4 Writing Exercises to Hone Viewpoint Technique

The Benefits of Writing the Same Scene From Different Viewpoints

Oct 17, 2009

Writing Exercises to Help With Viewpoint Technique, Clipart.com Photo

Why is 'point of view'(or POV) so hard to master? Take heart: a few simple exercises in writing from different viewpoints may be all that's needed for understanding.

The following four exercises in writing from different points of view are designed to help writers explore the topic by coming at it from different angles. Play around with writing in the first person then the third person; view the setting through different sets of eyes; explore emotions and finally challenge the senses. The results are often very revealing.

Exercise 1: First Person or Third Person – Which Feels Right for the Viewpoint Character?

Write a paragraph from Character A's point of view. Write this in the first person, beginning with "I". Include details of how the character is feeling and what he/she is thinking. Include some details of the setting as experienced by this person.
Rewrite the scene in the third person,beginning with "He", "She", or the character's name. Think about whether the scene in first person seemed to work best, or the one in third person. Why might one be better than the other for this viewpoint character?
Write the scene a third time from the point of view of a different character who is watching the first character. (This person might be someone who is interacting with the first character, or just someone looking on.)

Note how the emphasis is placed on different aspects of the scene, depending who the viewpoint character is. Make sure that each character has a distinct personality.)

Exercise 2: Looking at the Setting Through Different Viewpoints

Most people are aware that extended descriptions of the setting are the bits that readers skip over. Writers should get into the habit of showing only what is relevant to the viewpoint character as he moves through the scene.

Choose a setting: a house, the countryside, a city.

Show the setting through the eyes of someone who is familiar with it. (What do they notice? What do they take for granted?) Give the character a goal of some sort, so that the scene will not be simply a straight description of the setting. Most people move through life with a purpose: they're on the way somewhere, they want something, or they are committed to something. Show the character in action.
Next, use the same character with the same goal, but pretend that he or she is unfamiliar with the setting. People in unfamiliar settings notice different things to those who know them well. They also feel differently about the setting – and emotions are important.

Exercise 3: Find Out How Emotions Affect Viewpoint

In everyday life, the way people view the world is coloured by their emotional state. Someone can be having a great day – then they hear bad news and suddenly the whole world looks bleak.

Write a few paragraphs showing a character in a good mood, going through a normal daily routine.
Rewrite the same scene from the viewpoint of a character in a bad mood.
Rewrite the scene from the viewpoint of another person who is affected by the first person's emotions (choose either the 'good day' or the 'bad day' scene as a basis for this).
Write a scene showing two characters in a stressful situation. One is made stronger by adversity; the other falls apart. Choose either as the viewpoint character, and show how they react to the other person's mood while they are trying to solve the problem.

Exercise 4: Explore Viewpoint Through Different Senses

This is a good exercise for those having problems understanding what 'show, don't tell' means.

Write a paragraph showing a haunted house, from the viewpoint of someone living in the house.
Write a paragraph about a haunted house from the viewpoint of the entity doing the haunting.
Explore the senses: show the experience of someone living a house which they have just realised to be haunted. Show this person moving through the house, and describe what he might see, smell, hear, touch and taste. Try to focus on senses other than sight.

The above exercises are just a few of the many that writers can use to explore viewpoint. For authors who are having a hard time coming to grips with what 'point of view' is all about ("...just what is viewpoint, anyway?") they may even signal a breakthrough.

The copyright of the article 4 Writing Exercises to Hone Viewpoint Technique in Writing Techniques is owned by Marg McAlister. Permission to republish 4 Writing Exercises to Hone Viewpoint Technique in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.