POVs
Point Of View (POV)
With the two samples below, I will try to show you how a story told from two different people and two different POVs can give an entirely distinct feel to the same narrative.
Ready?
First Person POV – Past Tense
The planet's only sun sat low on the horizon. It reflected on the surface of the lake, which rippled in a myriad of colors. The view left me breathless. I took a few minutes to admire it, all the while pondering about my luck. This didn't seem so bad after all; I could have crashed in a much more hostile environment.
The cool wind blowing in my hair brought welcome relief from the furnace that had been my ship. Although I managed to extinguish the fire, the smoke I inhaled still stuck to my palate and my clothes. I needed a good scrub. After I assessed my surroundings one more time, I undressed and went for a swim, hoping to get rid of the grime that covered my skin.
A sense of peace emanated from the area, yet something felt wrong. It was too quiet, unnaturally quiet, even. A place like this should have crawled with life. As if on cue, something chirped in the woods nearby.
Was it warning its friends of the intruder that I was?
Not knowing what made the sound and why, I teleported back inside my ship. Safety came first. Tomorrow, I would have plenty of time to find out what lurked in the forest and beyond, but for now, I needed rest.
**
Now for the barely ever used 'infamous' Second Person POV – Present Tense
You make yourself as comfortable as humanly possible while buried in wet rotten leaves. Your heart is pounding. Sweat drips down your eyebrows and into your eyes. Fearing you might miss something, you dare not blink.
They say the strange object that flew across the sky and over your head landed in the lake. They ask you to confirm but you can't. The sun, set low on the horizon, blinds you. If only clouds would cover the sky, even for a few seconds, it would give you a bit of respite, yet you know it won't happen so you suck it up and keep your eye glued to the riflescope, finger on the trigger, ready to shoot if you get the order.
At least, the target seems unaware he's being watched. After he looks around, he undresses and steps into the lake. You follow his every move and make sure to keep him in your scope.
The only sound you hear is your breathing. The fauna seems to have fled.
Uneasy, you anchor your foot, and ready yourself for anything, but the tiny movement disturbs a bird in the tree above your head. As soon as it chirps a warning, the alien, once in your line of sight, disappears out of thin air. You rub your eyes and fetch your binoculars only to confirm the mark is gone. You feel the hair of your back rise on guard and resist the urge to flee.
With the two samples below, I will try to show you how a story told from two different people and two different POVs can give an entirely distinct feel to the same narrative.
Ready?
First Person POV – Past Tense
The planet's only sun sat low on the horizon. It reflected on the surface of the lake, which rippled in a myriad of colors. The view left me breathless. I took a few minutes to admire it, all the while pondering about my luck. This didn't seem so bad after all; I could have crashed in a much more hostile environment.
The cool wind blowing in my hair brought welcome relief from the furnace that had been my ship. Although I managed to extinguish the fire, the smoke I inhaled still stuck to my palate and my clothes. I needed a good scrub. After I assessed my surroundings one more time, I undressed and went for a swim, hoping to get rid of the grime that covered my skin.
A sense of peace emanated from the area, yet something felt wrong. It was too quiet, unnaturally quiet, even. A place like this should have crawled with life. As if on cue, something chirped in the woods nearby.
Was it warning its friends of the intruder that I was?
Not knowing what made the sound and why, I teleported back inside my ship. Safety came first. Tomorrow, I would have plenty of time to find out what lurked in the forest and beyond, but for now, I needed rest.
**
Now for the barely ever used 'infamous' Second Person POV – Present Tense
You make yourself as comfortable as humanly possible while buried in wet rotten leaves. Your heart is pounding. Sweat drips down your eyebrows and into your eyes. Fearing you might miss something, you dare not blink.
They say the strange object that flew across the sky and over your head landed in the lake. They ask you to confirm but you can't. The sun, set low on the horizon, blinds you. If only clouds would cover the sky, even for a few seconds, it would give you a bit of respite, yet you know it won't happen so you suck it up and keep your eye glued to the riflescope, finger on the trigger, ready to shoot if you get the order.
At least, the target seems unaware he's being watched. After he looks around, he undresses and steps into the lake. You follow his every move and make sure to keep him in your scope.
The only sound you hear is your breathing. The fauna seems to have fled.
Uneasy, you anchor your foot, and ready yourself for anything, but the tiny movement disturbs a bird in the tree above your head. As soon as it chirps a warning, the alien, once in your line of sight, disappears out of thin air. You rub your eyes and fetch your binoculars only to confirm the mark is gone. You feel the hair of your back rise on guard and resist the urge to flee.
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