Before we get into the nitty gritty of DEEP, we need a basic review of POV (point of view) itself.
Here’s the down and dirty on the various POVs used in today’s fiction:
- First Person – past and present
- Second Person
- Third Person Omniscient
- Third Person Distant
- Third Person DEEP – past and present
First Person Past Tense: Written from the “I” perspective.
Maybe one of the most read books in first person is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon:
There was a sudden flash close at hand, with the crash of thunder following close on its heels, and all the lights went out. Cursing under my breath, I groped in the drawers.
Somewhere I had seen candles and matches; power failure was so frequent an occurrence in the Highlands that candles were a necessary furnishing for all inn and hotel rooms. I had seen them even in the most elegant hotels, where they were scented with honeysuckle, and presented in frosted glass holders with shimmering pendants.
Mrs. Baird’s candles were far more utilitarian—plain white plumber’s candles—but there were a lot of them, and three folders of matches as well. I was not inclined to be picky over style at a time like this.
In first person, the story is told from the point of view of one single character. (Note: in some stories, there is a mix of first and third person – See Debbie Macomber’s A Good Yarn sample on Amazon.)
It is a very intimate POV and will give your lead character a strong voice. The downside, of course, is that you can’t jump into any other character’s thoughts. This can be a challenge.
(Hint: If you’re struggling with getting deep in a scene, write it from first person. We’ll talk more about this later.)
First Person Present Tense: Still the “I” perspective.
This is a relatively new fad. We see it most often in YA (young adult) novels.
From The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins:
When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim’s warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress. She must have had bad dreams and climbed in with our mother. Of course, she did. This is the day of the reaping.
I prop myself up on one elbow. There’s enough light in the bedroom to see them. My little sister, Prim, curled up on her side, cocooned in my mother’s body, their cheeks pressed together. In sleep, my mother looks younger, still worn but not so beaten-down. Prim’s face is as fresh as a raindrop, as lovely as the primrose for which she was named.
My mother was very beautiful once, too. Or so they tell me.
Second Person: Uses the pronouns “you,” “your,” and “yours” to address readers or listeners directly.
This is rarely used in fiction. It’s used in advertising a lot, though.
Note: we’ll talk about “you” in DEEP POV later.
The opening lines of Jay McInerney’s Bright Lights, Big City (1984):
You are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning. But here you are, and you cannot say that the terrain is entirely unfamiliar, although the details are fuzzy.
Interesting, but we won’t spend more time here.
Now we come to Third Person, really the most common POV in fiction and where we start when we’re going deep.
Third Person Omniscient: The all-seeing narrator.
Think J.R.R. Tolkien, Jane Austin. In this POV, we know what everybody is doing and thinking. It was the predominant POV for eons. Now, not so much.
An excerpt from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott:
Margaret, the eldest of the four, was sixteen, and very pretty, being plump and fair, with large eyes, plenty of soft brown hair, a sweet mouth, and white hands, of which she was rather vain. Fifteen-year-old Jo was very tall, thin, and brown, and reminded one of a colt…Elizabeth, or Beth, as everyone called her, was a rosy, smooth-haired, bright-eyed girl of thirteen, with a shy manner, a timid voice, and a peaceful expression, which was seldom disturbed…
Third Person Distant (a.k.a. Third Person Cinematic): Closer than omniscient but doesn’t dip into the emotions of the characters.
GOLD STAR ***** for anyone who finds us an example of Cinematic.
Then there’s CLOSE, CLOSER, and DEEP.
As we move into the spectrum of Close Third Person to DEEP POV, we’ll see into the POV character’s head. Remember, ONE character at a time (another discussion for later).
From 16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber:
Now all she wanted was out. Out of her marriage, out of this emotional morass of guilt and regret, just out. The simplest form of escape was to divorce Ian.
Sitting in the hallway near the courtroom, she felt more determined than ever to terminate her marriage. With one swift strike of a judge’s gavel, she could put an end to the nightmare of the past year. Eventually she would forget she’d ever met Ian Randall.
Allan Harris, Cecilia’s attorney, entered the foyer outside the Kitsap County courtroom. She watched as he glanced around until he saw her. He raised his hand in a brief greeting, then walked over to where she sat on the hard wooden bench and claimed the empty space beside her.
Wow, I just looked at how long this lesson has become. That was NOT the plan. Rest assured they won’t all be so long.
I’ll start into DEEP POV in Lesson Two. Until then, you know the drill. BiC-HoK: Butt in Chair, Hands on Keyboard.
As always, questions are welcome.
Cheers, Jax