September 30

Need to know: I need to know how to format my short stories so they show two (or more) perspectives.

As a question: 

How can I format my short stories to incorporate two or more perspectives while being both clear and impactful?

Throughout the summer, I brainstormed multiple ways to format my sequence of short stories. I even toyed with the idea of showing two perspectives within the same paragraph (not changing words, but rather the way one looks at them)- yet that would be a difficult feat that would confuse readers. Although I initially found myself unwilling to write the same story from two perspectives (with two different bodies of text), after doing further research, I'm willing to try that for my upcoming SDA. I looked up and read two short stories (linked at the bottom and in my bibliography)- one with two perspectives and one I thought was simply written well. I found that the one that didn't necessarily have two different segments (Priceless by D. William Landsborough) still had a duality as the ending was very much up in the air. I had to read the last portion three times to understand that the sick girl had made a deal with the devil. The cover included a question, framing the main takeaway of the story: "What Would You Give?" I will most likely use this format of posing a question along with or under the title of each story since I don't want to take away from various interpretations people may have by giving solid reasoning as to why the story was the way it was. I want it to be solved by providing the necessary information (such as a question). That way, my short stories may not necessarily be as short a read. The story with dual perspectives (Time by Kate Murray) inspired me to write two segments of the same scene, even though I was so against it because I liked how it made me think. Has revenge condensed Sam's heart, leading him to leave no tip? Also, it shows how the event to him is revenge while the waitress sees heartbreak. I want to lean heavily into that idea of a double outlook. Another source that helped me solidify my format is MasterClass because, according to the article "How to Write Multiple Perspectives," it signifies a clear break between perspectives (meaning I need to have some page breaks within my first story). Also, they pointed out how vital it is to have two very different types of people speaking. Since I want to base this on events within my environment, I must pick a story that fits such criteria. I may have to exaggerate certain things, so a section that states what is real and made up may be needed. I want to ensure I'm respectful and true to the people's stories I tell. I have an idea/story for my first SDA and can't wait to try it. I will see how this one goes and then create a firm plan on how I want my short stories to connect and how to describe my main idea as one word/phrase rather than multiple. 

Sources:

Regular Short Story- Priceless by D. William Landsborough

  Story with Two Perspectives- Time by Kate Murray

  MasterClass Article-How to Write Multiple Perspectives