Authors, do you know what a vanity viewpoint is?

Most writers are familiar with viewpoints and can determine which character(s) they’ve chosen to tell the story. Unfortunately, one telling mistake is consistent throughout many manuscripts—the inclusion of vanity viewpoints. Not familiar with the terminology?

A vanity viewpoint is including a description of the character telling the story. For example, if the scene is in your antagonist’s point of view, he can’t see his green eyes narrow, and likewise, the little storyteller who’s throwing a temper tantrum in time-out doesn’t think about her blond ringlets.

A simple way to pick up on vanity viewpoints is to think of yourself. When you’re telling someone a story or even thinking of a story, do you even consider your hair color, your eye color, or the shape of your nose? Just as we are mostly oblivious to our descriptions, so should your narrating characters be.