How to Begin a New Story? Start With Point of View

When starting a new writing project one of the hardest things to do — in my opinion— is to decide on point of view. The choice you make at this stage dictates everything from voice to plot.

We all know the differences between first, second, and third person — most of us learned it in elementary school — but it’s much more complex than that.

For this blog post, I wanted to dive into the murky world of point of view. It’s one of my favorite topics, and as I said above. one of the first things you need to decide on. Let’s flashback to the 1960s, to a craft book that isn’t so easy to find these days: 13 Types of Narrative by Wallace Hildick.

The 13 point of view methods he discusses in his book are third person past, third person present, first person past (as if spoken), first person past (as if written), first person past in third or first person framework, all dialogue, in the form of a play, catechetical, epistolary, in the form of a diary, documentary, stream of consciousness, and a series of first person narratives in third person framework.

Let’s take a look at a few of the unique examples.

First Person Past (Spoken) in Third or First Person Framework

This perspective can be used in longer pieces to provide natural breaks by introducing external interruptions. It’s perfect for readers who are more interested in the whys and less in the hows. These interruptions build suspense and can be used to make valuable comments without it seeming awkward.

Example:

“Gaberdine, sir? With a belt? Certainly…”

The customer, a stout glum elderly man, watched the youth suspiciously as he rummaged along the rack, inspecting tickets, twitching at the hangers, and setting the whole rank of sleeves swaying. He was a man who knew what he wanted, and he was determined not to be put off with something that wasn’t exactly right. He had that look in his eye, and it was a look that hardened considerably when the assistant came back with an armful of coats.

“I said gaberdine, you know.”

Writing In Play Form

If you’ve ever read Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders then you may be familiar with this method. A writer uses the play format as a fictional device. They have no intention of it being produced on stage. Writing in play form is best used with a very strong dramatic situation and, if done well, will make the reader forget the framework.

Example:

The scene is the top of a cathedral tower, square, with a carved parapet. When the curtain rises the tower is deserted, but there are sounds of slow footsteps.

1st VOICE: Oh … hello!
2nd VOICE: (gasping) I I’m sorry! … I I’m afraid I
1st VOICE: It’s all right. Stay where you are. There’s no hurry … I could do with a rest myself.

Stream of Consciousness

Stream of consciousness has been used by some of the greats: James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and Toni Morrison. With this method, the story is told entirely through the inner thoughts, impressions, and sensations that flow through the mind of a character. The goal is to make the reader feel as if they inhabit the character.

Example:

Well, you never know, these old cathedrals, bet they’re full of ghosts, if there are such things, which there aren’t, no, but if there are this is the place, boy. Up this staircase, just where they would be, ar belt up, the climb’s making you silly, this going round and round … No, but if there are … There aren’t …

Try Experimenting With Different Perspectives

13 Types of Narrative was recommended to me by a faculty member at the Wilkes University MFA Program and I got a good deal on it through AbeBooks. Hildick was a novelist but also well known for children’s literature and a few critical works.

His book is straightforward and comprehensive, a how-to guide listing various types of point of view with examples and exercises to practice.

I’m not advocating for you to go out and buy this particular book, but I think it’s important for writers to experiment with different perspectives to help settle on the best one for the story they want to tell.

Whether you get these frameworks from Hildick, a different craft book, or online, the important thing is that you stay open minded to new methods. Often the best point of view for your story is the one you least expect.