What is point of view in writing? We all know POV can be in first person, second person, or third person. In http://www.dummies.com/, “Understanding Point of View in Literature” By Geraldine Woods, she writes the following: “Literature provides a lens through which readers look at the world. Point of view is the way the author allows you to ‘see’ and ‘hear’ what's going on.”
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| Sunset over Albuquerque |
Sometimes in the middle of writing, I find myself switching point of view, not really intending to. In my critique group, we often find these point-of-view changes when we’re reading each other’s manuscripts and find it somewhat alarming that we didn't see it ourselves before. It’s very easy to switch and be totally unaware when you’re in the middle of intense writing. As a reader, I find this switch of POV distracting and jolting. It interrupts the flow. That’s why it’s important to stick with your point of view unless, of course, you’re doing it on purpose. For an excellent article on the “Point of Point of View,” visit the blog Ingridnotes.
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Hi Lupe,
ReplyDeleteI know, I hate when those types of mistakes show up in the group because then it looks like I didn't take the time to proof read and I did but it's just hard to catch because I'm so familiar with my work. POV and proper tense are the ones I have to watch out for most.
Hi Sofia,
ReplyDeleteIsn't that the truth? I always ask myself how I could have missed it. But you're right. We become so familiar with our writing that we sometimes make these POV mistakes. Oh, well. Thank goodness for critique groups.
Lupe