Don't Insert Yourslef into the Story

Good morning and welcome to Sharing Saturday. Our discussion today will focus on the omnipotent viewpoint. This plot device plot device is rarely used. For good reason, as it is difficult to master and the author often tends to tell the reader what they should be seeing and feeling.
Omnipotent viewpoint is generally done from the third person perspective. It’s a method of storytelling where the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters. Generally, this is used to bring to life the entire world of characters to give them significant depth and meaning.
All that being said, I recently ran across a book where the author inserted omnipotent viewpoint near the middle of each paragraph. Through the use of this viewpoint, they explained every action and thought of the characters introduced and explained what they would do in the future. Only after going through everything the author felt was necessary to the story, would the reader be allowed to move on.
In other words, this author was so unsure of their story, they were telling the reader what they should expect from each character, how those actions would meld together to create a plot the reader was to uneducated to understand, unless the author introduced every element with a full explanation.
Yes, the author was telling the reader what to expect and when to expect it. Most readers I know would shut such a book immediately and not even bother to leave a review.
Why would they do that?
Readers are smart. They know what they like and they certainly don’t need an explanation to figure out what’s going on in the story. If you, as the author, feel that you haven’t conveyed enough information for the reader to figure this out, you need to go through your story, stay with your viewpoint characters, and fix the problem.
In my opinion, omnipotent (or omniscient) viewpoint is completely unnecessary in any type of fiction. It gives the reader a God-like character directing the action from above and ensuring they understand the plot intricacies. This is a crutch, where good writing and a terrific beta reader can present a better book without telling the reader what is about to happen.



About K.C. Sprayberry
Born and raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling in northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her
She’s a multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Those who know her best will tell you that nothing is safe or sacred when she is observing real life. In fact, she considers any situation she witnesses as fair characters and coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond. game when plotting a new story.

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