Using Point of View Correctly
Anyone can tell you that good writing flows easily from beginning to end without reminding the reader that there is a writer behind the words. Unfortunately, many beginning writers sometimes ruin that flow by constantly reinserting their point of view character back into the narrative. Once you've moved the reader into the story, you don't want to yank him out again by placing your character in every sentence.
Kristen Johnson Ingram, an author of over twenty books and instructor for WritersOnlineWorkshops.com, calls this the "viewpoint intruder."
How To Create Unique Characters
I'm in the character creation stage of a new story so as part of my series on new beginnings, I want to go over some great brainstorming tips I found. Today, I'm going to share something from one of my favorite books on writing, The Art and Craft of Storytelling: A Comprehensive Guide to Classic Writing Techniques, by Nancy Lamb, where the author reminds us that our challenge as writers is to "create a character that lives and breathes on the page, a character that laughs and cries and makes the reader feel those emotions." She tells us:
When you approach your characters, remember it is not only the hero that must stand out. All the characters in your story, major and minor characters, should occupy a unique place in your own imagination in order for them to occupy that same status in the reader's imagination.
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