Summary

The provided text discusses the use of viewpoint as a literary tool to create conflict in storytelling.

Abstract

The article "Do You Know How to Use Viewpoint as a Source of Conflict?" delves into the nuanced role of narrative viewpoint in crafting both inner and outer conflict within literature. It emphasizes that viewpoint is not merely a choice of pronouns but a strategic decision that shapes the character's perspective and, consequently, the story's tension. The text explores how the viewpoint character, whether reliable or unreliable, can influence the narrative's flow and the reader's understanding of events. It also examines the impact of personal biases and experiences on the character's worldview, suggesting that these can be sources of conflict. The article further discusses the concept of narrative distance and how different viewpoints, such as first person, second person, and third person, can bring readers closer to or further from the characters' thoughts and emotions, thereby affecting the story's conflict dynamics. The use of multiple viewpoints is also highlighted as a method to present various perspectives on the same conflict, enriching the narrative and providing a more comprehensive picture of the story's events.

Opinions

Kristen Steiffel opines that "Viewpoint is not about pronouns. Viewpoint is about character," underscoring the importance of character perspective in storytelling.
The concept of the "unreliable narrator," as seen in characters like Holden Caulfield and Amy from "Gone Girl," is presented as a powerful means to create conflict and tension through the manipulation of narrative and truth.
The article suggests that personal biases and prejudices are inherent in every character due to their unique backgrounds, and these can serve as significant sources of conflict in a story.
The idea of narrative distance is introduced, with the notion that the choice of viewpoint determines how close the reader is to the characters' inner worlds and the story's secrets.
The article posits that omniscient narrators can provide a broad perspective, while limited third-person or first-person viewpoints can create a more intimate connection with the character's inner conflict.
The use of multiple viewpoints is advocated for its ability to offer diverse perspectives on a conflict, thereby deepening the narrative and allowing the reader to experience the full impact of the story's events on different characters.

Do You Know How to Use Viewpoint as a Source of Conflict?

Conflict in is one of your characters. Do you know how?

Viewpoint in writing is all about choosing the first person, second person, or third person to tell your story.

According to Kristen Steiffel, “Viewpoint is not about pronouns. Viewpoint is about character.”

Viewpoint is a lot more than just choosing between ‘I’, ‘you’, and ‘they’.

Conflict is not just about physical events such as fires, kidnapping, and car bombs. It is more about the challenges that are created through the reversal of desires and the opposition that arises from that.

Inner and outer conflict is important to tell our stories and we need that. You can use viewpoint as a tool to express the inner conflict of our characters, but it can also add to the “outer conflict.”

As you begin to write, think about a story you will tell where the viewpoint is your character.

What is that, you say?

You need to know what they know and what they don’t know. You need to know what they can and cannot do and where they can and can’t go. This will all affect the flow of information in the story and add or cause conflict.

“Unreliable Narrators”

The well-known saying, Unreliable Narrators, describes characters that only show their point of view. We don’t see anything else. The two examples should tell you how this has worked:

The most obvious use of viewpoint as a conflict tool is the unreliable narrator. Think about Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger or Amy from Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

These characters have lied to us and everyone, on purpose. They are controlling the narrative. They cause confusion and chaos around themselves and everyone around them.

The Viewpoint Character

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” Anaïs Nin

How, where, and when we were raised, and the experiences are how we see the world.

Regardless of race, religion, or gender, we have biases and prejudices. These can be both positive and negative and can create lots of conflict in your story.

Overcoming the narrow views of their upbringing may even be their inner conflict, but they can become more aware, learn, and grow.

How you choose to use viewpoint as a character for the scene will create and show the conflict. Is it from the viewpoint of the oppressed or the oppressor?

Example: Consider a story that takes place on a ranch. The story is told from the viewpoint of the youngest son who is trying to please his father and wants to show him he can tame a horse. The father is very critical of his children. However, is he being protective of the younger son when he tells him he isn’t ready or good enough? Is be protecting the son from danger or getting seriously hurt? The older brother is trying to run interference between the father and the younger son.

Distance

The viewpoint is always about distance and how close we get to the story and the experiences and opinions of the characters. For example, are there secrets that must be revealed and how easy is it to keep those secrets?

Example: The older brother will be further away from the discussion. As the older brother, he will have a point of view, but from a distance. What he observes tells the reader that neither the father or the younger son knows what is best, but the older son can share his experience from his viewpoint.

Narrators & Third Person

As a narrator, you can stand inside or outside the story. It is not always necessary to know who they are, but the story will be filtered through their perspective. If there is a murder, it can be an anonymous narrator and share everything about the crime, but we need to figure out who it is.

Narrators can also be omniscient. In that case, they will share a lot of information. Or, another scenario could mean they can be narrower with third-person and limited. This will help to create and show inner and outer conflict and they will only reveal certain information.

For example, you can use the member the older son as a narrator. The story can be told in retrospect. Both of these create more distance. The inner conflict and emotional impact would be greater for the member than for the older son trying to manage his father and his younger brother’s relationship. By using the third person attached you could achieve a similar effect and reduce the distance, but it still wouldn’t be as close as a first or second person.

First Person & Second Person

Using these viewpoints, you bring the reader very close to the story and take you into the character’s mind and offer unfiltered access to their thoughts.

The first and second-person viewpoint helps to show the reader how the character thinks and how misunderstandings and misconceptions can wreak havoc in a story.

Example: Here again you could use the viewpoint of the father who wants his younger son to actually achieve his goal of taming the new horse and making it his own. The father wants his son to achieve, but is frightened he could get seriously hurt.

Multiple Viewpoints

If you limit your story to one viewpoint, such as first-person, it will force the reader to only have the information that the character does. Dual viewpoints will help you to tell ‘both sides of the story and multiple viewpoints will give you a chance to show how the conflict affects all the characters in the story.

The viewpoint in your story can act as a tool that can increase the inner and outer conflict in your story. Learn how to use viewpoint as a source of conflict in your stories.