Fiction Writing - Point of View

Point of view (POV) may not be the most important element of writing great fiction, but learning what it is and being mindful of it when creating a story is necessary to avoid confusing the reader. If the reader gets confused they may put down your book, never finish reading it, and never recommend it to others.

So what is POV? The character who sees, hears, feels, detects smells, tastes AND who reacts to these senses is the POV character. When you put the POV character at a certain place--say inside a house--they cannot see what is going on two blocks away. They may hear sirens two blocks away or smell something burning that isn't visible, but they can't hear another character humming inside a house three doors down.

If a story is written with one character POV, that character must be in every scene. If Sally is the POV character and she isn't there it didn't happen unless someone tells her about it. If Sally (the POV character) is facing John you cannot say Harry crept up behind Sally. John might see Harry, but Sally cannot see Harry and if you say John sees Harry you are now in his POV. However, Sally might see John's eyes widen, spin around, and see Harry.

Romance fiction is most often written with two POV characters--the protagonist and the love interest.

A skilled writer can write multiple character POV and not bog down the story or lose the reader.

Showing Up

Showing up is half the game. And so I'm back. And happy to be back. Not that I've been missing for any reason other than doing other things instead of posting to this blog.

Last week, I attended the Romance Writer's of America National Conference. The conference is always stiumlating. I never fail to learn something new, enjoy a new experience, and meet someone who inspires. This year, I was invited to a cocktail reception hosted by the editors of Avalon Books. A lovely occasion. The Avalon writers I spoke with at the reception are some of the warmest people I've ever met. In fact, all of the romance writers I've had the priviledge of meeting are giving and friendly. The Avalon editors are young, attractive, and talented. They are a pleasure to work with.

This year the national conference was held in Washington D.C. My hubby and I took advantage of the location to visit the Capitol and Mt. Vernon. Neither disappointed. However, visiting Mt. Vernon when the weather is cooler would have been smart. The grounds are extensive and interesting but require a bit of walking--not so enjoyable in the heat and humidity of July.

"We fight for freedom." The rallying cry of George Washington during the dire days of the Revolutionary War. And to this day, America continues to fight to bring freedom to others. Washington's "never give up" spirit and the sacrifice of many gave us this wonderful country. Can we keep it?

My plan for this blog is to begin a series of short posts of fiction writing tips.

Drop in next week to see if I actually got my act together. And laugh.

Living with a joyous spirit is the best revenge against those who would disparage all that is good.