Novel Essentials: Narrative Perspective

The narrative voice of any novel has an immense impact on the book’s effect on readers. Is the story told in the first person, or is the narrator omniscient, able to dip in and out of all the characters’ perspectives at will? Should the narrative stick closely to the perspective of a bystander, or should the reader be privy to the protagonists’ thoughts and emotions? Determining how much information readers should receive and in what way they should receive it are crucial and often thorny problems for all novelists. In this seminar, we will discuss the various options for narrative voices and the technical ramifications of each. We will look at notable examples of each voice from published authors in order to explore the advantages and disadvantages of each voice.

Using in-class writing exercises and group discussion, we will analyze which narrative voice might suit each attendee’s novel and why, experimenting with different options and examining the ways in which novels can be altered by changing the narrative voice. By the end of the seminar, each writer will have a clear sense of the pros and cons of different narrative voices and a good sense of which voice might work best for their own novel.

Part of GrubStreet's Novel Essentials Series, led by Ursula DeYoung and dedicated to exploring the fundamental building blocks of the novel. Classes include:

• Novel Essentials: Narrative Arcs
• Novel Essentials: Narrative Perspective
• Novel Essentials: Pacing
• Novel Essentials: Introducing Characters
• Novel Essentials: Narrative Style
• Novel Essentials: Endings