Secrets of Writing: Point of View

There are times in a story you may want to show what the character sees through their own eyes. this is known as a POV or Point of View. This technique serves two purposes. It puts us in the head of the character so we can experience life the way they are at that given moment in time. It also shows us a different perspective on the story than we may have been experiencing.

POVs can be used in one panel, or in an entire scene, or for an entire story. William Messner Loebs wrote a Johnny Quest comic that was seen entirely through a computer screen’s POV. The POV doesn’t have to be from a human’s perspective. It can be from anywhere. But the most common use is through the eyes of the Hero or a main character.

POVs are not limited to visual points of reference. We can do an external POV. This is done by having the character narrate the story and what we are shown is how the character interprets the action. The character also narrates the story from their personal perspective and world view.

Neil Gaiman used this approach effectively in his MIRACLEMAN “The Golden Age” stories. Non superhuman people were observing the affects superhumans had on their lives. This technique was later used in MARVELS, by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross to much acclaim.

The secret of POVs is remembering that it’s not your view as the writer, but the character’s personal view based on their limitations, opinions, attitudes, and perspective. It can be used as a characterization device, or it can be used as a means to show the horrible situation a character is in. It can be used to show how appalling the character’s mind set is. Or how good it is.

When you write from a character’s POV, you must understand the character as if they were you. You must believe what they believe as you write them. You must become that character for a time, even if that character is a complete anathema to you. If you’re a black writer doing a story from the POV of a Klansman, you need to understand the Klansman’s views as if they were your own. You actually have to allow yourself to believe it as you write so that the character comes across as real. If you’re a white writer doing a story from the POV of a Native American during the Indian Wars, you need to understand the perspective of the red man and their culture and why they feel that way. You have to avoid all the stereotypes you’ve seen in movies and go for the truth.

Even if you agree with the character you are writing from POV, you need to make sure they come off as human with flaws. Otherwise, you’re being nothing more than a tour guide pointing out sights along the way. We need insight during a POV. We need to understand what makes the character tick. We don’t need the same old same old.

POV should never be wasted on generic views or scenes, because it’s a very personal technique. It puts the Audience into the mind of the character. If you establish the experience as straightforward and uneventful, the audience will quickly become bored because they are seeing nothing to make the experience worthwhile.

REMEMBER: POV is not your view, it’s the character’s.

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