8. Perspective and Point of View

As the idea for a piece of writing begins to develop, one of the first choices is likely to concern the perspective from which the piece is written. This may begin with the choice of main character or it may begin with an early description. Because the initial choice may not be the best, as a piece develops, it can be a good idea to experiment with different perspectives to see which gives it the most energy. Though it can lead to major revisions, often a change in perspective is just what a story needs to make it feel finished. Try writing from different perspectives. At the very least, it will give you insight into your characters and the world they live in. Even if you don’t use those exercises in the finished piece, they will inform the writing that you do. We can start our discussion of perspective in terms of the angle of vision. If you view a plant or animal from far away, chances are you can see all of it (unless parts are obscured by something else), but you can’t see a lot of detail. If it is an animal, like a horse running across a pasture, then you see the movement of the horse, and you may see its mane or its tail, but you probably don’t notice every marking on it, and you may not be able to tell whether it is sweating or breathing hard. If, on the other hand, you view the same horse up close, you get an entirely different impression.