The 4th POV
Yes viewers, there is another POV but I’ll get to that in a few seconds, if you’re a fast reader.
Many of us are familiar with the 1st POV. This is where we, the author puts you, the reader, inside the heroine or heroes head. By writing this way the reader becomes immersed into the character that will lead them through the story.
Middle Grade (MD) and Young Adult (YA) are frequently writing in this view. A few authors have used it in adult fiction.
The disadvantage to this is you are in the heroine or heroes mind the whole time. And unless told by that individual you don’t know the other half of the story.
Writing in the 3rd POV is the most frequently used, accepted and possible the most difficult. Here the reader stands outside the body of the main character in the scene and sees what they see, experience and feel. The problem with this is having to have scene changes within a chapter when you want someone to show the reader what another character is going through. One way to avoid this is to write the entire chapter in from one person’s view then in the next chapter show another point.
Personally, I find having scene changes in a chapter the best, however, that’s not to say I won’t go for the single POV chapter in future books.
Now we get to the other POV.
As I was writing the Emily Dahill series I came to find out that there was yet another point of view to write in, the 4th which I prefer to call the Collie POV.
You, the reader, are seeing and feeling what the collie, in my case mostly Dakota, the hero in the Emily Dahill Series, does but more on a first hand basis, somewhat similar to 1st POV. You are directly involved in what is going on. You see through the his eyes, hear what he does. Don’t forget though, many of the words someone will say to him, he doesn’t understand but can pick out select ones.
For example, he knows what a motorcycle is but can’t understand the word “sidecar”. He knows what a “car” is but can’t relate the word to where he sits. He know what a truck and humvee are because the words are used frequently around him. But that black thing the vehicles drive on, no clue. To him it’s a black ribbon that vehicles ride on, not as we humans know is a road.
If he was to, say, open the refrigerator you watch through his eyes as he can overcome the problem.
When the collie has to force someone to the ground you are taken through the necessary steps, lowering his hind end for greater push, the leap and the impact. All within his mind without the use of him thinking what he’s doing.
When writing a scene with humans in it we can take a lot for granted, but it’s not that easy when I’m writing from the collie point of view. I have to put myself into their mind. How do they see something, a barn fire for instance or a firemen. We know what they are but if Sasha, the heroine in my Christmas story, hasn’t seen either what does it look like to her. I have to show the reader what she is seeing through her eyes. Not only that but in terms she would know and understand.
As you can see writing from this point of view can be hard, having to put myself into the collie’s mind. However, I find it to be interesting and at times the most fun and exciting.
Where can you find me?
Emily Dahill, CID Part 1
Final Mission-After being seriously wounded in a copter crash in Iraq Sgt. Emily Dahill meets her new partner as she embarks on her new Army career as a CID agent. Who could this new partner be?
A Body in the Snow- Emily and her partner, Dakota, cross bullets with their most determined foe. Who will survive?
Right Place, Wrong Day-On leave to hang with friends Emily gets the surprise of her life.
Dog on Fishing-When it comes to knowing how to fish, and catch the big ones, never underestimate your partner. He might surprise you.
A Dog Gone Christmas
When a call for paws goes out, five friends bring their collies without question to a friend’s house. They learn the collies are needed to help seven children with the grief of losing a parent in Iraq or Afghanistan. Now, with seven friends, four collie yearlings and their mother, they set out to help the children
Not far away a mother hopefully leads her seven puppies to safety from a man intent on selling them for illicit purposes.
By a miracle of fate the two mother collies find each other right before the man sells the puppies.
That Christmas morning will be one the children will remember all their lives and they are united with the puppies.
A Body in the Attic
Special Agent Emily Dahill, Dakota along with her team of technicians are sent to Master Sergeant Annabelle Carlyle’s Victorian style house for what they think is a simple break-in. What they find however, turns out to be even more ominous and far reaching.
A secret passageway leads to a mysterious gunshot. When the prime suspect is cleared they still have no clue who the shooter is, or why. Could the shooter be the same individual who took a shot at Dakota?
Add into the mix the FBI and their unexpected involvement in the case.
Soon they learn the break-in had been a cover-up for a more nefarious crime. One that involves Emily’s nemesis, the brown-haired man, and millions of dollars being sent to terrorists.
Will they solve the case before the money disappears forever and more bodies turn up? Not even the inestimable Dakota is sure.
Tom,
ReplyDeleteThank you for allowing me the honor of being the first guest on your blog.
NO THANK YOU! Very cool perspective I never thought of before. Come back any time you want.
DeleteLindsay, I love the way you get inside, and take your reader there too, Dakota's head. I've had animals around all my life, and yes I;ve seen what you describe, but reading Dakota's pov makes me stop and think, 'yeah I can remember my pet doing that,' your writing is so visual.
ReplyDeleteloved the post.