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Eight Points of View: Second Person

Throughout this series, I’ve described the relationship the writer has with the story — the roles he assumes to write it. The reader’s relationship to the story has been irrelevant. That’s not the case with our final two points of view: second person and second person observer-narrator. You can even say these points of view…
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Second Person Observer-Narrator: Garrett Morton
You, Dora, and the professor reach the center of the warehouse and enter the strangest room you have ever seen. In the dim light, you can make out hundreds of skulls lining the walls. They must have belonged to Vasco’s previous victims. You knew that Vasco was a monster, and now you have proof.
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Second Person: Niles Vasco
You’re rubbing alcohol onto the blade of your dagger — the ritual demands a clean blade — when you notice a change on the monitor hanging above your desk. The security cameras catch three people entering the warehouse. One is Professor Ellar. You watch them weave their way across each camera’s view. Should you stop…
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Idea You Can Steal 9: Stone of Fascination
Summer may be ending, but your writing doesn’t have to. Here’s an idea you can use as the season winds down.
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Eight Points of View: Objective Third

In part 1 of this series, I explained that a story’s teller can be a character inside the story or some external entity. Nowhere is the latter situation clearer than in the case of objective third. This point of view is also known as “objective narrator”, and Ursula K. Le Guin uses the term “detached…
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Objective Third
Professor Ellar, Garrett, and Dora entered the room at the center of the warehouse. It was dimmer and warmer than the rooms they had wandered through. Human skulls stare back at them, stacked one on top of the other along three walls. The far wall was covered with a thick, red curtain. A large pentagram…
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Writing Prompts 8
Going on vacation soon? Here are some writing prompts to pack in your bags. Don’t worry. They don’t take up much room.
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Eight Points of View: Omniscient Third

So far, I’ve been talking about points of view where the author’s persona is close to a single character in the story. When the author’s persona is close to multiple characters and combines their experiences into a single narrative, then the point of view becomes omniscient third. It’s sometimes called “omniscient author” or “authorial narration.”…
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Omniscient Third
Professor Ellar, Garrett, and Dora reached the center of the warehouse. As their eyes adjusted to the dim light, they found themselves in one of the most confusing places they’d ever seen.
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Idea You Can Steal 8: The Empty Spaceship
I know it’s early, but Happy Christmas in July to my friends down under. And in the spirit of Christmas, here’s a present for all of you.