The Tale of Momo: Write From a New Perspective

The middle of our stories can often be the hardest to master. Even plotters like myself, with extensive planning done beforehand and a crystal-clear vision of the scenes just a few steps ahead, can get stuck in the middle. Sometimes the plot seems predictable or the characters are repeating themselves or you need to add some new information to the developing plot or mystery — you just aren’t sure how.

Regardless of where you’re stuck in your story, or maybe if you aren’t even stuck at all, there’s a technique that can help drive your story in a new way. It offers a breather for you as a writer, allows you to look at your story from a brand-new angle, and gives you an opportunity to take a step back from the things that you feel have to push the story forward, and relax by enjoying the less essential and yet no less enjoyable parts of what make your novel unique.

So this week — as the very last article in our Month in Ba Sing Se series — we’re going to be looking at three particular benefits that come when you write with an important and yet underutilized technique as demonstrated in the Tale of Momo.

The Tale of Momo

The Tale of Momo cuts away from every perspective we’ve ever followed throughout the series to take a detour through the point of view of the Gaang’s pet, the winged lemur Momo. After Aang, he perhaps feels Appa’s absence the most and, through his perspective, we watch him put together some of the final clues to finding him.

The Tale opens to a sleeping Momo, dreaming about Appa before he is awoken by the first thunderclap of the storm brewing outside. It is at that moment that he discovers a tuft of Appa’s fur, blown inside by the wind and providing some of the first evidence that Appa is still in Ba Sing Se. Curious and wanting to see Appa again, he leaves the safety of home to scour the city and find his friend. He covers a sizable amount of ground in just a few hours, finally discovering a crucial clue to the Gaang’s search — a giant footprint that could have been made only by a sky bison. 

Why Use a New Perspective?

The Tale of Momo is the last of the Tales of Ba Sing Se. The writers had done short stints from the perspectives of each of their main characters, plus their villains. They had an entire plotline from Appa’s perspective prepared for the very next episode, so they couldn’t use him for their last Tale.

At first it almost seems like they were running out of ideas. And The Tale of Momo isn’t the only interlude to seem this way. Whether it’s from the villain’s perspective or a random one-dimensional character, often interludes like this one can feel tacked on and very “filler-y.” It seems like the writers needed to up their word count, so they jumped to a new perspective and messed around there for a while before returning to what we actually care about.

But there’s more to interludes like these than meets the eye. The Tale of Momo does more than add a few minutes runtime to this episode. Specifically, there are three indispensable benefits to writing from a new perspective that can end up making interludes like this not only interesting and worth a filler, but also crucial to the story as a whole.

1. Offer More Information Than Otherwise 

There are times when your characters just can’t get to the next clue in the mystery. Whether they’re currently captured by your villain or half-way across your fantasy world in the middle of a time-sensitive mission, across genres and storytelling there are times when it simply isn’t possible or realistic to get your characters to where they need to be to know what you want your readers to understand. So instead of coming up with a contrived way that your protagonist can be in two places at once, or writing an aside from a villain’s perspective that reads like the thousand others that came before it, introduce a new perspective. They aren’t faced with the same physical restraints as your protagonist and can often be developed in such a way that they reveal to your readers exactly what you need them to know without giving away more than you intended. 

2. Take a Break from What’s Growing Old in Your Character’s World 

Like we talked about in The Tale of Sokka, sometimes the emotions your characters are dealing with can weigh down your tone. Or the problems they’re handling can start to feel stale. Or maybe even the mystery or tension can feel wearisome. One way to avoid all of these is by offering a new perspective. Jump into a new point of view and let your readers rediscover your world. This can offer new insights to the present situation, revelations about the plot or mystery, or show how a different perspective shifts everything in the story. It brings interest and nuance to your storytelling without having to craft an entire new story, plotline, or cast to do it.  

3. Write From a Perspective with Less Obligations. 

Another thing that’s awesome about this technique is that it allows you to write from a perspective with overall less obligations and demands from you as a writer. If your character is carefree and oblivious, it can be a real relief to write from the perspective of someone who is more observant or takes things more seriously — even if it’s only for one chapter. On the other hand, your protagonist is carrying the bulk of your plot, theme, and story. They’re what’s driving your novel forward, which often means there’s a lot on them (and you as the writer while you’re in their perspective). Sometimes it feels like they have to do just the right thing to make the plot, theme, and characters turn out just the way they’re supposed to. Often the audience will appreciate a fresh perspective of someone who doesn’t take everything as seriously, or is willing to make the audience laugh because they aren’t as realistic as you would want your protagonist to be. Most of your cast is already set in their personalities — your villain is evil, your side-character is funny, your protagonist is withdrawn and thoughtful. So start a new one that is completely unique to allow an interesting character to bring something new into your story. You can take a break from whatever you’re afraid is weighing down your protagonist by writing a section from a new perspective. This breaks the constraints that fall on the lead of any story and offers something fresh for both you and your readers.

That said, this technique can be tricky. It isn’t as easy as flipping to a new page and launching into a brand-new character. It’s like including a whole short story in the center of your novel, so executing it in a way that’s engaging is a whole other style of story writing. It comes with new rules, priorities, tips, and tricks that would take more than just one article to share. 

So for now, just know that this technique is out there and can prove immensely beneficial to any story. When you need a breather or are afraid your book might be growing stale, take a break without quitting by bringing a new perspective into your story. Look at your story from an angle that is freeing because of its brevity, and yet can be just as meaningful in spite of it. 

Well, we’ve reached the close of the Month in Ba Sing Se! Which Tale is your favorite? Which article did you enjoy the most? Would you like to see another series on the blog? If so, let us know what you’d like in the comments below!