In Robin Yokel's Creative Writing class this week, students wrote short stories practicing the use of point of view (POV) and tenses.
POV refers to who tells/narrates a story: it might be 1st person (using I, me, and we), 2nd person (using you/your), or 3rd person (using he, she, and they). Tenses tell us if the action of a story takes place now (present tense) or in the past (past tense). We focused on keeping our POV and tense consistent throughout a story. As Robin explained, "Inconsistencies often confuse readers, and our jobs as writers are to make sure our readers understand our story. Otherwise, they can't enjoy it properly!" Students did a wonderful job demonstrating different POV and tenses.
Our class is filled with talented, hard-working writers, some of whom have shared their short stories below! We hope you enjoy them!
Katie used 3rd person POV and past tense:
Scarlet breathed in and out, her lungs gasping for air. She glanced down at the deep blue abyss, mouth open wide, as if hoping she would fall in and drown. Scarlet crawled out onto the rocky edge overlooking the trench. She looked around for Rowan, but he was gone. It was his idea to take her to the crystal abyss, but it wasn’t his idea for someone to lunge out of the shadows and push her in, she hoped. Could Rowan betray her like that? No, he was the only one left, he would never leave her. Scarlet thought. But he did leave you; said a small part of her brain.
Cecilia used 1st person POV and past tense:
I always imagined myself growing up to be the one nobody liked and nobody remembered. I never had a dream to be a doctor like the blondie in my science class or a dancer like the girl in my math class. I was completely ready to understand and live with being someone no one cared for. I was prepared for reality. One day I opened my eyes and realized that I couldn’t keep seeing the glass half empty; I needed to find who I was and who I wanted to be. I needed to expect the unexpected. I slowly began to figure out who I was. Year by year my dream got bigger. I eventually became the person who I wanted to be; I was officially and finally me.
Steve used 1st person POV and present tense:
“I have to leave for school, Mom,” I say, quickly putting my shoes and backpack on.
“You have enough time to eat,” my Mom says, concerned.
“No, I don’t."
She flips a pancake. “What time is it?”
“It's already time for me to be at school.”
“Fine, at least take it with you.” Mom hands me a pancake dripping with butter on a plate.
“Ok, Mom.”
I head towards the bus stop. When I’m almost there, the bus leaves. Ugh, I hate missing the bus. Now I have to walk to school and I’m going to be late for my classes.
Canon used 2nd person POV and present tense:
You see him dart behind the tree: the rare Cheese Leopard. There’s only one of its kind and you found it! Your only hope is to lure it close enough to be able to throw your electro lasso which will momentarily stun it for long enough to catch it. You stare it in the eye, urging it to come closer. It lunges! Crack! Out goes your whip, and you have obtained the rarest animal in the world.
Silvana used 1st person POV and past tense:
I was falling, the last thing I remembered was opening the forbidden book in my uncle’s library, and then I was here. As I fell, words appeared in the black, then more and more until it looked like a blizzard of black on white. They wrapped around me until I was mummified in strands of letters. Finally, the words gently set me down in a tiled hallway. Right in front of me was a purple door with a gold lock. My hands reached upward for the gold key at my neck, the key my uncle had given me for my last birthday. With shaking fingers I introduced it into the lock; it fit perfectly. The lock turned and with a click, the door sprang open.
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