POV and Character

Take notes on the following, to turn in today as participation credit:

1. What goes into choosing a POV (point of view) for a story (see below for the answer)?
2. What are the strengths/weaknesses of each POV form (see below for the answer)?
3. Read the chapter on Character. After reading, answer the following questions:

A. According to the article why is character and characterization important?
B. What is meant by hamartia?
C. Why is it important to give your characters a flaw?
D. What is the difference between "round" and "flat" characters?
E. Where do authors find inspiration or ideas for their characters?
F. What are some ways in which an author can portray a character?

When you have read the article and answered these questions, please turn in your answers for participation credit.

Characters, Characterization, & Point of View

Choosing a POV for your character:
Major Question for the author: Who is my story about?

• --Someone who is most interesting
• --Someone who is involved in the action of the story
• --Someone who has the most to gain or lose from the event 

There are three different types of point of view.

1st Person POV: Main character is the narrator (good subjectivity, but lacks objectivity, limited to one character’s mind). 1st person POV narrators can either be RELIABLE (what they say can be trusted) or UNRELIABLE (what they say is often a lie or obfuscates (clouds) the truth). 

2nd Person POV: Main character is the “reader”, used through an objective and omniscient “I” narrator (difficult to maintain for a long time, reader must be willing to play the part, difficult to reach into reader’s mind)

Third Person POV: Omniscient or Limited
Omniscient narrators can tell the story of many characters, but this can be confusing. The reader may not know who the story is about or whose conflict is important.
A limited POV allows the writer to focus on one particular character. The story told is the story of that character. Consistent POV gives a story coherence. Inconsistent POV confuses the reader.

LAB ASSIGNMENT: POV exercise. Please complete the following lab assignment AFTER you have read and answered the questions posted above.

1. Choose one short story from your collection. Choose either the opening line or the ending line of the story. (If you have a favorite line INSIDE the body of the story, you may select that as well.)
2. Using this line as a beginning (you may change any names or details as you deem fit to change, but keep the structure of the sentence) write a story in NO MORE THAN 100 words. Your story should have a beginning, middle, and end--and develop a single character.
3. Write your first story in 1st person POV.
4. Write the same story (still 100 words or less) in 2nd person POV.
5. Write the story a third time (100 words or less) in 3rd person POV (either limited or omniscient, your choice).

HOMEWORK: Choose one of the exercises in the chapter Character and complete it for Tuesday, Nov. 20. Indicate which # you chose when turning in your homework.