CREATIVE WRITING 2.23Are you writing your story from the point of view of the main character of your story or are you telling the story from a different perspective?Explain the point of view you are telling from and discuss why.

Point of View Point of view is the narration of the story

from the perspective of first, second, or third person.

As a writer, you need to determine who is going to tell the story and how much information is available for the narrator to reveal in the short story.

The narrator can be directly involved in the action subjectively, or the narrator might only report the action objectively.

First Person Point of View

First person: includes the thoughts and perspective of one main character, who's telling his/her own story            

The story is told from the point of view of

“I.”

First Person As I walked up the hill, I realized that the

atmosphere was just too quiet. There was no sound from the cardinal who was nearly always singing from the top of the maple tree. I thought I saw a shadow move high up on the slope, but when I looked again it was gone. Still, I shuddered as I felt a silent threat pass over me like a cloud over the sun.

Second Person Puts the reader within the actual scene

so that readers confront possibilities directly.

The story is told directly to “you,” with the reader as a participant in the action.

Turns the reader into the character.

Second Person As you walk up the hill, you realize that

the atmosphere's just too quiet. There's no sound from the cardinal you know is almost always singing from the top of the maple tree. You think you see a shadow move high up on the slope, but when you look again it's gone. You shudder as you feel a silent threat pass over you. You feel cold, like a cloud just passed over the sun.

Third Person POV The story tells what “he,” “she,” or “it”

does.

Includes the thoughts and perspective of one main character

Third Person POV As she walked up the hill, she realized

that the atmosphere was just too quiet. There was no sound from the cardinal who she so often heard singing from the top of the maple tree. She thought she saw a shadow move high up on the slope, but when she looked again it was gone. Nevertheless, she shuddered as she felt a silent threat pass over her. It felt like a cloud creeping over the sun.

Situations I am going to show you a series of

situations. For each situations I want you to consider the following for each character: How does the character feel and why they

feel that way? What does the character see in this

situation? What does the character think in this

situation?

Situation 1 Event: A policeman who has been

charged with assault--using unnecessary force to subdue a prisoner--stands trial, is acquitted of the charge by a jury, and is free to leave the courthouse.

What does the police man feel, see, and think?

What does the mother feel, see, and think?

Situation 2 A boss calls an employee into his office

to give him/her a termination notice.

What is the employee feeling, seeing, and thinking?

What is the boss feeling, seeing, and thinking?

Situation 3 An ex-husband and ex-wife encounter

each other for the first time in years at their daughter's wedding.

What is the ex-wife feeling, seeing, and thinking?

What is the ex-husband feeling, seeing, and thinking?

First Person Pick the situation you liked best.

Write at least seven sentences in first person from the perspective of one of the characters.

Third Person Now write about that same situation and

character in third person.