There are many viewpoints from which to tell a story, yet the one most abused is the author’s viewpoint. It appears in lines such as:
They had a wonderful time at the lake.
What a sad day it was.
Playing together was so much fun.
Do you see what all three sentences share in common? They each tell you what the author thinks. They are intrusions into the story which rob the reader of the joy found in drawing his or her own conclusions about what the characters in the story have experienced. For this reason, the author’s viewpoint is something no reader cares to know.
Replace the Author’s Viewpoint with Solid Story Telling.
Your goal as a writer is to create such a compelling tale that your readers reach the conclusions you want them to reach. If your characters had a wonderful time at the lake, you’re going to have to create a story-line at the lake that unveils that wonderful time.
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The Place for Author’s Viewpoint is in Your Story Outline.
Many new writers say, “I’m great with ideas.” They often show up as a string of ideas revealing the writer’s viewpoint on a scene. That’s a good place to begin. Use “they had a wonderful time at the lake” in your outline. It gives you a goal to achieve as you flesh out your story.This content is for members only.
But My Character Thought This!
Let’s look at the situation where you feel that you aren’t intruding as an author. Your character (especially if you are writing in the first person subjective viewpoint) thinks or says, “Playing together was so much fun.” Isn’t this acceptable?This content is for members only.
Summary
Scour your manuscript for author’s viewpoint or ‘summary’ statements. Then choose one of three actions:
- Develop the statement into an active scene.
- Choose to keep it because it summarizes the character’s response to the scene.
- Eliminate it.
