Can’t decide who’s the best character to tell your story? You don’t have to settle for just a single character’s point of view. SIMON WOOD will discuss the techniques and the decisions that have to be made when writing in multiple points of view.
Weaving multiple viewpoint characters in and out of a story is like standing trial and knowing what the judge, the prosecuting attorney and all 12 members of the jury are thinking. Each person is witnessing the same information, but each individual interpretation is different. But it’s not like you can crack into everyone’s mind simultaneously. Even if you could, it’d be impossible to comprehend what 14 people are saying if they’re all talking at the same time.
Allowing multiple characters to tell your story can add depth and insight that a single point of view may not be able to convey. Most stories have plenty of characters with their own tales to tell. Multiple POV characters add depth to a novel. Suddenly the story is being told from the perspective of multiple witnesses, all putting their distinctive interpretations on events. But the inclusion of multiple voices can bring with it its own problems. Those multiple points of view can get out of control and turn the story into a mess. In a novel, just like in a conversation, not everyone can speak at once. There are plenty of ways to give each character a voice without having them talk over one another. Even if you’re only writing from a single point-of-view or utilizing an omniscient POV approach, going through these exercises will help ensure there’s a smooth transition between characters.
USA Today bestselling author SIMON WOOD is a California transplant from England. He's a former competitive racecar driver, a licensed pilot, an endurance cyclist, an animal rescuer, and an occasional PI. He shares his world with his American wife, Julie. Their lives are dominated by a longhaired dachshund and six cats. He's the Anthony Award winning author of The One That Got Away, Paying the Piper, Terminated, Deceptive Practices and the Aidy Westlake series. He’s a regular contributor to Writer’s Digest and other writing magazines. He also writes horror under the pen name of Simon Janus. People can learn more at www.simonwood.net.
The meeting will be held on Sunday, March 27, 2:30-4:30 pm. CT ONLINE VIA ZOOM
Please RSVP below — by noon CT on March 27 to attend this Zoom event. The link will be emailed to you the day of the meeting.