Make sure your readers
get the whole picture, give them a leg up and point them in the right
direction...
I see things differently from my husband. I don't mean we
have major disagreements or irreconcilable differences. But as I'm only five
feet tall , and he's six foot two, we do differ in how we perceive the physical
world. In our youth, when attending rock concerts or rugby internationals (before
stadiums were all-seated) I would perch on his shoulders in order to see the
show or the match.
More recently we were on a road trip and we stopped at a
designated lookout to take in some stunning mountain scenery. My husband took
some photos. Later when looking at the photos, I was surprised to see not only
the mountain range, but a lake situated at the foot of it. I hadn't seen any
lake when we'd stopped at the viewpoint. The trees at the foot of the slope, in
the foreground above the lake, had obscured my view. Whereas my husband could
see it no bother. Two people at the same viewpoint
came away with two quite different points
of view.
This interaction between viewpoint and point of view in the
real 'out there' world can also apply to the internal world of the mind when a
reader processes the written word. And it's something writers should bear in
mind as they write. Writers are communicators after all and we want to convey
the whole picture, not just give a partial view.
Any author who's ever had their work reviewed by several
reviewers will have found that the point of view arrived at by readers can vary
widely regardless of how unambiguous the author thinks they were in their
presentation.
A writer presents their story, article, feature or review
from a viewpoint, from a particular
stance, at a particular angle, and that will have a big influence on the
opinion or point of view formed by
the reader. We need to take our readers
to the viewpoint, take them to the source of our story, poem or article, hoist
them up onto our shoulders if necessary, and ensure they can see the lake
beyond the trees.
There is, of course, another even more subtle tweak that
authors of fiction can give to viewpoint
and that is in deciding who will tell the story. It can be a first person, third person or
even a second person narrator. And let's not forget the omniscient narrator,
who is not present in the story at all, but has access to all the action and
thoughts of all the characters. That choice of narrator is one of the most
crucial that an author has to make. And having made the decision we must then
be consistent and remain true to that narrator's view. Each type of narrator
carries its own implications as to viewpoint
and point of view for both the characters and the readers.
So, there's a lot going on with point of view. It's both
subtle and complex. It has both cause and effect within it. Understanding it is
crucial if your writing is going to be effective. And that's true for all
genres.
For readers, when forming an opinion about what they've
read, a lot will of course depend on their own experiences and prejudices, but what's crucial for authors to do is
give a clear and unobstructed view of
what it is they're presenting in written form.
Words are an author's currency, but get viewpoint and point
of view wrong and that currency becomes worthless.
Postscript:
While writing this article, the most recent awful events in Paris
and Beirut have taken place.
And my awareness of the implications of viewpoint has
therefore been heightened. I believe there's a responsibility upon writers to
choose our words carefully and deliver them in as honest and clear a way as
possible.
The deeply felt reactions to these ghastly happenings have
been expressed both verbally and in writing, on TV, radio and in the
newspapers. But nowhere more so than on social media. Social media has made
writers of us all of course, but I think there's an onus on those of us who
call ourselves professional writers to be careful, considered and calm in all
our posts, articles, poems and stories.
Yes, we should write
with passion and feeling, yes we should express our opinions and give our own
point of view. However, we must be mindful of and transparent about where we
are coming from. We shouldn't deliberately obscure or distort what can be
deduced from our viewpoint.
We should be both true to ourselves, but also honest towards
our readers.
Words are powerful .Writers can be a force for good or bad. We
can affect another's point of view. We can provoke thought and action. The pen
can truly be mightier than the sword.
So, whether we write newspaper articles, biographies, poems,
short stories, crime fiction, historical fiction, romance, sci-fi, fantasy,
literary fiction, children's books, cookbooks... Whatever! We can offer enlightenment,
entertainment, solace, or challenge. Please let our points of view be a force
for good, for the furtherance of liberty, equality and brother-and-sisterhood.
In the words of Martin Luther King 'Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate
cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.'
So let all of us who are writers in whatever format or genre
treat our words as candles; candles that illuminate our viewpoints and the
points of view of our readers.
---
Anne Stormont is an
author-publisher. She can be a subversive old bat but maintains a kind heart.
As well as writing for this fine organ, she writes fiction for adults – mainly
of the female-of-a-certain-age persuasion
– and for children, when she goes by the name of her alter-ego, Anne McAlpine.
She blogs at http://putitinwriting.me –
where you can find out lots more about her.
Websites at:
annestormont.co.uk and
annemcalpine.co.uk
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