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prosegrows · 6 years ago

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How to create good characters.

Why Ron/Hermione Argue

As some people might already know about me, I’ve never been one to shy away from a good debate. That’s a trait that I share with Hermione.

There are some people who don’t particularly like arguing or disagreeing. Some people genuinely do. Hermione falls into the second category, and since I do as well, I wanted to try to explain what’s up with all of the arguing between her and Ron.

I don’t think there are that many people who would say that she isn’t an argumentative person by nature. In addition to Ron/Harry, Hermione clashes with Lavender over her rabbit, Luna over her theories, Umbridge over Ministry rules, Snape over the lesson plans for Lupin’s DADA class, Professor Trelawney over Divination, Parvati over Divination, Draco over Hagrid/Buckbeak, etc. And she argues with everyone about house-elves. Hermione is argumentative, and that’s how she prefers it.

Hermione finds it intellectually stimulating to argue, and needs someone who’s going to argue right back.

Genuine Friendship

Hermione is not the sort of person who’s afraid of being the person reading the book while everyone else is having fun. When she fights with Harry/Ron in PA, she doesn’t buddy up with Lavender/Parvati or apologize to the boys just to have someone to sit with at lunch. She sits by herself in the common room and goes it alone. In other words, Hermione is not the kind of person who chooses a bad friend over no friend at all.

If she did not enjoy spending time with Ron, she would have no problem sitting on the other side of the common room reading a book while waiting for Harry to return. And yet, we constantly see her in Ron’s company, even when Harry’s not around.

In every book after CS, she arrives the Burrow/Leaky Cauldron/Number 12 before Harry does. Harry takes it for granted that Ron and Hermione will be sitting together when he shows up in the common room, but that’s not a small thing. In PA, the two of them return from Hogsmeade “looking as though they’ve had the time of their lives.”

Despite how much they fight, it’s very clear that Hermione genuinely enjoys spending time with Ron.

Comfort with Conflict

Harry was raised by the Dursleys, and sees arguing and conflict as associated with strife. He also doesn’t feel comfortable expressing his emotions, so he tends to bottle things up until they explode.

Hermione frequently nags Harry, which Harry does not particularly appreciate. He basically has three strategies when being nagged by Hermione. The first is avoiding/ignoring her, the second is lying to her, and the third is exploding at her. Examples of the first and second include occulmency, sneaking into Hogsmeade, his doubts over Dumbledore’s past, the egg clue, his homework, his feelings about Ron’s absence, Voldemort’s visions in DH, his grades, etc.

When he can’t lie/avoid/ignore, Harry will explode at Hermione. At which point the balance of power tilts sharply toward Harry. When Harry explodes, Hermione crumples. She will cry, shrink back, speak “in a small voice,” etc.

Nagging is simply Hermione’s style, and while she might learn to tone it down, it’s always going to be part of who she is.

The problem is that Hermione needs feedback. Because Harry doesn’t engage with Hermione’s nagging, it’s hard for her to know when she’s entering the danger zone.

Like Hermione, Ron is pretty comfortable with the idea of conflict. He was raised in a house where such behavior was acceptable. He knew that just because his mother shouts or his brothers tease doesn’t mean that they don’t love him. He might be insecure about his worth, but he never has to worry that his family will simply stop loving him if he crosses some kind of invisible line.

Both Hermione and Ron wear their emotions on their sleeves and give each other instant feedback. If Hermione is upset with the boys, she tells them exactly why. Ron is the same way. Even when Ron fights with Harry, he chooses to immediately engage with him that night rather than giving him the cold shoulder and forcing Harry to work it out on his own.

The conflicts over each other’s romantic partners (or potential romantic partners) are a good example as well. When Ron sees something developing with Hermione/Krum, he immediately reacts and Hermione reacts right back.

When Hermione sees that Ron has a crush on Fleur, she wastes no time talking about how Fleur “really thinks a lot of herself” and “scowls” when Fleur gives Ron attention. Hermione reacts to Ron kissing Lavender not by sulking but by sending a flock of birds flying at his head. Neither of them are great at hiding how they feel.

There is a brief period in HBP where Ron decides to give Hermione the cold shoulder after finding out that she kissed Krum. Hermione is quite visibly rattled and upset by this behavior, saying she “doesn’t know what she’s supposed to have done.” Because normally when Ron is upset at Hermione, he tells her why.

A lot of the problems in the later books regarding their romantic lives stem from the same thing. They’re unable to conceal their feelings, but for the first time, they’re also unable to be 100% upfront with one another. Which creates a comedy of misunderstandings and poor decision-making.

Arguing as Conversation

There’s not really anger between Ron/Hermione’s arguments. I know that sounds odd, but to them it’s a cross between a rational discussion and intellectual exercise. Ron presents an idea, Hermione counters, Ron counters, and so on and so forth. It’s basically just a way to pass the time and exchange perspectives.

The morning after Ron/Hermione’s heated argument about Krum after the Yule Ball, Harry notes that they were being “quite friendly to each other, though oddly formal.”

In other words, they’re bending over backwards to be polite to one another and it’s making things weird. It’s totally different from their normal behavior.

There are many times in canon where they will segue from an argument to a normal conversation with no visible ill-will.

Even with Scabbers and the Firebolt, when an argument is finished, it’s finished.

PA:

Hermione flung her arms around Ron’s neck and broke down completely.

Ron, looking quite terrified, patted her very awkwardly on the top of the head.

Finally, Hermione drew away.

“Ron, I’m really, really sorry about Scabbers…” she sobbed.

“Oh — well — he was old,” said Ron, looking thoroughly relieved that she had let go of him. “And he was a bit useless. You never know, Mum and Dad might get me an owl now.”

They’re perfectly capable of stopping in their tracks in order to focus on Harry or something else that’s just happened.

For another example, look at OP:

“I think Dumbledore’s probably got plenty of evidence, even if he doesn’t share it with you, Ron,” snapped Hermione.

“Oh, shut up, the pair of you,” said Harry heavily, as Ron opened his mouth to argue back.

Hermione and Ron both froze, looking angry and offended.

“Can’t you give it a rest?” said Harry. “You’re always having a go at each other, it’s driving me mad.” […] The vision of Ron and Hermione’s shocked faces afforded him a sense of deep satisfaction.

Ron/Hermione are shocked, offended, and angry at Harry’s remark, because they don’t see anything wrong with their behavior. This is just how they communicate.

Harry leaves the table and goes straight up to Divination, and Ron joins him a few minutes later:

“Hermione and me have stopped arguing,” [Ron] said, sitting down beside Harry.

“Good,” grunted Harry.

“But Hermione says she thinks it would be nice if you stopped taking out your temper on us,” said Ron.

“I’m not -”

“I’m just passing on the message,” said Ron, talking over him. “But I reckon she’s right. It’s not our fault how Seamus and Snape treat you.”

So in a matter of minutes, Ron and Hermione resolved their argument and discussed the best way to handle Harry. Notice that Ron doesn’t actually apologize for arguing with Hermione, he just tells Harry they’ve stopped.

An Expression of Trust

When you get to know someone, you learn that there are certain things they’re sensitive about, and you try to steer away from those topics. This is no different with Hermione/Ron. They both know what’s safe and what’s off-limits.

Hermione can call Ron tactless numerous times and nag him to do his homework, but she’s not going to take a shot at his family’s finances. Ron will tell Hermione to stop nagging and call her a know-it-all, but he would never insult her appearance.

That’s how they operate. And Hermione knows that if she accidentally strays into the danger zone, Ron will let her know. And vice versa.

Keeping Things Balanced

The movies turn Hermione into this perfect superwoman and Ron into a cowardly idiot who’s the butt of the joke, but the truth is that both characters are flawed in their own way.

One of Hermione’s more abrasive qualities is her tendency to be a bit of a know-it-all.

To be clear, being a know-it-all is not the same as being smart. Being smart is knowing the answer. Being a know-it-all is being unable to resist telling everyone else the answer. Essentially the way that Hermione and Ron negotiate a balanced relationship is by Ron engaging her when she nags him or acts like a know-it-all.

Hermione cannot help telling Ron that he’s not pronouncing a spell correctly. Plenty of people are offended by that kind of behavior, even when the other person is right. But Ron, instead of ignoring her corrections or acting as though he’s been gravely insulted, just calls her a know-it-all to keep things even. This evens the scales between them and prevents their relationship from becoming Hermione bossing Ron around.

It’s important to understand that Ron does have a huge amount of respect for Hermione’s abilities. He’s not always the best about coming out and saying it, but he takes it for granted that she’s the cleverest person in the room.

PS:

“But we’re not six hundred years old,” Ron reminded her. “Anyway, what are you studying for, you already know it all.”

GoF:

“But Hogwarts is hidden,” said Hermione, in surprise. “Everyone knows that… well, everyone who’s read Hogwarts, A History, anyway.”

“Just you, then,” said Ron. “So go on - how d'you hide a place like Hogwarts?”

When the O.W.L.s arrive and Hermione looks slightly unhappy and says that she did “not bad,” Ron takes the paper and announces that she got 10 Outstandings and 1 Exceeds Expectations and then playfully makes fun of her for being disappointed given how impressive her scores are. When Ron and Hermione take their apparition tests, he tells Harry that Hermione was “perfect, obviously.” Even when he himself fails, he doesn’t seem to bear any ill-will toward Hermione.

Ron’s not threatened by Hermione’s intelligence, and he’s not too prideful to do exactly what Hermione’s told him to do. But his teasing and his unwillingness to automatically agree with Hermione is what creates a balanced relationship between the two.

And Hermione genuinely needs this in a partner. She needs someone who will volley right back when she argues with them. She needs someone who will understand that her tendency to be a know-it-all is an instristic part of her personality. She needs someone who finds it endearing rather than annoying.

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prosegrows · 6 years ago

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“One of the biggest, and possibly the biggest, obstacle to becoming a writer… is learning to live with the fact that the wonderful story in your head is infinitely better, truer, more moving, more fascinating, more perceptive, than anything you’re going to manage to get down on paper. So you have to learn to live with the fact that you’re never going to write well enough. Of course that’s what keeps you trying – trying as hard as you can – which is a good thing.”

— Robin McKinley (via thebeginningwriter)

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prosegrows · 6 years ago

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Resources https://www.well-storied.com/

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prosegrows · 6 years ago

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How to plot a Novel with a 3-arc story structure.

https://blog.reedsy.com/learning/courses/writing/3-act-story-structure/

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prosegrows · 6 years ago

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Deep POV

When I got my manuscript critique back from an editor, and my friend’s notes aligned with hers, I knew I had to change something. The editor’s words essentially boiled down to:

We need a reason why we should follow this character’s story. Here there is a lot happening and no context.

Hard to hear, but nothing that can’t be fixed.

Engagement is a major factor for how well writing is received. Maybe you’ve had a similar problem with your own work, where it’s difficult for readers to connect with the characters. Or perhaps you’re chest deep into their personalities, and they actually come alive off the page.

So what if the character’s thoughts and actions made the story? You know every bit of the protagonist because you are the protagonist. That’s Deep point-of-view. It’s tricky at first, and it takes practice, but done right it can accomplish two things — connect with readers and trim the fat of your novel.

Deep POV in Practice

Reading The Hobbit recently made me realize the days of traditional storytelling aren’t in style anymore, and I really enjoyed The Hobbit (minus a scene with a particular dragon and some arrows). Now, people don’t just want to be shown, they want the experience.

Here’s a regular third-person POV:

Gina stared out into the night sky and wondered how vast the number of stars was before her. She felt a little small then, but couldn’t help being in awe. “I’m one tiny part of something much greater,” she said. “that suits me just fine.”

And then Deep POV:

Gina stared out into the night sky. How many stars could there be up there? Millions, billions even. She drew inward, still gazing in awe. “I’m one tiny part of something much greater, and that suits me just fine.”

Note: We’re in Gina’s head, and her thoughts are streamlined by removing tags.

There are fewer words that are showing what’s she’s experiencing rather than more words only telling her feelings. That alone addresses the issue of immersion.

Deep POV for Connection

Since you’re removing dialogue tags; such as phrases like she thought and she wondered, and focusing on one character, the reader can see and feel everything the character does. You don’t need the phrases and tags, and the author intrusion is gone.

Keep in mind, you don’t need to take out every single he said, she said. If you match a character’s actions to their words, it keeps the reader from guessing who’s doing what.

Third-person POV:

Fine tuning her guitar, Jess was about ready to perform for the concert. She smiled, thinking about all the people who came out just to see her. “I’m feelin’ this song,” she said, “I hope they feel it too.”

Deep POV:

Jessica beamed as she heard the crowds cheer. Almost time to go. “I’m feelin’ this song,” she played each note in succession, “I hope they feel it too.”

Deep POV for Brevity

As a fantasy writer, I don’t have a problem with writing long books. I have a lot to say, but sometimes it’s better to keep it short. Deep POV cuts out the middle-man by removing tags and phrases. It helps with passive voice because active voice (using ‘was’ or ‘had’) eliminates those extra words.

Don’ts of Deep POV

Deep POV is a personal, intense style of writing. So it’s not always good to have it in every aspect of your story. While you can use it for settings, it helps to pull back a bit to establish context (think of a movie at the beginning, where we get a sense of environment before the character’s intro).

Avoid head-hopping within a chapter, or the reader will feel disoriented. Game of Thrones does an excellent job of distinguishing between different characters and getting into their heads.

Describing your POV character becomes tricky because they wouldn’t think of themselves in specific ways. It would be similar to the ‘looks in mirror’ description, which is a lazy way to describe your character. You’d think as if you were that person. So using other ways to describe themselves, such as highlighting significant characteristics and during small moments, would be best.

An Experiment For You

If you want to practice this style of writing, try finding an image that could potentially tell a story and write in that person’s POV. Try both standards third-person and deep point-of-view, and see how you like it.

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prosegrows · 6 years ago

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Words to replace said, except this actually helps

IN RESPONSE TO Acknowledged Answered Protested

INPUT/JOIN CONVERSATION/ASK Added Implored Inquired Insisted Proposed Queried Questioned Recommended Testified

GUILTY/RELUCTANCE/SORRY Admitted Apologized Conceded Confessed Professed

FOR SOMEONE ELSE Advised Criticized Suggested

JUST CHECKING Affirmed Agreed Alleged Confirmed

LOUD Announced Chanted Crowed

LEWD/CUTE/SECRET SPY FEEL Appealed Disclosed Moaned

ANGRY FUCK OFF MATE WANNA FIGHT Argued Barked Challenged Cursed Fumed Growled Hissed Roared Swore

SMARTASS Articulated Asserted Assured Avowed Claimed Commanded Cross-examined Demanded Digressed Directed Foretold Instructed Interrupted Predicted Proclaimed Quoted Theorized

ASSHOLE Bellowed Boasted Bragged

NERVOUS TRAINWRECK Babbled Bawled Mumbled Sputtered Stammered Stuttered

SUAVE MOTHERFUCKER Bargained Divulged Disclosed Exhorted

FIRST OFF Began

LASTLY Concluded Concurred

WEAK PUSY Begged Blurted Complained Cried Faltered Fretted

HAPPY/LOL Cajoled Exclaimed Gushed Jested Joked Laughed

WEIRDLY HAPPY/EXCITED Extolled Jabbered Raved

BRUH, CHILL Cautioned Warned

ACTUALLY, YOU’RE WRONG Chided Contended Corrected Countered Debated Elaborated Objected Ranted Retorted

CHILL SAVAGE Commented Continued Observed Surmised

LISTEN BUDDY Enunciated Explained Elaborated Hinted Implied Lectured Reiterated Recited Reminded Stressed

BRUH I NEED U AND U NEED ME Confided Offered Urged

FINE Consented Decided

TOO EMO FULL OF EMOTIONS Croaked Lamented Pledged Sobbed Sympathized Wailed Whimpered

JUST SAYING Declared Decreed Mentioned Noted Pointed out Postulated Speculated Stated Told Vouched

WASN’T ME Denied Lied

EVIL SMARTASS Dictated Equivocated Ordered Reprimanded Threatened

BORED Droned Sighed

SHHHH IT’S QUIET TIME Echoed Mumbled Murmured Muttered Uttered Whispered

DRAMA QUEEN Exaggerated Panted Pleaded Prayed Preached

OH SHIT Gasped Marveled Screamed Screeched Shouted Shrieked Yelped Yelled

ANNOYED Grumbled Grunted Jeered Quipped Scolded Snapped Snarled Sneered

ANNOYING Nagged

I DON’T REALLY CARE BUT WHATEVER Guessed Ventured

I’M DRUNK OR JUST BEING WEIRDLY EXPRESSIVE FOR A POINT/SARCASM Hooted Howled Yowled

I WONDER Pondered Voiced Wondered

OH, YEAH, WHOOPS Recalled Recited Remembered

SURPRISE BITCH Revealed

IT SEEMS FAKE BUT OKAY/HA ACTUALLY FUNNY BUT I DON’T WANT TO LAUGH OUT LOUD Scoffed Snickered Snorted

BITCHY Tattled Taunted Teased

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prosegrows · 6 years ago

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WRITING EXERCISES TO DELVE INTO YOUR CHARACTER’S DEEP POV

Here are a few quick exercises to get to know your point-of-view character.

Creating unique voices for each viewpoint character is essential in creating fiction readers want to read over and over. Unique voices stick with you and generate the best reviews.

Here are 9 exercises to help you discover your viewpoint character(s) voice. Select the ones that appeal most. Get into the mind of your character. Free-write the answer to each question in first-person, as if YOU are the character.

First-person, remember. That will help you get a sense of the character’s voice.

EXERCISE #1: LEARNING STYLE

How do you learn best? Observation? Participation? Trial and error? Rumination and cogitation? Consulting experts? Writing?

Example to get you started – historical character named Rebecca: “Oh, I think I learn best by observation. I’m an artist– well, I sketch a little, or a lot, I suppose– and so I’m always looking at people and places and things and trying to capture them with my pencil.

I like to imagine what people are like from the way they move and the expressions on their faces. I try not to make judgments until I’ve studied the people, however. So I guess I’m an observer. I’m certainly not really a participant. Of course, I have to participate in all sorts of activities, but given my druthers, I’d sit on the sidelines and watch first, until I felt more confident.

Oh, dear, I sound like such a tentative creature. I guess I am that, after all– except for the once, when I eloped with Tommy. Now that time, I didn’t stop to study and observe. I threw myself right into that situation! And I guess I’ve never regretted it, not even when he died and left me alone.

Maybe it’s time again for me to stop studying and just jump in?

EXERCISE #2: OPENNESS

How open are you to new ideas and information?

you change your mind frequently, based on what people have told you?

Are you a traditionalist, deciding on the basis of “what’s always been”?

If someone is arguing with you, are you more likely to change your mind or dig in your heels?

What if the arguer is right?

EXERCISE #3: OBSERVATION

When you walk into a party, what do you notice first?

The mood?

The people?

The decorating?

The things needing to be fixed?

The background music?

The food on the buffet table?

Whether you fit in?

EXERCISE #4: DOMINANT SENSE

Is one sense more highly developed than another?

For instance…

Do you tend to take in the world primarily through vision? “I’ll believe that when I see it!” Or are you more audial?

Do you determine if a person is lying by the tone of voice? Do you love to talk on the phone?

Don’t forget the sixth sense– intuition.

(This aspect can give you all sorts of plot leads– a visual person might need to learn that appearances can be deceiving; an audial person might learn about a murder because she’s been eavesdropping. Remember also that an artist’s narration of a scene will use very different terms than a musician’s will.)

EXERCISE #5: RELATIONSHIP TO PROBLEMS

Do you usually notice problems around you?

What is your response? Do you write an angry letter to the editor? shrug and move on? analyze what’s wrong and how to fix it? take it as evidence that the world is falling apart? What about problems within yourself?

EXAMPLE: I have to notice problems around me. That’s sort of my role in the Pierce household. I’m, well, chaperone/household supervisor/hostess for my uncle. (I’m chaperone for my young cousin, I mean, not my uncle!)

Uncle expects me to keep things running smoothly, so I have to anticipate problems and fix them before he notices. I’ve done a good job so far, and he promises if I just get through The Month of the Prussian Visitors, he’ll give me the cottage in Folkestone. I must confess, I’m weary of it all. I feel I must be always on alert, especially where my cousin is concerned. She is rebellious, and doesn’t appreciate my chaperonage.

Sometimes I would just like to quit– but then I think of my little rose cottage, with the garden where my son can play, and I go back to problem-solving.

EXERCISE #6: OPTIMIST OR PESSIMIST?

Would you say you were an optimist or a pessimist? Would your friends agree?

How would you react if your life suddenly took a turn for the worse? Are you prepared for that?

Do you notice when your life is going well? Does that make you happy?

EXERCISE #7: MEMORIES OR HOPES?

Are you more interested in the past or the future, or do you live in the now?

Are you one to keep holiday traditions?

Do you reminisce about days gone by?

Are you sentimental about objects, like your mother’s handmirror or your first baseball glove?

How hard would it be to move from your present home?

How long would you keep in touch with your friends back in the old town?

How long would it take you to make new friends?

EXERCISE #8: TRUST

How do you decide if you can trust someone? Experience with others? with this person? First impressions? Intuition?

Do you test the person somehow? Or are you just generally disposed to trust or not to trust?

EXERCISE #9: SPEECH TICS

Are you a deliberate, careful speaker, or do you talk without thinking first?

Do you like to verbally analyze situations, or do you keep your assessment to yourself until you reach a conclusion?

Do you use slang, or do you use diction your English teacher would approve?

Do you consider yourself fairly eloquent?

How do you get across your meaning when you have to explain something difficult to someone else?

———

REVIEW

NOW read over what you just wrote, and list 5-10 “hallmarks” of your character’s POV, such as “visual… problem-solver… pessimist… dark view of humanity… expects the worst… looks for trouble… wary and curious… always “on the lookout”… oddly sentimental about some things… speaks slowly and distinctly, as if talking to children.”

EXAMPLE: “Rebecca is thoughtful, with a wry sense of humor. She’s a little weary and impatient, however, and that shows in her voice. She isn’t the most organized speaker– she will start one thought and another will interrupt. But she’s obviously educated, though an informal speaker. She has more self-awareness than most young ladies of her class. I sense she’s keeping some secrets. She seems to feel that she must be… careful, somehow.”

Rebecca’s hallmarks are:

thoughtful

wry

impatient/ digressive

intelligent but informal

cautious about how she presents herself

——————

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR “FINDINGS” ABOUT THIS CHARACTER?See how the first-person has produced a character voice.

You’re probably going to be using third-person in the book, but sometimes writing a passage or scene in first-person provides a great deal of energy and sometimes revelations you wouldn’t get if you weren’t channeling the character. Consider keeping something of the style of the character’s narration when you do “deep-third-person”. And of course you can use the hallmarks of this voice in dialogue.

Look for what they reveal and what they conceal.

One might reveal that she’s worried about getting fired, but conceal why, maybe making light of it– “Oh, the boss is always so picky about some things.” Or “It really wasn’t mom’s fault. Really. It was all my fault.”

Remember the rule:

WHAT YOU CONCEAL IS WHAT YOU REVEAL.

That is, anything this character feels like she needs to conceal…? Probably really important! And notice HOW she conceals it.

Does she make light of it?

Does she lie?

Does she ignore it?

Does she wish it away?

Does she get belligerent and “none of your beeswax?”

Don’t say, “Well, if she’s concealing it, how do I know?”

You can’t conceal without notice. That is, the very act of concealment should SHOW. The reader should be able to sense that this is a sensitive topic, or that the character isn’t telling the whole truth, or that she’s making light of something important.

How do you show this? Well, think of how you or your friends or your kids do it. Think of how when your kid or your friend is trying to hide something, you can tell. What do they do? Shifting eyes? A broken-off sentence. “It really wasn’t mom’s faul– I mean, it was really my fault.”

Me, I always change the subject.

Boss: “Now that deadline coming up– I’m hoping you can get the book in before I leave for that cruise to Alaska.”

Me: “Oh, speaking of Alaska–”

Boss: “But we were speaking of your deadline and whether you’d make it.”

Me: “I am so fascinated by icebergs, aren’t you?”

(I’m really bad at concealing. :)

Identify the dominant sense.

See if you can discern their perceptual mode– what sense predominates, whether they’re more an observer or a participant, whether they’re hands-on or more book-oriented. (I write software documentation on the side, see. And there are those users who just plunge in and try to figure the software out– actually, that’s me :)– and the ones who read the manual before they even slide the program CD into the PC. Which would be your character?)

Does he trust what he sees, or is he a skeptic?

Does she approach the world with caution or with recklessness?

Does he play the music in his car really loud, or does he need quiet as he drives so he can think his thoughts?

How experienced is he in this situation? For example, a poor uneducated cowboy is not going to be able to identify the carpet in the lady’s parlor as an Aubusson. He’s going to be a lot more worried about tracking mud in on his boots.

Anyway, look over your character’s responses and think about how you can apply that to the narration of a scene.

If you’re in this character’s viewpoint…

What is he going to -see- first when he enters a new setting?

What is his mood going to be?

Is he going to notice the people passing by, or is he going to be focused on what his companion is saying, or is he going to be lost in his own thoughts?

When he gets mad or worried or upset or happy, how is he going to show that?

What secret is he keeping in this scene, or what agenda does he have, and how will he mentally characterize that.

For example: John’s POV

All John had to do was break into the vault, locate the right safe-deposit box– too bad he didn’t have a clue about the number– jimmy the lock, steal the diamonds, and dig a short tunnel to the sewer pipe. Piece of cake.

Or–

Mary’s POV–

She slid her hand down into her jacket pocket, closing her fingers around the cold piece of metal. John would never know what hit him.

Notice how different their POVs are. John is detail-oriented and focused. Mary is physical and decisive. Remember to use this understanding of the characters in the scenes each narrates!

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