FIRST PERSON POV … PRESENT TENSE … PAST TENSE … Oh, MY! Let’s be real. Most of us probably write in third-person point-of-view because it’s just plain easy. Every book I’ve ever read (with exception of YA fiction) has been written this way. But there IS something to be said for writing in first-person perspective. Here’s the skinny: first person point-of-view is like a journal entry; the reader sees this character through his or her eyes, as opposed to watching the character. As a reader, you’ll see, hear, taste, feel, what the character does as it’s happening in real time. You (the reader) and the character are “one”. First-person point-of-view can be written two ways:
This was college? I stood and stared at all the people running around like chickens with their heads cut off. I didn’t like crowds; I felt like this was some kind of set-up to make me more anxious than usual. I could see the delta kappa phi house sitting at the top of the hill, like a palatial mansion and I could hear voices of students shouting across campus, as if the last football game had never ended. Here it is with the filter words removed: This was college? I stood and stared at all the people running around like chickens with their heads cut off. I didn’t like crowds; it was like some kind of set-up to make me more anxious than usual. Delta Kappa Phi was at the top of the hill, sitting like a palatial, unapproachable mansion and voices of students shouted incessantly across campus, as if the last football game had never ended. What did I remove? I felt, I saw, I could see, I could hear. In other words, I removed all words that had the reader being SHOWN what the character was seeing and feeling, as opposed to seeing and feeling it along with the character. First-person is being behind the character’s eyes … being in their head … doing what they’re doing, WHEN they’re doing it. How to "Filter Out" Your Filter Words Filter words are hard to spot – at least for me. But if I really put my mind to it, I can do it. It’s all about replacing “outside” with “inside”. EXAMPLE: “I saw the cat puke up a slimy hairball.” You’re watching the character watching the cat. “The cat puked up a slimy hairball.” Now you’re seeing it as the character is seeing it. REMEMBER:
What about tense shifts, you might ask? Present tense shifts to past tense can be awkward, as one is focused on what’s happening now to what has happened in the past, what’s going to happen in the future on to what might or might not happen, ever. This is why I’ve always written solely in past tense; it gives me as an author more flexibility when it comes to navigating through time. So…Combining Tenses … The best way is to KISS (keep it simple, sweetie): Use the past tense for actions hat have happened and are done and over with; use the present tense for things that continue to be in progress or motion. Is your character DOING IT NOW? Use present tense. Has your character ALREADY DONE IT, SEEN IT, HEARD IT, FELT IT? Use past tense. Is it clear as mud, yet? Happy writing. ~Gail
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
|