This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Kathryn, & Robert talk point of view & dramatic tension. How does your handling of POV affect your story’s plot arc? Could your POV character make or break the pace of your action? The better you control the interplay of POV & tension, the tighter & more effective your storytelling.
VIDEO
AUDIO
SHOW NOTES
What we talked about:
What is point of view? (0:30)
How do point of view and dramatic tension interact? (1:13)
Is dramatic tension dependent on which POV you have chosen? Should you use multiple point of views? (5:50)
Use your empathy! (9:22)
So why pick one point of view over another? (14:55)
Your point of view should be invisible! (20:20)
LINKS
Get Alida’s Writing Tips here.
Things we mentioned:
Robert B Parker Spencer Series
Andrew Stanton: The clues to a great story
Finding Nemo
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Cat Stevens – Moon Shadow
Have thoughts, questions, other examples? Join the conversation at the Story Works Writers Facebook group.
2 Comments
Submit a Comment
Do you enjoy the show?
Do you learn something every week?
Do you feel like you have company on your writing journey?
About Your Hosts
Alida Winternheimer is an award-winning author with an MFA from Hamline University. She pursues her fervor for all things story as a writing coach, developmental editor, and teacher. Two of her short stories were nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She is the author of The Story Works Guide to Writing Fiction Series. Alida lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her Golden Retriever, Seva the Wonder Dog. She camps, bikes, and kayaks in her free time. Unless it’s winter, in which case she drinks chai by the fire. You can find more at www.alidawinternheimer.com.
Kathryn Arnold writes fantasy and anything else that sparks her creativity from her home in Kingston, Washington. She currently earns her living as an insurance underwriting assistant, where she also creates marketing and web copy. When not writing, she plays (and teaches) piano and keyboard in a band (or two), and is working on starting a ministry team with her husband. You can find Kathryn at www.skyfirewords.com.
Robert Scanlon was born in Australia, but whisked off to England when only a baby. After many years complaining about the weather, he did the sensible thing and moved back to Australia. Despite a career in the music industry, followed by decades teaching public speaking, Robert is an introvert who adores reading. Robert grew up on a diet of sci-fi masters, eventually discovering he had read the library’s entire science fiction section. Now he has to write his own. Robert is the author of Constellation, book one of the Blood Empire space opera series. Find out more at www.RobertScanlon.com
The Dresden Files #12 ends with the first-person narrator (Harry Dresden) dying. It is timed so that the narration ends with the end of the book.
He returns as a “ghost” in the next book (#13), before being resurrected for the rest of the series.
Thanks, Luis!