Point of view isn't just an element of storytelling--when chosen carefully and employed consistently in a work of fiction, it is the foundation of a captivating story.
It's the character voice you can hear as clearly as your own. It's the unique worldview that intrigues readers--persuading them to empathize with your characters and invest in their tale. It's the masterful concealing and revealing of detail that keeps pages turning and plots fresh. It's the hidden agenda that makes narrators complicated and compelling.
It's also something most writers struggle to understand. In The Power of Point of View, RITA Award-winning author Alicia Rasley first teaches you the fundamentals of point of view (POV)--who is speaking, why, and what options work best within the conventions of your chosen genre. Then, she takes you deeper to explain how POV functions as a crucial piece of your story--something that ultimately shapes and drives character, plot, and every other component of your fiction.
Through comprehensive instruction and engaging exercises, you'll learn how to:
choose a point of view that enhances your characters and plots and encourages reader involvement
navigate the levels of a character's point of view, from objective viewing to action to emotion
craft unusual perspectives, including children, animal narrators, and villains
A story changes depending on who's telling it, and The Power of Point of View will help you determine which of your characters can make your story come to life.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Not only helpful, but entertaining:
Not only helpful, but entertaining I was expecting a textbook with college-level material. This book has that, no question, but it goes beyond a traditional university class...with thought-provoking exercises to use whenever I feel like working, and examples to enjoy whenever I feel like reading at leisure. And the advice is outstanding. For example, the idea that authors who hate analysis might just TRY analyzing a scene that flowed from their fingertips in a white-hot surge of creativity, just... more info
Wish I'd Had The Benefit of this Wisdom Years Ago:
Point of view was the one element that mystified me most when I first began writing fiction. I received so much contradictory advice from instructors and writing workshops on the subject that I all but gave up trying to understand its arcane and ever-shifting rules. If only I had been armed with this marvelous guide. Without a doubt, the 265 pages of this impressive work offer the most comprehensive and understandable treatment of POV that I've had the pleasure to encounter. In addition to her... more info
Brilliant! Rasley is a great teacher:
"Point of View" was very helpful to me as a once-published fiction writer. It is a great aid in elevating my writing to the next level. I would recommend it to any writers seeking to improve their craft and to break out of the wannabe published to successfully published.
The BEST!:
I consider myself a fairly advanced writer. I've studied POV in writing courses and on my own, and it's a topic most writers tend to struggle with... and most tend to fall into the "safe" first person and third person, because they are easy, and easily understood. What Ms. Rasley has done is put together an exhaustive reference of OTHER choices, complete with examples and reasons why a writer might choose them to tell a particular story. To me, that is what makes this book worth every penny of the... more info
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