ReFoReMo Day 8: Bridget Heos Tackles Voice and Point of View

By Bridget Heos

Voice makes a story sing. But who best to “sing” your story? I found the voice for I, FLY when I realized Fly should tell the story himself. Conversely, I changed a PB WIP from first to third person to round out the flat-sounding narrative. To further develop voice, imagine who would tell such a story. (For MUSTACHE BABY, it was a cowboy.) Here are books beautifully sung in the first, second, and third persons.

First person: 

Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan, Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Second person:

Little Baby Buttercup by Linda Ashman, Illustrated by You Byun

Third person limited:

Very Little Red Riding Hood, by Heapy and Heap

Third person omniscient:

The Sleepy Little Alphabet by Judy Sierra, Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

            Third person multiple view points:  

My Lucky Day, by Keiko Kasza

Bridget Heos is the author of the MUSTACHE BABY series, QUEEN DOG, I, FLY, and many nonfiction books. She lives with her family in Kansas City and visits schools all over America to talk about writing fiction and nonfiction.