Tamara Eaton - The Author's Assistant
  • Home
  • Editing Services
  • Client Publications and Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Privacy Policy

P is for Point of View Part I

8/1/2011

0 Comments

 
This topic is one beginning writers struggle to get a handle on and so I'm breaking this up into three posts. In each post I will try to define the term and explain how to determine if you’re writing your POV most effectively.

Omniscient Point of View

Omni-all--scient-knowing

In this point of view, the narration comes from god-like perspective in which the storyteller shows us each characters thoughts and feelings as we go along. While effective in some short stories, the danger of falling into the trap of head-hopping—going from one character’s thoughts and feelings to another’s without some signal from the reader—is a foil of the beginning writer.

A reminder, the reader’s goal is to be able to identify with your characters. If you try to explain what everyone is thinking and feeling at any one moment, you run the risk of the reader not being able to identify with any of your characters. Omniscient narration for setting a scene description can be used effectively.

The sun set, casting a golden glow over the plains of ripening corn. An example of an omniscient narration where we don't have a POV character.

Head hopping can be prevalent for the beginning romance writer, but romance writers aren't the only authors who can fall off this cliff.

An example of head hopping might look something like this:

He kissed her and she thought, maybe I've found my Prince Charming at last. He lifted his lips from hers and thought, where has this princess been all my life? This can be a little distracting for the reader if we've been in your heroine's head for most of the story and without warning we're inside Prince Charming's thoughts.

This isn't to say you can't have their different perspectives, just that you need to signal your reader and you'll probably want to have more than one sentence in one person's thoughts.

While some critics warn writers to stay away from the omniscient viewpoint in current trends, in a skilled narrative, this POV can be a tool in the writer's box to add variety and distinction.

As I point out in my writing workshops, there is no "right or wrong" there is okay writing, and better writing. The guidelines for writing are varied and every writer, editor and publisher has her own preferences, but to dogmatically say this is right or this is wrong can be a misleading over-generalization.

Remember enjoy and celebrate wherever you are on your writing journey. I'd love to hear your comments or questions. Contact me here or at authorsassistant@hotmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you.



0 Comments

    Tamara Eaton

     is an author and editor. Her former career as an English teacher assists her to help others through editing services. She's available for workshops. See her Editing Services Page for details. Be sure to get updates by clicking the RSS feed below for continuing writing tips.

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    January 2019
    January 2014
    October 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011

    Categories

    All
    Absence
    Action Verbs
    Agent
    A Good Editor
    A To Z
    Author Intrusion
    Backstory
    Back Story
    Balance
    Beginning
    Beginnings
    Beginning Writer's Trap
    Blog Hop
    Character Action
    Character Arc
    Characterization
    Character Paralysis
    Characters
    Cliffhanger
    Conflict
    Connections With Readers
    Creative Writing
    Description
    Deus Ex Machina
    Dialogue
    Emotion
    End
    Endings
    Epilogue
    First Chapter
    First Person
    Flashbacks
    Future Learn Course
    Goal Setting
    Grammar
    Head Hopping
    Hook
    I
    Jumpcut
    Keith Publications
    Kill Your Darlings
    KimandTamara
    Libertyhallwriters.org
    Linear Writing
    Maslow
    Merry Christmas
    Middle
    MindMorsels
    Multiple Pov
    Nanowrimo 2011
    Narration
    Narrator
    Narrator Voice
    Non-participating Narrator
    Objectivity
    Omniscient Narration
    Overwriting
    Page Turning Writing
    Persephone's Song
    P Is For Point Of View
    Plots
    Point Of View
    Pronouns
    Query
    Reading Pleasure
    Resolution
    Revise
    Revising
    Revising Tips
    Revision
    Risky Writing
    Sensory Writing
    Showing Vs Telling9b85a64ffd
    Showmeyourlits
    Show Vs. Tell
    Show Vs Tell94248b61ba
    Story
    Subplots
    Subtext
    Summer
    Tcljtoastedcheesecoma9c588cebe
    Tension
    Universal Story
    Vivid Verbs
    Weeping Women Springs
    Where To Start
    Workshop
    Writer Links
    Writer's Voice
    Writing
    Writing Challenges
    Writing Contests
    Writing Exercise
    Writing Habits
    Writing Styles
    Writing Tips

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photo used under Creative Commons from joiseyshowaa