Point of View

Writers hear point of view often, from workshops, magazines, books, and the Internet. Our job means for us to recall the point of view rules as we write.

Recently, I read an article in Writer's Digest on point of view by James V. Smith Jr. The article excerpted from Mr. Smith's book The Writer's Little Helper.

I thought I could learn nothing new on POV. Wrong. Mr. Smith does an excellent job in exploring the topic.

He starts by writing about understanding differences in POV, with advantages and disadvantages of each. There's first person, second person, and third person. Regarding third person, Mr. Smith explains third person unlimited omniscience. Then, he discusses third person omniscience.

What I plan to keep handy next to my computer? Mr. Smith's Quick Tip: Don't Let Your Authorial Voice Overshadow Your Character's Voice. Something I'm still struggling with, so very good job, sir.

Then, he goes on to say we can get really complex, with three or four times as many POV choices. For now, I'll stick with these basics and learn them well.

Thank you, Mr. Smith for a fine article and Writer's Digest for another great mini class on writing.

Until next time . . .