I write in close third person past tense with multiple POV characters. Most of the book is seen through my protagonist’s eyes so I try to get really close inside her head and show her emotions. Some chapters are told by the antagonist or other minor villain and those chapters aren’t as close. The distance of getting into a character’s head is subtle and takes practice, though a good editor can help with that distinction.
Mostly POV takes practice to handle well. I think most writers pick one that works for them and the stories they write. Like everything in writing there’s a long learning curve so write a lot and get professional feedback from a good editor. This is how we all get better.
Thanks for approaching this topic that all writers grapple with.
Thanks, Bruce! I'd agree that most POV takes practice, just like programming / working with a framework! I'm working on one of the next essays for Story Syntax on the topic of "Pythonic" prose (or idiomatic prose) to talk about how you can lean into what a POV (and genre, and other tools) are naturally good at, rather than working against it.
I write in close third person past tense with multiple POV characters. Most of the book is seen through my protagonist’s eyes so I try to get really close inside her head and show her emotions. Some chapters are told by the antagonist or other minor villain and those chapters aren’t as close. The distance of getting into a character’s head is subtle and takes practice, though a good editor can help with that distinction.
Mostly POV takes practice to handle well. I think most writers pick one that works for them and the stories they write. Like everything in writing there’s a long learning curve so write a lot and get professional feedback from a good editor. This is how we all get better.
Thanks for approaching this topic that all writers grapple with.
Thanks, Bruce! I'd agree that most POV takes practice, just like programming / working with a framework! I'm working on one of the next essays for Story Syntax on the topic of "Pythonic" prose (or idiomatic prose) to talk about how you can lean into what a POV (and genre, and other tools) are naturally good at, rather than working against it.