Post #6 – Women’s Memoirs, Editors on Editing – Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler
[Kendra and I are the Co-Coordinators for Story Circle Network’s Editorial Service that gives you easy access to a team of professional editors. These editors are attuned to the stories women write — memoirs as well as fiction. Your manuscript deserves respect…the best treatment…and an editor who understands you. That’s why SCN Editorial Service exists. When you’re ready for an editor, we’re ready for you.
From time to time, we ask one of the SCN Editors to share an insight or subject matter that she thinks will be useful. Today, Lisa Jackson, gives some examples of different points of view and how to know which one will work for you. She discussed the background for these examples on Story Circle Network’s Telling HerStories blog. Here’s the link to that post.
–Matilda
Selecting Point of View
Lisa Jackson, SCN Editor
I hope my discussion of point of view on Telling HerStories has caused you to think about the strength of each of the various points of view. Let me continue here with a few examples to show the differences in point of view:
First person (the narrator/author tells her own story): As I snowshoed across the field, I realized the world around me was silent. The robins weren’t singing their springtime tunes. No squirrels playfully raced up and down the trees. How could this virgin snow remain untouched by the forest animals? A flutter at the far end of the field caught my eye, but when I focused on the spot there was nothing there. I shivered even though I was hot. Was someone watching me?
Third person (thoughts and feelings of one character told through the narrator): As Bill snowshoed across the field he realized the world around him was silent. No robins sang their springtime melodies. No squirrels playfully raced up and down the trees. He wondered how his footprints were the only ones to mar the virgin snow with so many forest animals only feet away. A flutter at the far end of the field caught his eye. When he focused on the spot, he couldn’t see anything unusual. He shivered even though he was hot. Could someone be watching him?
Second person (reader becomes the character): As you snowshoe across the field, you realize the world around you is silent. The robins aren’t singing their springtime melodies. No squirrels playfully race up and down the tress. You wonder how the virgin snow is untouched by forest animals. A flutter at the far end of the field catches your eye, but when you focus on the spot, there is nothing there. You shiver even though you are hot. Is someone watching you?
Omniscient (all-knowing): As the man snowshoed across the field, he realized the world around him was silent. The robin’s song caught in its throat as danger made itself known. The young squirrel poked its head out of the nest and inhaled. Something wasn’t right. It ducked back into the nest and shushed its siblings.
The man wondered how only his prints marred the virgin snow with so many forest animals nearby. A flutter at the far end of the field caught his eye, but when he focused on the spot, nothing was there.
The woman pressed herself into the snow, hoping the man in the field hadn’t seen her. She couldn’t risk exposure, not when she was so close to her goal. The man shivered even though he was hot and wondered if someone watched him.
Some factors influencing point of view choice:
The type of story – Is it memoir or autobiography? Fiction? Is there a lot of internal (psychological) or external action? First person is fitting for a story focused through a character’s mind. Third person is appropriate for a story with external action.
The characters – Who is the protagonist or main character? Whose story is being told? Can any one character observe all the major peaks in the story?
The audience – Who are the targeted readers? How much do readers need to know?
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Lisa Jackson
“Keep writing and be open to feedback. It’s amazing how many ideas a writer can get by keeping an open mind.”
To learn more about Lisa, go to Story Circle Network’s Editorial Service.
