Editorial continued...

A Change of Viewpoint

by Mervyn Love

...is that there is a real sense of immediacy, of being there with Watson and watching the great detective do his stuff. We feel what Watson feels, and whilst we may not agree with his judgements or his sometimes hot-headed responses to situations, we become more engaged in the unfolding events than if the tale were told through the voice of a faceless author.

By using Dr Watson’s viewpoint to tell the story Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is able to give his readers a first person account of what is happening both when Watson is with Holmes and when he is sitting at home in 221b Baker Street fuming and impatient awaiting the return of his hero.

Use this ploy to add that extra dimension and depth to your story.

Man’s Best Friend

Using a dog, a cat or, in the case of Walt Disney, a whole menagerie of birds and animals to tell the story is the preferred viewpoint of a host of authors over the years.

This viewpoint is probably best suited to a short story format, with one or two notable exceptions such as George Orwell’s Animal Farm. In this instance, although much of the action and dialogue is humourous, the theme is a serious one.

The animal viewpoint story really lends itself to humour by its very nature. A modern example would be Gaspode the mangy and malodorous dog from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels. In this case we get inside Gaspode’s head every now and then rather than all the way through the novel. But what we do get are extra dimensions to the story. For instance Gaspode’s sense of smell, along with his other doggy peculiarities, gives the reader useful information to help unfold the plot.

Use an animal for your viewpoint, give him character and a mind of his own and you could be onto a winner.

A House With A View

A little more unusual, but a story told from the point of view of a house, garden shed, railway station cafeteria or some other building, can also be put to good imaginative use. Use it in both short stories and novels. The former to recount a humourous incident, a tragic scene, a lovers tryst, whilst the latter could tell the story of several generations of a family that lived there.

Give the house or building a character, and an opinion on everything, and you have the makings of a great story.

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