HOW HARD CAN IT BE TO LEARN POINT OF VIEW AND VIEWPOINT?
By
Catherine E. McLean @ 2015
A couple of years ago, author and writing instructor Tim Esaias calculated there were 9,720 variations of Point of View (POV) and Viewpoint. I’ve seen the calculations. He’s right.
It’s also a fact that POV and Viewpoint are the most critical aspects of storytelling. So, if there’s one piece of advice I would shout— no yell— to novice writers, it is to stop writing and take the time to read about, learn, practice, and master— yes, MASTER— Point of View and Viewpoint.
Why go to all that trouble? Because mastering POV and Viewpoint means fixing ninety percent of the problems in a manuscript. Doing so also means readers will turn the pages because they are engrossed and enjoying the story.
The second piece of advice, but which I would whisper to a novice writer, is the secret to comprehending POV and Viewpoint is realizing they are two separate things (despite the “experts” using the terms synonymously). Here are the simple and straightforward definitions:
POINT OF VIEW is the Storytelling Narrator at work relating the story to the reader. It answers the question: Through whose eyes is the story (or the scene) being observed?
Did you notice the words “narrator at work?” That’s because when a reader reads, they hear a voice coming off the page, which is the “narrative voice.” That voice will often be the story’s “focal character,” also known as the protagonist. Yet that narrator’s voice could be the author’s, one of the other major story characters, the story’s storyteller (the voice-over guy), or omniscient (as either “god” or the “fly-on-the-wall”). In all instances, that Storytelling Narrator has a “very distinct voice” due to their diction, vocabulary, and syntax, which the reader hears when reading the story.
VIEWPOINT is how that narrator characteristically filters information and sensory perceptions, either consciously or unconsciously, while observing what’s happening.
That narrator is highly opinionated. They can be accurate or inaccurate. Their judgment may be subjective or objective, or it may fluctuate between the two extremes. This makes the narrator of the story or scene open-minded or closed-minded, ethical or unethical— a coward or a hero.
Which means the narrator’s opinions about other people, and how the narrator deals with those people in any given situation, will be compounded by the narrator’s biases and personal prejudices. For example: Characters A, B, C, D, and E look at a glass of water on a table. Because the five can see that glass, they will report what they observe— they will narrate— but look HOW they relate what they observe:
A – “It is half full of water.” (Optimist)
B – “Don’t be an idiot, it’s half empty.” (Pessimist)
C – “That’s just a glass with water in it.” (Realist)
D – “Why do you humans concern yourself with a glass containing water?” (Baffled Alien Being)
E – Marsha couldn’t believe the conversation had deteriorated to analyzing a glass of water. (Omniscient)
Each of the examples has a distinct voice because the writer conveyed the narrator’s voice onto the page. If you didn’t hear the differences that means you need to cultivate a better inner ear, which is another reason to master POV and Viewpoint.
Talent will take a writer only so far. It is craft that enhances and liberates talent. Best of all, craft can be learned. So, take the time to master POV and Viewpoint. Your readers will appreciate it.
Besides Catherine being a wife and mother, she has ridden and exhibited Morgan Sport Horses. She’s an avid clothing and costume designer, an award-winning amateur photographer, a 4-H leader, and a Red Hatter who loves bling.
She lives on a farm nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains of Western Pennsylvania. In the quiet of the countryside, she writes fantasy, futuristic, and paranormal stories where a reader can escape to other worlds for adventure and romance.
Her short stories have appeared in hard-copy and online anthologies and magazines. Besides having two novels published, soon to be released is her lighthearted fantasy/sci-fi romance HEARTS AKILTER. Catherine also gives writing workshops, both online and in-person. A schedule is posted at http://www.writerscheatsheets.com/workshops.html.
Catherine’s website for writers is http://www.WritersCheatSheets.com and she blogs at http://writerscheatsheets.blogspot.com/.
Visit with Catherine at http://www.CatherineEmclean.com.
Connect with Catherine at: http://www.catherineemclean.com/contact-me.html.
Applicable genres: fantasy/sci-fi romance, romance, humor (lighthearted)
Length: Novella
Coming August 5, 2015 from The Wild Rose Press
Love, vengeance, attempted murder, and a bomb…No reason to panic.
When a medical robot insists he’s having a heart attack, Marlee Evans, a pragmatic maintenance technician, has every reason to panic. There’s a bomb inside him. Since Marlee can’t risk the bomber discovering she’s found the device, her only option is to kidnap Deacon Black, an unflappable bomb expert, and secretly convince him to disarm it. Things go slightly awry when Deacon sets a trap for someone who is trying to kill him, and inadvertently captures Marlee instead. Instantly intrigued by her refreshingly forthright and gutsy attitude, he’s smitten. Unfortunately for Deacon, Marlee recently hardened her heart and swore off men, especially handsome ones with boy-next-door grins. But as Marlee and Deacon attempt to identify and prevent the bomber from detonating the device, they discover that love may be the most explosive force of all.
Available for Pre-Order Now
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1faTnHp
Nook: http://bit.ly/1HDMrii
The Wild Rose Press: http://bit.ly/1HDhwAT
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Thank you for having me as a guest here today.
Thank you for being a guest, Catherine!