing something that she would ...
- 945
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4
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933
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Writing detail from an animal's perspective
My sci-fi story is told from an alien wild animal's perspective. The story is immersive, so the reader directly follows the thoughts and reflexes of the alien. I enjoy writing this way, because the ...
- 4,198
19
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8
answers
4k
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When two POV characters meet
I have two POV (3rd person limited) characters and they start the story as complete strangers and far apart. They don't meet for some time and they have very different experiences.
Now I want them to ...
- 727
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5
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1k
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What to avoid when writing distant and inconsequential POVs?
I'm currently writing a sci-fi novel, where we've got some huge, solar system-spanning stuff going on, with huge stakes. I've got four POVs that are directly involved with this, whose decisions matter ...
- 4,053
2
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1
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85
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Can I have three main characters, each with their own love interest, in the same book?
I am plotting a book which has three main characters. And I want each one of these characters to have a love interest so the focus won't be on just one of them. So can I do that or is it too much and ...
- 10.5k
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vote
3
answers
373
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Can point of view style change between chapters?
I wrote a novel in "third person omniscient" which worked well because it is a very long novel and certain scenes were better described from multiple characters' biased views along with the ...
40
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15
answers
21k
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How do I keep the gender of my main character purposely ambiguous?
I'm a newcomer to this community, and have recently started giving serious thought to my first novel. I'm basically working on an idea I had a few years back. It's fiction, has a lot to do with ...
- 4,198
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6
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3k
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Can the prologue's POV be different from the POV of the main story?
I want to write the prologue of the story with the narrator in first person with the point of view of the protagonist.
But the story is already written in a third person narrator...
and I have 2 ...
- 4,198