Pont of View

This snippet was written for the NFA 'Point of View' Skills workshop:

ok so this one has several different paths you could follow. Write a scene from either multiple points of view, or from a point of view that is completely new to you. By the second thing, I mean if you are used to writing in third person (She reached for the gun and he jumped in front of her.) Try writing a scene from say, First person. (I walked along the street, the lamps on the sidewalk burning brightly.)

So I did this in a few ways. I wrote in first person narrative, which I almost never do, I went from Tony's POV, which I almost never do and I tried to get Tony to see things from other people's point of view, which he almost never does. I tried to have him the butt of a misquote (Ziva), nicknames based on his surname (McGee) and a bit of Gibbs when the ex's meet.


It's funny how a perfectly good day can turn to dog-do-do when you least expect it.

I was at Probie's desk trying to point out that emailing from an iPhone when your keyboard is two inches away from you is yet more proof that, "as Plato says , 'iPhone, therefore iGeek' ", when my whole world turned upside down.

"That was Descartes, DiNumskull."

I looked around and he was right there in the squad room. The funny thing was: he wasn't even looking at me, he was looking at Probie. I couldn't believe it: he's sharing a joke with Probie over the dead Greek dudes! Hold on – are they Greek? Maybe they're Italian: my people. It doesn't matter. The point is: McGeek is smiling at him and he's smiling at McGeek: my God they're having a moment!

Then denial kicked in. There was just no way that that man could have found me. I'm not the one-armed man, I am Harrison Ford: I am the fugitive. No one finds me until I want to be found.

Then he gave me the old sharp flick to the ear and the whole nightmare came flooding back.

"How many times do I have to tell you, DiNosy? Get your hairy Italian keister back to your own desk."

Before I know it, "Yes Boss!" is spewing out my mouth like yesterday's meatloaf and I'm high-tailing it back to my desk.

"Now, Probie!"

I make it back and I see Ziva and she's sitting there with this smug look on her face. I swear I'm going to superglue her hair to something next chance I get.

Then Gibbs gets up and holds out his hand and he has this smile plastered across his face like he's just met his next wife and he says, "Lieutenant Willcox."

Now I ask you – how could you possibly have THAT surname? I mean, really.

"Don't even think it DiNine-years-old."

So now I'm deflating at my desk. How can that man still do that to me?

Then Gibbs looks at me all casual like and says, "Did I mention your old Lieutenant will be working with us on this, DiNozzo?"

"No Boss. It must have slipped your mind." As if I would have forgotten.

But the Boss isn't listening to me anymore. He has his arm around old Boss and they're walking off for coffee.

Suddenly Ziva is at my shoulder. "Oh. Train wreck," she says low and quiet. "I want to look away, but I can't."

And then it hits me: she's right - I'm screwed.

--end--


Thanks to my husband for the iPhone therefore iGeek line.