Objective vs Subjective Writing (Last In A Series)

Now that we have discussed the 8 different narrators, lets look at the relationship between POV and the writing's degree of objectivity or subjectivity. First a couple of definitions.

Subjective Writing: The writer seeks to record the feelings and sensibilities behind his/her characters' thoughts, statements, and actions.

Objective Writing: The writer leaves it up to the reader to imagine/determine the feelings and sensibilities behind each character's thoughts, statements and actions.

Subjective writing enters into the thoughts and feelings of a character, whereas objective does not. It should be noted that POV does not determine whether writing is subjective or objective. What is the determining factor is how much of the character's emotions, feelings are explicitly described. In subjective there is a great amount of detail. Objective, on the other hand, has little if any. Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises was written using objective writing. Harper Lee's classic, To Kill A Mockingbird, uses subjective. LeCarre's The Spy Who Came In From The Cold utilizes both forms.

So, by now you may be asking yourself, "Which style of writing should I use?" The answer is simple, which ever comes naturally to you. Some writers are naturally subjective (this is especially true of the majority of new writers) and others are objective.

Writing is possibly the most personal endeavor done by Human Beings. No one can write for you, you must do it alone. You can get plenty of assistance from a good critique group once the writing is done. Until you write it there is nothing to critique. The greatest thing about writing (at least for me) is POWER! Can anyone think of any other endeavor where you are in effect GOD? You control the weather, locale, feelings, emotions and yes, even whether a character lives or dies... Now how cool is that?

Finally, the most important piece of information in this series appeared in this blog entry. It is: Write what comes natural to you; let your voice flow. Nothing is any more difficult than attempting to write against your grain, so to speak. Just watch out for those inadvertent POV shifts!

Third-Person Shifting Viewpoint Narrators (9th In A Series)

Even though I have listed this POV as being the 8th of 8, it is the second most popular (First-Person Protagonist Narrator being most popular). Some novels are best told by a single narrator, others by multiple narrators. Shifting narrators in third-person is no problem so long as the writer observes a couple of rules. Before we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this POV lets review these important rules.

1. Whenever possible, the introduction of a new narrator should be done with a new chapter. This allows the reader to adjust to the new viewpoint and it allows the reader to become acquainted with the character from whose POV the chapter is being related. Using multiple narrators within a chapter can be utilized, however if the writer is not skillful when doing it the reader may become confused. This leads us to rule #2.


2. Once the reader has become acquainted with all of the narrators and can interpret each of the different POVs, the viewpoints can be shifted back and forth even within a chapter.

Let us now review the advantages of this POV:

1. The writer has a choice between restricted and unrestricted omniscient powers.


2. Multiple narrators gives the novel a broader perspective.


3. Shifting viewpoints provides relief and variety to the reader, thereby sustaining interest.


4. It allows the writer to communicate more emotion to the reader. The reader can vicariously experience the role of each narrator.


5. The writer has greater scope to characterize the individual narrators and other characters through their 5 senses.

This POV only has one disadvantage, or maybe pitfall is a better word. It can lead to the writer being too analytical, going into more detail than a character requires.

A novel that successfully uses this POV is LeCarre's The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.

First-Person Shifting Viewpoint Narrators (8th In A Series)

This style of writing uses a POV that shifts from one character to another. It seems to be utilized more of late than at any time in the past. Many thriller writers use different variations of this. As an example, James Patterson has used it in several of his Alex Cross novels in which he tells the story from Cross's viewpoint in First-Person Protagonist narrator and also relates the antagonist's viewpoint, usually in Third-Person Protagonist (maybe Antagonist is a better choice of words) narrator. Mr. Patterson it should be noted is an extremely experienced and accomplished writer and he is able to do this without revealing the antagonist's identity unless he expressly chooses to (as he did in his most recent Alex Cross novel, Cross Country).

Some writers will use a mixture of viewpoints using this one and Third-Person Shifting Viewpoints. Patterson does this in Cross Country.

However, this POV can be very useful if you are relating a story from the viewpoint of multiple characters. For instance if your novel deals with a sequestered jury, you might alternate chapters so the story can be told from the viewpoint of each juror. The writer should take great care to ensure that they do not become redundant by rehashing facts and event the reader is already aware of.

Another novel that uses this POV is Wilkie Collins's classic The Woman In White .

Third-Person Minor Character Narrator (7th In A Series)

This POV is seldom used because the writer must continually use proper names instead of pronouns so the reader will know who is talking. Unless you are a very experienced novelist, I would suggest you avoid this POV at all cost. Below is an example of how tedious this POV can be to a reader.

Ed Traynor didn't see Buck Buchanan until Buck returned to town a week later. Buck told Ed that he had found a terrific fishing place in the White Mountains. Ed said they would have to check it out one of these weekends.

Imagine 250 to 300 pages of this type of narrative? It wouldn't take long before this book found its way back to the bookshelf or onto a table at the next yard sale.

First-Person Minor Character Narrator (6th Of A Series)

This is a POV where the narrator takes a detached view in relating the story. It is possibly best illustrated in the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories and novels. This POV offers many of the advantages of writing in the First-Person Supporting Char actor and Third-Person Supporting Character Narrators POVs. The advantages are:

1. 1. It can make the stories believable and realistic. Image how telling the stories with a First-Person Protagonist narrator would have made Holmes sound like an egotistical braggart. Having Watson narrate turned Holmes into a believable and interesting character.
2. The narrator can describe the protagonist.
3. The narrator is never asked to prove his/her knowledge of the protagonist.
4. It makes it easier to sustain reader interest.
5. It allows the narrator to present a philosophy of life that might be presumed as being presumptuous if recounted using any other POV.

Disadvantages include:

1. Use of omniscient powers is restricted.
2. The reader can participate in events and actions only to the extent the narrator does.
3. This POV tends to be more detached than either of the protagonist narrator POVs.

One of the difficulties with using this POV is that it forces the writer to use he said/ she said a lot.

Third-Person Supporting Character Narrator (5th in a series)

This POV offers no real advantage and is in fact difficult to use in an effective manner. The problem lies in its inherent ambiguity. It forces the writer to use multiple references. The following is an example of the problem:
What follows is taken from Structuring Your Novel: From Basic Idea To Finished Manuscript by Robert C. Meredith and John D. Fitzgerald:

Fred James was tired as he and Jim Harding found the trail leading to the old mine. He knew they couldn't reach the mine before nightfall. He watched Jim stare at the weeds and bushes that had grown over the trail. He asked Jim if he would mind camping where they were overnight.

The last sentence was purposely written to illustrate this POVs major disadvantage, which is that the narrator must refer to the protagonist as He. In the same paragraph, the protagonist refers to the narrator as he which in the hands of an inexperienced writer can lead to confusion on the reader's part--this could be disastrous...

Do You Know This Place?

I will send a free copy of DEADFALL, Level Best Books latest anthology of crime stories by New England writers to the first person to correctly identify the location in the picture above.

Send your answer to: vhardacker@comcast.net. Contest will end on January 31, 2009 or until the someone wins. Be sure to include your mailing address in the email.