Prepared by: Lani Kraus and Rhéal Nadeau
Posted on: Sun, 7 Mar 2004
This is an updated version of Lani Kraus's
POV exercise from
February
2001. (You can find the original exercise at
http://www.internetwritingworkshop.org/pwarchive/pw5.shtml
.)
Point of view refers to the perspective
from which the story is
told. In
most contemporary fiction, the third-person limited POV is standard.
That
means that your story will be told, although in third person (he, she,
it),
only from the perspective of a single character. Your reader can only
learn as much as that character knows. For example, if your POV
character
cannot read the other characters' minds, then you cannot tell the
reader
what the other characters are thinking.
The assignment: Using one of the scenarios
below, write a scene from
the POV of one of the characters. Then, rewrite the scene from the POV
of the other character. Make sure each version is true to the POV
character.
Scenario 1 involves a 30 year-old retarded
man and his wealthy,
uppity
social worker. The social worker is trying to make the man understand
the importance of bathing.
Scenario 2 involves a wealthy man pulled
over by a traffic cop. The
driver is in a hurry and considers the cop an inferior. The cop is
irritated by aggressive drivers.
Scenario 3 involves two people meeting on
a blind date. One of the
people is looking for a serious relationship, the other for a
no-strings-attached fling.
When critiquing, pay attention to how well
each version is true (or
not)
to the POV of the chosen character.
Web site created by
Rhéal Nadeau and
the administrators of the Internet Writing Workshop.
Modified by Gayle Surrette.