Point of View

I’ve been reading a lot of Katie MacAlister lately. Two things really stand out in her writing. One, she’s a hoot. And two, her heroines - they’re insecure, they do stupid things, they’re overweight, they make mistakes. In other-words, they’re human.

Despite the reading binge, I’ve been thinking about my writing lately. A lot. I know that thinking isn’t the same as doing, but it’s still progress. At least I think so. Reading good books helps me see what’s wrong with my own writing. I think I’m beginning to read like a writer.

One of the very first short stories I ever wrote started out in the 3rd person point of view. The story was okay, but once I rewrote it in the 1st person POV it was great. It was amazing what a change in the point of view made.

Katie MacAlister writes in the first person. I think that’s another reason I enjoy her books, it’s easier to identify with her heroines.

With that one exception, I have always written in the 3rd person POV. Lately, I’ve been giving POV serious thought. I have considered changing my POV to the 1st person in my writing, but it’s a major step. You are limited to one character, they have to carry the whole story. And if they’re not strong enough, the entire thing comes crashing down. You’re also limited to revealing only the information that that character is privy to - only what they can see or discover, what’s told to them.

Still, it’s worth thinking about. But that’s just my point of view.