Characters and Viewpoint (Elements of Fiction Writing)
by Orson Scott Card
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 230)
Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
Fiction writers of any stripe, esp. newer writers.
I didn't understand why people were so annoyed with Card's sample characters until I read it myself. By the end of the book, I was literally skimming and skipping passages that mentioned either of them. I very rarely do that, even when I'm suffering through a story. Luckily he left 'Nora' and 'Pete' out of his 1990 book about writing SciFi and Fantasy.
A lot of what Card says in this book we may know intuitively from sampling fiction in our culture. Still he is very good at pinpointing se...more
A lot of what Card says in this book we may know intuitively from sampling fiction in our culture. Still he is very good at pinpointing se...more
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This has got to be one of the best books about writing. It discusses characterization in depth, with practical tools you can actually use in your fiction.
Other articles I've read about characterization inevitably instructs you to create a complete profile about your character, sometimes giving you a form to fill out, with prompts like favorite color and such things, but they don't really show you how to make these details alive in your story.
Characters and Viewpoint shows you jus...more
Other articles I've read about characterization inevitably instructs you to create a complete profile about your character, sometimes giving you a form to fill out, with prompts like favorite color and such things, but they don't really show you how to make these details alive in your story.
Characters and Viewpoint shows you jus...more
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Read in January, 2002
recommends it for:
Writers
Excellent book about developing characters, but I remember this (and return to refer to it) for the excellent discussion and visuals relating to point of view: third, close-third, omniscient. POV is a highly debated topic with little consistency from one author to another, but I find his definitions and visuals (cartoon type illustrations of how a POV relates to a camera) to be excellent reminders of how to use POV.
I admit, I tend to stretch the POV definitions, by design. But knowing the...more
I admit, I tend to stretch the POV definitions, by design. But knowing the...more
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Read in December, 2006
Card gives a very accessible and easy look at how to write and think about both (surprise) characters and viewpoint. It's cool stuff, if you like writing. His tips are nice and useful, but some feel like the same stuff we've been hearing since high school creative writing. Maybe I just wanted more than can be expected from this type of book, but I did want more than I felt I got. That's probably more my fault than Card's. Either way, for people who like creative writing this can be a useful...more
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Read in January, 1990
recommends it for:
fiction writers
Orson Scott Card does journeyman's work in this jam-packed how-to book, beginning by defining character and then moving on to express more clearly than I've read anywhere else the different viewpoints the writer must use properly in order to propel the story forward and not confuse the reader. I've outlined the book and a PDF of my outline is available in the "writings" section of my page on this site. Use it, but don't neglect the book itself!
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Read in January, 2008
I wasn't a huge fan of this book mainly because he didn't pull his examples from other pieces; he mostly made up his own examples which ended up being cliche or cheesy. I know this book is older, but I didn't seem to learn anything new. The one thing I did enjoy was his insight on point of view. There's always more to learn about that.
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Read in January, 1997
recommends it for:
Writers of fiction
Card is a powerful writer and his characters tend to be complex and memorable, so he knows whereof he writes. This is a great tutorial on the title topic for writers of fiction, and anyone who is trying to create solid characters could benefit from having this handy.
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This is a great book that teaches about writing fiction. It is very easy to read and has great writing exercises. If you are looking for a book that will help you become a better fiction writer, this would be a great book to help accomplish that goal.
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Read in June, 2007
This would have a five if it had more about first person POV. Everything else is wonderful! All the different levels of third person are fantastic! Why the lack of first person, OSC. Why.
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recommends it for:
writers
The best book I've read on characterization and point of view. He gives detailed examples, and encourages you to choose what's right for the project at hand.
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Read in September, 2007
Not stifling in the least. Most books about writing make me want to bang my hand against the wall. This one just makes me want to caress the wall lovingly.
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This is a great book for learning about how to create meaningful and real characters.
Card is one of the masters at characterization.
Card is one of the masters at characterization.
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Absolutely fan-bloody-tastic. Smart and informative. Totally worth reading for any writer.
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Read in January, 2004
This was a great help to me for building characters and writing .
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