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Home / Movie / Point of view as a technique of narrative in the literature of horror. The article Victor Glebov from the “Workshop of horror-geek”

Point of view as a technique of narrative in the literature of horror. The article Victor Glebov from the “Workshop of horror-geek”

From the editor: the writer Victor Glebov, the author of this article (and the author of the novel “Fatalist” that in a few months will be released in the series “the worst book”, today’s Birthday, this year, once again providing the “platform” Zone of Horror to Express thoughts and ideas.

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As one of the classics in the works of geniuses we find us unspoken thoughts. How true it is, isn’t it. Ideas swarming in our heads, but sometimes as soon as we sit down at the keyboard with the intention to Express them on paper, there is a stupor. The case is tight and lines are not willing to pour out from under our fingers hovering over the keys. A familiar situation?

Let’s try to figure out how to overcome this crisis, preventing us to undertake the creation of their own works. The thought expressed is a lie, said another classic, but does this mean that ever person is not able to Express on paper what torments his inspired soul? Leave this question to philosophers and refer to the practice of writing horror.

If we have approximately (or exactly) know what to write about, the first thing you need to figure out how to write. For this we introduce a concept of narrative. The so-called account of events, that is, in fact, the word is synonymous with “narrative”. In America it’s called “story telling” – the ability to tell a story. Without going into the meaning of the term, we assume that the basis of the narrative is the relationship between events in their quest for the final piece.

Today we are interested in only one of the components ability to tell – point of view. In the work from one author, up to infinity, but if we surrender the whole course of the story only to his vision, to read our book to be boring: it will become predictable. Very quickly it will become clear what is driving the characters in their actions and the consequences of the author. We do not fit, because the horror basis of the narrative, the basis for the intrigue is not even cheating the readers ‘ expectations, and creating a situation in which the reader can’t guess what to expect next.

What is the point. The angle of vision of the events. Today, we will be interested in what he wants to say to the reader, the author. This is the General idea. The idea of the piece, and it will become clear when you finish the last page. We turn our attention to the perspective of the characters. In the novels of Dostoevsky, each character has their point of view, that is, perceives the events in the book, in its own way. This creates an effect of polyphony or polyphony. If we abandon the idea that all characters should be the mouthpiece of our author’s point of view, you get a set of characters, alive and diverse, extras, and personalities.

Let us examine a few exemplary types of characters that can exist on the pages of horror. First of all, you need to remember that they should all be easily recognizable and close to the reader. Pecorini and Childe Harolde with their storm of passion, and exclusivity won’t work.

So, types of heroes.

1. The skeptic-materialist. Is the one who does not believe in the supernatural, rejects the notion that what is happening cannot be explained by physical laws. Important character through which the reader begin to fight his own faith and unbelief.

2. A fatalist. Is someone who believes in fate, in the inevitability of doom. Widely used in Gothic literature and kept as a type until now. Due to it creates a sense of the inevitability of death hanging over the characters.

3. Psychic. It is he who gives the reader “pickup”, will outline the touches of what lies ahead. His visions, he knows exactly what’s coming horror, even though nobody believes him.

4. A scoundrel. Hero who, though has no supernatural abilities “psychic”, because of some circumstances knows that SOMETHING exists, but not talking about it to other people, because pursue their own goals. Usually materialistic or selfish. He is behaving in a way that the reader feels he knows something. Used for tight twisting plot. Often this character appears from the very beginning of the narrative, and comes to it from outside.

5. An innocent victim. Is the one who was involved in all quite by accident.

6. Dolt. He wants to have fun and at first sees everything as an adventure. Thanks to him, we understand that horror is not to be trifled.

Of course, there are other types of heroes. Enter a few equivalent characters or focus on one main thing, decides the author himself. But to use a specific set, as the experience of writing horror, much more profitable.

We now turn to the question of how to use the diversity vision of the events these characters for a narrative. Essentially, this means that we need to figure out how to give the reader information to spin intrigue and at the same time to maintain equal proportion between the part of the characters in action (this is important, otherwise someone will be unexamined, and his death will not affect the reader).

Let’s see how the use of different points of view helps to create tension in the narrative.

Take the way of the development of the plot, borrowed from a horror of a fairy tale. It is a novel way. The heroes leave the house and, passing through a string of events and obstacles faced in the unknown (Koschei the Immortal, the dragon and so on). The only difference is that, unlike the tales, the characters don’t know what awaits them, and often do not initially understand that something is waiting for them.

So, suppose that a group of characters moving from point A to point B, and finds an object. If all together will decide that it is a harbinger of their imminent death, narrative immediately will slide to a single point of view. The reader wince: the author cuts from the shoulder, tells me to hold for the inexperienced. Not suitable. What should I do? That was then, and will need the point of view of the characters.

Analyze point by point, how would react to the discovery of different types of heroes.

1. The skeptic-materialist will come up with more or less realistic explanation, which the reader will not convince, of course, but temporarily satisfied with some other heroes.

2. A fatalist will take it as a sign of destiny.

3. Psychic feel that it is a danger signal, but he won’t convince the others, because I am sure that he would not be believed. He may even faint at the sight of this object in a swoon, but explain it to the rest of the malaise.

4. A scoundrel will understand that everything is for a reason and will take into account, but, of course, silent. However, the reader must feel that the hero-villain took the find, respectively.

5. The innocent victim is indifferent to the discovery, because he thinks only about how to avoid trouble.

6. Dolt offers to sell the find more expensive collectors.

Now let’s say that the hero-villain has a certain object which he hides from others. Of course, one of the characters accidentally drew attention to it. Let this be a fatalist. He turns to the skeptic and offers to find the reason of such behaviour a villain. But the materialist does not give these things value and makes the fatalist. Then he is looking for support from another character trusts. For example, the victim. But the victim of such things does not care, her mind is only how to avoid trouble. Fatalist remains in splendid isolation, which increases the risk of determine the causes of the behavior of a scoundrel. Here went the story conflict.

The third situation, which we will examine for the episode where you want to go somewhere and find something or figure out to explore. Each went into the path of heroes will find in the same area something different as he sees what is happening. In addition, the characters are looking at each other, and thus, switching the narrative from one character to another, we will tell about the same events from different points of view. As a result, instead of a linear narrative will be the number of threads, the result of merges into one. But it will not open the mysteries of intrigue, but only exacerbate it, because due to fragmentation will occur innuendo, full of hints.

Finally, it is worthwhile to mention that an important part of the narrative is how perceive each other’s characters. The materialist scorns psychic, fatalist, materialist, and all together despise the sacrifice that hurt at all, for fear. The confrontation of the desires, objectives and phobias will create internal conflict between the characters, which will strengthen the overall intrigue of the confrontation between the characters and SOMETHING with which they are forced to join the fight. If the reader does not know what to do heroes, if they are not friendly and are not United in their actions, it is impossible to predict whether they will be able to cope with the monster awaiting them in the depths of the unknown. And this, again, the basis of the narrative in horror.

Of course, the creation of such contradictions within the group of characters is impossible without a thorough development of their personalities, but that’s a topic for another article.

© 2017, paradox. All rights reserved.

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