![]() What does this mean? Re-envision what Harry Potter might have looked like with Albus Dumbledore as the main character. Now this is the meat and the potatoes of the conversation, because who you choose as the focal point of the story will shape the reader’s experience and funnel them to a specific type of story. If you are newer to writing, 3rd limited or 1st person is a good starting point. Try writing a scene in different POVs and see which one feels right. This means the author can relay a character’s thoughts or feelings to readers, but not directly.ĭeciding which one feels right for you may take a bit of experimentation. Third Person Omniscient: In this case, the narrator is God-like in that they can relay the actions and thoughts of multiple characters, but only in observation mode. By controlling narrative distance using close/deep POV techniques, readers are brought into the character’s experience. Third Person Limited: Third person is where the narrator relays the POV character’s experiences using he/she/they pronouns. Second Person: This viewpoint turns the reader into the star of the story using the “you” perspective. Readers are exposed to direct thoughts, feelings, and impressions of the POV character. Narrative Voiceįirst Person: In this case, the author erases themselves from the narrative as much as possible and tells the story from the “I/me” viewpoint, becoming the character. There are multiple aspects of the point-of-view conversation to consider, so let’s dig in. One of the many important decisions we need to make in storytelling is about the point-of-view, which is the perspective you will show story events from. ![]() Using Your Character’s Career to Support the Story’s Theme Point-of-View (POV) Setting and Symbolism: The Perfect Marriageĥ Important Ways to Use Symbolism in Your Story Theme and Symbols Go Together Likes Peas & Carrots Using Theme to Determine Subplots, Supporting Characters, & Tension ![]() Symbolism & Motif Planning Template Further Reading: Theme, symbolism, and motifs are important enough to be included in our descriptive database at One Stop for Writers (see below), so this would be a good starting point for brainstorming themes and then finding the universal symbols to describe them to readers. In revision, themes should be identified (if they haven’t yet been) and then brought more to the forefront using symbolism (a word, phrase, person, or object embedded with deeper meaning) and motif (a recurring symbol to reinforce an underlying theme). Theme may not be something you know at the start of a story, but often inklings are in the background whether you are aware of them or not. It encourages them to think a bit deeper about their own life and what they know to be true of the world. It simply nudges the reader toward questions, challenging perceptions and ideas. Theme doesn’t need to be heavy-handed or moralistic. They come away from the story more thoughtful, reflective, educated, or even changed. The best stories will make a reader think and perhaps view their reality a little differently. What will they discover about themselves as they leave safety behind, exploring the sensations that come with a new experience? ![]() Sure, they can enjoy the sunshine and shallows, but as the cold water laps at their ankles they stare out at the dark water and wonder what it would feel like to be immersed in the water’s depth. Stories without a theme keep your readers at the shoreline of a lake. Put another way, theme is what the story is truly about. Theme is the author’s viewpoint, their reflection on an aspect of the human condition. This horrifying premise sticks with you because you can’t help but wonder what you might be capable of doing if your own child’s life was on the line. A story about a loving father losing himself in a moral tug-of-war when he tortures a mentally handicapped man with knowledge of his daughter’s kidnappers ( Prisoners, 2013), well, that makes you sit up and lean in. A plot about a man who kidnaps and tortures another person might be adrenaline-thrumming, but it isn’t memorable. Just as it’s so important to craft characters who are mirrors of your readers in some way, we should also be thinking about the broader message of our story. But guess what? Alone, they won’t get very far.Ī great story is a team effort, so let’s look at other key storytelling elements needed for our book to earn a spot on the bestseller’s shelf. We know that when it comes to a writer giving out the coveted red rose, plot and character are first to receive one.
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