# The Writer's Circle – Issue #14 [Through a Character's Eyes]



## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

Welcome to Issue #14 of the Writer's Circle! Its been about a week or two since the last one, and its not that i've gotten lazy, its just that i've found a lot on my plate as of late... I'm going to be changing these discussions from 'weeks' to 'issues' so that is why this one says “The Writer's Circle – Issue #14 [Through a Character's Eyes].” Its getting harder to pull articles out of magazines lately as it seems i've run out of good ones to pull. I've basically run out of articles, so now i'll be pulling excerpts from books with an occasional article or two here and there, therefore I anticipate it will take me a bit longer. But with the new format, comes more ranting from me! Sorry, but this way it gives me more things to talk about. Instead of commenting about the article, the subjects will include the excerpts and then a musing from myself on the subject. On a separate note, as your newly appointed fiction moderator, I urge you ALL to send me feedback/ideas/improvements/comments/general rants concerning the fiction subforum here at Heresy, I'm looking for things to spice up the section a little, including contest ideas and other such things. Something to jumpstart us, and get the creative juices flowing. Just send the aforementioned ideas in a PM to me and i'll look them over. OK, so, this weeks topic is about developing your characters. Specifically the perspective of which your characters speak from, i.e., their point of view. I'm pulling an excerpt from a book called “Seize the Story” by Victoria Hanley. She's an interesting writer who has written such works as, “The Seer and the Sword,” “The Healer's Keep,” “The Light of the Oracle,” and other stories. This book, is a non-fiction 'handbook' on writing that brings up many good points about all kinds of topics pertaining to writing. So, lets begin...

from “Seize the Story”
by, Victoria Hanley

'Through a Character's Eyes'



> What would happen if you asked seven people who went to the same party to describe what it was like? You would probably hear seven very different versions of what happened. In fact, it might sound as though each person went to a separate party.
> 
> Depending on perspective, there are about ten billion ways to interpret the same event. It's easy to misunderstand what's going on – especially if we're missing a key piece of information.
> 
> ...


***SPOILER ALERT***MINOR GAUNTS GHOSTS SPOILER***BEWARE!!! BOOO!!***-CP

Alright, i've got a few bones to pick about “perspective.” Don't worry, no expletives, just some statements and observations on the subject. I think there is a lot to be said about the skill of an author who uses perspective to further their stories. Instead of just narrating the story from a birds eye view, e.g. your typical play-by-play, telling the story from the constantly changing perspectives of its' characters can make it much more engaging and interesting to read. If you can interplay the emotions of the characters with the plotline of the story you have yourself a winning combination. You have to look at every scene (well you don't have to, but its just something I do) as if it were real life, what of the characters that are present in your scene? 

For example, its a beautiful fall afternoon and you are walking down a busy side-street marketplace, and you happen to walk past a confrontation between a shop owner and his/her patron. 

You think, “Gosh, how could people argue about something so trivial as a few vegetables on a beautiful fall day like today? I'm sure the patron didn't do anything wrong, perhaps he just dropped a few tomatoes and the shop owner is trying to make him pay for them.” and then you just go about your business and keep on walking. 

Now thats just fine and dandy, no problem with that. If you have a one-character story where the plot rarely strays from that one characters view point, you are in the clear. But most novels, especially those done by science-fiction writers and authors likewise employed by the Black Library (BL Publishing), include multiple characters with multiple, varying, plots and viewpoints. Take Dan Abnett for instance. Almost all of us have read his “Gaunt's Ghosts” series of novels. Of the 12 books out at this time, I have read each of them 4 times, so the series has been very important and influential in my work. I'll probably name my first born son Ibram, just because I love that fething name! *cough* but that is besides the point... (then I can call him Brambo! :grin: lol)

Anyways, for those of you who haven't read Dan Abnett's works, I suggest you do. My point is, when it comes to perspective and writing through “a character's eyes” there is no finer example. He takes us on many personal journeys of discovery with each of the major characters. (*spoiler alert!*)Every one of them having their own personality and emotions regarding certain situations. From the edgy and dangerous Major Rawne, to the skiddish, and amiable old sniper Hlaine Larkin. From the secretive woodland warrior “Ven” to “Try-Again” Bragg, and Colm Corbec. Each had their own personal perspective of the wars that they fought and the lives that they lived. Even Agun Soric, who's latent psyker abilities brought him a life of slavery to the commissariat and an eventual mercy killing at the hands of Commissar Hark, had a wonderfully unique personality and story all his own. 

Case in point, working the perspectives of multiple characters is what I try to do with my writing and stories. Go ahead and have a read over the Prologue and Chapter One of my novel “The Ghost of Iron”, to which, links can be found on my userpage. (just click “The lair of the FAN FICTION KING” in my signature). You'll notice that I move the story along by taking you different directions with different characters. Malleus Bulous, Ado Brillo, Brother Lucian Vicarus, and Paula, all have little storylines thus far. And they will continue to grow. 

So, there are my musing on 'perspective.' I hope you all have enjoyed this issue of the Writer's Circle. Please comment on anything you deem worthy! 

Your new fiction mod, :drinks:

Commissar Ploss

Write on!


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## Mossy Toes (Jun 8, 2009)

:drinks:

(you might want to take a look for spoilers in the Gaunt's Ghosts references)

As a whole, I think that very few people believe that there is only one way to interpret a scene (severe Calvinists, perhaps, but that's about it :wink: ). Nonetheless, this was fun to read.


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

looking back now, i understand what you mean. lol I guess what i meant was that i've read stories that only have the single-character story, there are no secondary characters that have stories of their own. it makes for a very straightforward story, but in my opinion they are not that interesting. Easy to write, just not that interesting. I'll edit my first post to mention the spoilers...lol thanks for pointing that out for me.

CP


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## The Odd One (Sep 15, 2009)

Really helpful Plossy, going to use that in my 3rd chapter of The Defence of Vagnar 7. + rep for these continous great help for my writing.:so_happy:


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

thank you sir, glad you are finding these useful. Have you gone back to take a look at some of the past ones?


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## The Odd One (Sep 15, 2009)

Plan on taking on a look in a few minuites.


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## IntereoVivo (Jul 14, 2009)

Glad to see they finally made it official. Good article, and looking forward to more.


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

ah, yes, thank you! And i'm glad you enjoyed the article! I'll be posting another soon.

CP


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## waltzmelancholy_07 (Sep 30, 2008)

Wow, another outstanding article CP... I tried it on the chapter that I'm writing for my current story...

Was really surprised... I didn't know an Eldar could think so much and sees thing differently in comparison to us humans:crazy:... Hahaha...


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## The_Inquisitor (Jul 19, 2008)

Thanks for the post. 'Tis very interesting to see others' outlooks on narrative and characterization. I've also found intercutting, although a screenplay concept, can work very well in prose. Jumping rapidly between two characters who are somehow interwined, looking at same objects etc, can make for excellent contrast between ideas and viewpoints.

waiting for next article.

L.


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