Ever wonder why some scenes just grab you more than others? A lot of that magic comes down to one thing: who’s telling the story. Emotional Impact is all about the POV, especially if you’re playing with multiple perspectives in your book. Getting this right can seriously amp up the emotional impact for your readers.
How to Nail the Perfect POV for Each Scene:
Choosing whose eyes and heart we experience a scene through can transform a simple narrative into a compelling, emotionally rich journey.
Here’s how to make that choice:
- Who’s Most Affected: Always write the scene from the POV of the character who is most impacted by the events of that scene. Ask yourself: Who has the most at stake? Whose future is most altered by what happens?
- Sharing Secrets and Delivering News: When a secret is shared, think about whether the life of the teller or the receiver is more affected. The same goes for delivering news. It’s all about who stands to lose or gain the most from the information.
- Facing Challenges: If an event is unfolding, decide who is primarily challenged or changed by this event. This will often guide you to the right POV.
Special Cases and Creative Plays:
Sometimes, you might find that your story is best told through a single POV, but this doesn’t mean your hands are tied. You can still enrich the scene by:
- Adding Characters: Introducing other characters into a scene can help reflect and amplify the emotional impact, providing a fuller picture of the situation.
- Mixing POVs: In my Time Travel series, for instance, I wanted readers to see my main character, Rembrandt Stone, from the perspective of someone from his past. This added a fresh layer by introducing a third-person POV alongside Rembrandt’s own, offering a dual perspective that enriches the narrative.
The Key Question:
Always ask, “Who makes my readers feel this scene the hardest?” That’s often your best bet for choosing the POV.
You Can Do This! Go! Write Something Brilliant!