Like most creative endeavors, writing a story can be done in a variety of ways. There are also many “rules” that apply to writing, but a lot of them are often broken and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. When I first started writing, I was told not to switch points of view within a scene, but I would often read published stories that did exactly that. Before I started combing my own writing to make sure the point of view was consistent, I wasn’t distracted by “head hopping” within scenes, but once that became a rule I “had” to follow, it became impossible to overlook. An inconsistent point of view was a “rule” that was brought to my attention by other people, but it has never and still does not diminish my enjoyment of a story. While I avoid head hopping in my own writing, I’m not bothered by it in someone else’s work. Other point of view choices, however, do prevent me from enjoying a story.
Most of the books I read in my younger years were written in the third person point of view. That might explain why I prefer to write and read stories in the third person. In recent years, I’ve seen more stories written in the first person point of view, and sometimes in the second person. I find it difficult to read stories in the first and second person, so I tend to stay away from them. It’s hard for me to admit that, because I don’t like to place limits on creativity. I’m probably missing out on some excellent stories because of my inability to adjust to first and second person point of view.
What are you thoughts on point of view in writing? Find out how other authors feel about it in the MFRA’s 52 Week Blog Challenge.
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