Purposeful Prose Advice Column: Get Things Into Perspective

Dear Purposeful Prose,

I’m a big planner. For my book, I want to plan as much as I can before I start writing, and I’m struggling with point of view. I’m not sure what point of view I should use. I’ve read that second person is too easy to get wrong. There are also a few characters whose perspectives I could write from, but I don’t want to include so many perspectives that the story gets confusing. What perspective do you think it would be best to write in or how can I decide what would be best for my book?

It is my view that every book’s or story’s world is a created world. Even if you set your narrative in the world we live in and present day, the story is either molded to fit the world or the world is molded to fit that story. Since you are creating a world, every person in that world will have thoughts, opinions, or experiences connected to your story. This is, I feel, what makes the issue of choosing a perspective difficult. 

What might help you in your decision-making [since there is no one best way to decide on perspectives, is focalization. The term was developed by French literary theorist, Gerard Genette. While much discussion of perspective is focused around narration, what is being told and who is doing the telling, focalization centers what is being seen and by whom. More specifically, when something is being seen by another person, their mind filters through information and controls how that information flows. 

The way in which a character filters information can impact the progress of your story. In a mystery, as an example, information is filtered through the person solving it. So, when making your decision about what perspectives will be most appropriate, consider how much information you want your readers to know at one time (Note that it is possible to tell a story from the perspective of someone who knows crucial information that the reader does not. End of Story is a great example of this type of writing done well). 

There are three types of focalization:

Zero focalization happens when the reader “sees” everything from the outside looking in. They have a fairly objective view of the world that they are reading filtered only by their own mind, not the mind of any one character. 

There are three types of internal focalization. “Fixed” internal focalization will show the experience of only one character. This does not necessarily mean the narrator is unreliable, but it can mean that other characters in the world might view the story from a perspective that the narrator and the reader will not be able to see. “Variable” internal focalization happens when the viewpoint of the story shifts between different characters. Think Dazzling by Chikodili Emelumandu.

Finally, “multiple” internal focalization happens when the same events are told by multiple characters. 

I feel that understanding multiple internal focalization can be the most helpful even if you don’t use it yourself. This technique reveals the unique biases and analyses of situations that different characters with different life experiences, goals, and interests will approach a story with. How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon, published in 2014, is an excellent example. Also, my students often come in with good discussion points after reading this. 

External focalization does not allow readers insight into characters’ thoughts. Thoughts can be inferred based on facts and actions, but they are not explicitly given. Readers can see what is happening in the story and how characters respond. Sometimes, they’re given clues based on how a person communicates with others or what they write in their diary. 

In order to determine the best course of action for your story, first determine how much information you want your readers to know and the rate at which that information should be given. From there, you can determine the best character or characters to deliver the necessary information.

If you still feel as though you have too many options after planning this way, narrow down your choices by writing a scene from multiple characters’ viewpoints and changing your focalization strategy. See if a certain character’s “sight” influences the way you want to move forward with your work.

If you are interested in learning about narration and want to learn more about narratology, I love this article. For a breakdown of some different types of narration, I love this reference.

If you have a writing or editing-focused question, I would be more than happy to dedicate a post to you. Contact us with any questions you might have or to schedule a free consultation with yours truly!

All submissions will remain anonymous unless you explicitly request for me to include your name.