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Home » Archives for Lynette Eason » Page 2

Lynette Eason

Point of View Post #2

By Lynette Easonon October 9, 2024
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Welcome back to our discussion about point of view (POV).

I want to continue to build on what I talked about last time.

In the last post, I explored what point of view actually is. Now I’m going to break down three different types of POV. Note that these are not the only other points of view, but ones used most often in fiction.

First Person Point of View

This is when the narrator is a character in the story, using “I” or “we.” The reader experiences the world directly through the eyes of that character. This POV creates a personal and/or intimate connection with the reader, but it can also limit information. Remember, the character can only know what he or she perceives.

Example:

Outside house character: The lights in the house went off, but I wouldn’t move yet. I shifted the weapon to my left hand. I needed the element of surprise on my side so the timing had to be perfect. So did my aim.

If I wanted to blatantly show how the character was limited in information, I’d switch to another point of view of someone inside the house:

Inside house character: With the lights off, I sat away from the windows and directly across from the front door. I held the gun in my lap, fingers curled around the grip. He’d be coming soon, but I was ready.

Books written in first person:
The Shack
The Great Gatsby
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Third Person

Third person is probably the most common point of view used in fiction. There are several advantages to using this. Writers are able to shape a story around one or more protagonists or the villain, but still remain “distant” enough to describe what’s happening around the characters.

Example:

Dr. Maya Sullivan lay still, ears ringing, heart thundering. Was it over? The roar of the avalanche had begun as a quiet rumble, like thunder rolling in from the distance.

Third Person Limited

This point of view is when an author writes a story from the point of view of a single character. But again, the advantage is they can also describe things around them by using the five senses.

Example:

Oliver stood frozen in the doorway. His mind raced, trying to make sense of the scene before him.

Books written in third person limited:
The Hunger Games
Divine by Karen Kingsbury
Never Fall Again by Lynn H. Blackburn
Any Love Inspired book that’s ever been published

Third Person Omniscient

This point of view is when the narrator knows everything—what every character is thinking, feeling, and doing at all times. The omniscient narrator can give the reader insight into multiple characters’ perspectives within the same scene. (I call this head-hopping.) This is not currently a very popular POV with publishers; and I recommend you stay away from it unless you know how to do it really, really well. It can make the reader feel detached from the story and the characters.

Example:

Oliver stood in the doorway, unaware that just upstairs, Rachel was making a life-changing decision of her own. She hadn’t told him yet, but the truth would come out soon.

Popular books written in omniscient POV:
Lord of the Flies
Charlotte’s Web
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Which POV type do you use for your WIP (Work in Progress)?

Here are a couple of exercises if you’d like to try your hand at something fun:

  • Exercise 1: Take a scene you’ve written and rewrite it from another character’s POV. How does it change the way the reader understands the story? Does it change the way you understand it?
  • Exercise 2: Write a brief scene using omniscient POV (this is actually very hard to do right), and then rewrite it in limited POV. Ask yourself which version feels more personal.

 

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Category: Craft, Writing Craft

Point of View #1

By Lynette Easonon September 19, 2024
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I’ve been discussing description over the past several posts, and I hope that’s been helpful. Let’s move on to a different topic. One that’s really important. Point of View (POV). I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately, and one thing that has jumped out at me has been the issue of  point of view. Many writers simply don’t seem to understand how to incorporate it into their stories correctly. …

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Category: Craft, Writing Craft

Description Part 4

By Lynette Easonon September 4, 2024
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We’re still discussing description and how to use it effectively in your story. Today, let’s address how doing description right is crucial to the pacing of your story. Balancing description with action is key to maintaining the appropriate pace. Let’s write a little more of Oliver’s scene and see what happens to the pacing. Here’s the last little bit of the scene we’re writing: Someone had broken …

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Category: Craft, Writing Craft

Description Part #3

By Lynette Easonon August 15, 2024
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I’m back to talk a little more about description and how it can advance the plot.  First, descriptions can foreshadow events or provide important information. What do I mean by foreshadowing events? First it helps to understand what foreshadowing means. If you think back to your freshman high school English 101 class, you’ll remember that foreshadowing involves giving subtle hints or clues about …

Read moreDescription Part #3
Category: Craft, Writing Craft

Writing Description Part 2

By Lynette Easonon July 31, 2024
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In my last blog post, I talked a lot about description. I talked about the purpose description serves. In the previous post, I set the scene for the story I’ve been using. Now let’s talk about: Does my description help develop the character? In the story with Oliver and Sophia, I wrote the opening scene. Let’s see if there’s anything I can improve on in this to develop the characters a little …

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Category: Craft

Writing Description Part 1

By Lynette Easonon July 11, 2024
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Hello, my friends, and welcome back. In my last blog post, I asked what topics you’d like me to discuss. One person asked about description. How do you know when you have enough? How do you know how much to keep and what to edit out? So, first, let’s talk about: What is the purpose of description? Description should serve a specific purpose. It’s up to you as the author to determine that purpose. …

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Category: Craft, The Writing Life

Subplots Part Three

By Lynette Easonon June 26, 2024
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And we’re back. First, I was at the Write to Publish Conference this past week. If you’re a writer and have never been, you need to put this on your conference bucket list. It was my first time to attend, and I truly hope not my last. Okay, now, on to subplots. I don’t know if you noticed this, but it’s clear that subplots are equal to relationships. The easy way to remember to incorporate …

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Category: Craft

Writing Conference Benefits

By Lynette Easonon June 6, 2024
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Hello all, I’m taking a little break from the subplots posts to write a special blog about writers conferences. I know there has been other information by other agents on this topic, but I wanted to put my thoughts down and share them with you. If you’re a writer seeking publication, I won’t say conferences are a must; but they sure do help on the journey to seeing your book in print. That …

Read moreWriting Conference Benefits
Category: Conferences

Subplots Part Two

By Lynette Easonon May 22, 2024
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Let’s start with Act I in our Oliver and Sophia story. Based on what we’ve already created in previous posts, here’s the beginning of my synopsis. Oliver Tyson, a forensic artist and single father to his nine-year-old daughter, Gia, is assigned to reconstruct the face of a young woman whose skeleton was found in an abandoned house. The Jane Doe, estimated to be around 21 years old at the time of …

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Category: Writing CraftTag: Subplots

Weaving Subplots Through Your Story

By Lynette Easonon May 2, 2024
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Before I jump into talking about the subplots in the Oliver/Sophia story, I want to talk about subplots in general. Weaving subplots into your story is a delicate process. You want them to enhance the story and not overwhelm it. So, think balance. Here’s how I look at subplots for my stories. First, I identify the main plot. I have a clear picture of the central conflict or theme of my story. This …

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Category: Writing Craft
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