About Writing on Wednesdays: What’s Your Point of View?
18 May 2011 6 Comments
in About Writing on Wednesdays, Aren't You Curious?, Curio's Meows Tags: aliens, All Quiet on the Western Front, Baen Books, Characters in Viewpoint, David Coe, Ed Schubert, first person, Gray Rinehart, Guy Gavriel Kay, Hawkspur, head hopping, Holly Lisle, J.R.R Tolkien, Laurel Ann Hill, Magical Words, multi pov, narrator, omniscient, Orson Scott Card, pov, publishing, second person, Stellarcon, Talyn, third person, uncertain narrator, writer, Writers, Writing
Ok. There is a lot more to point of view (pov) than I realized and it took the pros at Stellarcon to point it out to me. Ed Schubert, Laurell Ann Hill, David Coe and Gray Rinehart were the panelists for this discussion at Stellarcon.
David Coe spearheaded this panel and was able to point out the ways a writer can manipulate their story with different points of view. This was a very interesting and informative discussion.
As every writer should know the point of view is the eyes, ears, thoughts and emotions through which the reader sees the action of the story at any one given time in the story.
First person is what I call the “I” books. The story is told from one pov in the character’s voice. There was some discussion as to whether this is more intimate and conveys stronger emotion. I think it is and does.
In the book All Is Quiet on the Western Front the story is told through the narrator’s eyes and because it is I think the end is devastating in a way it would not have been otherwise.
David Coe gave his opinion that first person doesn’t work well in epic fantasy although it can be done.
Second person. ’You’. It is rarely done and everyone agreed they did not like it. Yeah, I’m not sure how it could be done without sounding accusatory. The panelists did not have any examples of that. Does anyone else?
Third person. Personal pronouns such as ‘he’ or ‘she’ are used. Everyone agreed this pov adds tension to the story. It is the most used pov and the most popular.
Omniscient. Tells the story from the distance. There was general agreement that this pov is hard to do in today’s market. Readers want the writing to be up close and personal.
About Writing on Wednesdays: Rules For Writers
27 Apr 2011 8 Comments
in About Writing on Wednesdays, Aren't You Curious?, Books, Curio's Meows Tags: Allen Wold, Amy Sturgis, Baen, editors, Faith Hunter, genres, Georgette Heyer, Holly Lisle, How to Think Sideways, Magical Words, Marion Zimmer Bradley, motorcycles, narrator, network, publishing, Regency, Robert Heinlein, rules, Starship Troopers, Stellarcon, story, Toni Weisskopf, Writers, Writing
Every writer has his or her own approach to writing but when we write the same basic rules apply to all of us. Most rules are inviolate, some are more like guidelines while other rules are made to be broken.
As writer’s we want to use our voice to create characters and worlds that has readers coming back for more. Whether we break or bend the rules or not we are manipulating them to create our own unique voice.
The trick is to know which is what. Got that? The first rule before breaking the rules is to know the rules. You have to know what you’re doing and why before you decide not to do it.
The Ten Rules About Writing panel was hosted by Amy Sturgis, Faith Hunter and Allen Wold at Stellarcon. They had a lot more than ten and I added to their list. The distinction between rules that can not be broken or bent and the ones that can are my own.
