AWJ #4: Write A Book in 2015

This is important to get right. You have created your characters (March assignment) and now you need to decide how to share our story.

Do you know your point-of-view (POV)?

In other words, who is telling your story?

Here are your choices:
1. Omniscient
Omniscient point of view tells the story through the eyes of someone outside of the story. This is a narrator who has nothing to do with your characters. However, your characters’ dialog should ring true to their characters. The pro is that the story can be presented from all points of view so it is unlimited. The con is that your reader is not experiencing the story as if they are a part of it as is the case with other points of view.
2. First Person
A book written in first person point-of-view only permits the reader to know what that person knows. A common mistake that writers make with first person POV is incorrect narrative. You have to be careful about backstory and descriptions. It must stay true or consistent to your character (and what your character would know and how he/she would feel/react/do).
3. Third person
A book written in third person point-of-view allows the reader to be inside more than one person’s head. Again, you must stay true or consistent to this POV.

Some important things to know is that you can change point of view throughout your story as long as it is not in the middle of scene as this makes no sense. MANY writers change their POV after they have finished their story either because they realize it is not the best POV for their story or an editor or beta reader suggests it. A good editor will catch your inconsistencies, which you will inevitably have. In fact, you will probably have many POV and other editing errors. So, for now, just focus on the writing and be prepared to hire a good editor down the road.

ASSIGNMENT–Month #4 (April): Decide your POV. Write another 10,000 words.