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Writing Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [altered-perspective]

Used when confused about how to write from a perspective that differs from the norm in some way.

Maybe this tag could be used on questions for authors who want to write from the perspective of someone who is different than most 'average' people. Maybe they are drunk or drugged, and instead of just using dialogue to show their altercation, the author is writing from their point of view, inside their head. Maybe they are insane.

Maybe the author is unclear on how to do this from lack of experience, conflicting information, etc., so they could tag their question with this so people know their character's POV isn't normal. This could apply to any POV that is altered.

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Can I have a non-living thing with its own perspective?

We typically have third person or first person narratives in literature. I have a requirement - to unveil the suspense, I want a non-living thing to share its perspective in the final chapter. Is this permissible, justified and/or sensible?
undocumented sophistication
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How to write in third person present tense without making it sound awkward?

Generally it is preferred that one use present tense with POV, or at least it sounds organic. Are there any ground rules I can make use of to exploit third person present tense to the fullest without making it sound a bit off for readers of the…
undocumented sophistication
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How to write in the first person showing that someone is drunk?

So I want to write a scene from a teenage girl in 1st-person present tense. She's drunk. I've never been drunk before, so I can't tap into personal experience to make this relatable and/or realistic. I want to show that the alcohol is affecting her…
Tasch
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How to write the thoughts of a character in a drunken POV scene?

One of my POV characters is an overthinker. Partly because she wishes to stop thinking so much, and partly because of peer pressure, she gets super drunk... and ends up doing something that she would never do in her normal overthinking state. The…
Caspian
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Is this a a crazy enough reaction for someone who isn’t the most sane person, yet normal enough to be considered a human reaction?

In the beginning of my story, my character wakes up in an unfamiliar apartment. Although they’re scared for their safety, they were sure nothing bad had happened to them that night. At first they were trying to find a way out, but then soon realized…
Nabi
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How to write a drunk person's train of logic?

I've read some of the other questions on this site about how to write a drunk person (this link, this link, and this link) but what I'm not clear on is writing a drunk person's train of logic and how they justify their choices. In my story, I have a…
lost_not_found
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Third person narrator turns out to be a character

Background: I'm writing a fan fiction story to a Harry Poter-like novel about a group of 3 close friends. The novel has the simple third person limited narrator, with POV generally following the friends, if they are together, or one of them, when…
mcpiroman
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How can I make the premise of e.g. a short story more real?

As far as my motivation in writing goes, I have long been frustrated about historical fiction I’ve read where the main character is basically an American dressed up in a cloak and armor. The Caryatid: A Work of Hysterical Fiction is an intended…
Christos Hayward
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