Criminal Mischief Episode 4: POV in Crime Fiction

Suspense Radio

SHOW NOTES: Who is telling the story? Is he/she also the protagonist or an observer? Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird Nick in The Great Gatsby Is he/she reliable? How many POV characters is too few/too many? Which characters know too little to drive the story/or know too much and might spoil the story? TYPES: FIRST PERSON POV: The “I” Character Advantages: Close tie to reader Narrator is the “Star” Good for mysteries-reader learns as the I character does Disadvantages: I character must be present Can lead to awkward plotting Can’t supply suspenseful information to reader Not good for thrillers SECOND PERSON POV: The “You” character—very tricky to use THIRD PERSON POV: The “He/She” Character SINGLE: Similar to First person except he/she is used Similar Advantages/Disadvantages as First Person MULTIPLE: Jumping from head to head Allows reader to get inside several characters Allows reader to have “Superior Knowledge”--Suspense Great for thrillers CLOSE: Camera in character’s head DISTANT: Camera external and watching the action These distances aren’t either/or but rather a continuum. The “camera” can shift along a line from far behind or above the character to inside the character’s head. OMNISCIENT POV: The AUTHOR as GOD Jump from head to head at will Can be confusing Requires more writing skill than seems apparent MIX & MATCH: Can combine POVs if you are good and careful EXPOSITION AND POV: FIRST: I’m a cop. Rather a homicide investigator. Have been for many decades. Not easy decades. Not at all. I’ve lost partners to the misdeeds of others. I’ve lost my family to long hours away and the neglect that engenders. I’ve even lost my soul to alcohol and planted evidence. I’ve grown to hate the job I once loved. SECOND: You’re a detective. Have been for decades. You know others think that the life of a detective is fascinating, and easy. That investigators are mostly out of the line off fire and come to the crime later when the who, how, and why must be discovered. That this time lag distances the investigator from the emotional impact of the crime. You know they’re wrong. THIRD: Mac was a homicide investigator. Had been for many decades. Early in his career he loved the job, the deciphering of the who, what, and why. But lately things had changed. He no longer jumped from bed in the morning, eager to attack the case, but rather rolled out slowly, hung over, depressed, no fire in his belly. God, he hated being trapped in this existence. OMNISCIENT: Homicide investigators are problem solvers. Puzzlers, who work to fit each evidence item into a bigger and cleared picture. Most have skills in this arena but none are immune to the effect such investigations lay on their souls. The dead and damaged, the inhumanity one person inflicts on another, the innocents who are caught in the wake of heinous crimes, each takes a toll on every detective’s mental faculties and stability. Makes cynicism a way of life. Such was the case with Mac Wilson. Less so for Amanda Sims, his partner, a rookie who was just beginning her tenure in the pressure cooker. She still believed in her fellow man. That wouldn’t last long. NOTE: In choosing your overall POV and POV character look for where the real story drama lies. This is true for not only the entire manuscript but also, if multiple POVs are used, for each scene. ELMORE LEONARD: What is the purpose of this scene and from whose POV should it be told? How Do You Choose the Right POV Character(s)? Who has the most at stake/faces the greatest conflicts? Who will the reader most empathize with/worry about? Who drives the story? Who is effected most by the story? Who is the most interesting? Who is present/actively involved at the climax? How many POV characters do you need? If multiple, what characters enhance the plot, offer help/hindrance...