Deep POV Pt. 9: The Overhaul

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Deep POV Pt. 9: The Overhaul

This is an ongoing series about using the writing technique – deep point of view. The original posts began over last summer after I attended a webinar on the subject. Previous are listed at the end of this post.

I’ve written eight other posts about using deep POV as a fiction writing technique. Today, I want to share why I took on changing my technique and writing philosophy to this style of writing.

Some of the benefits of deep POV are evident if you recognize it in a book. The style is more gripping and therefore readers are more engaged, turn pages and share their enthusiasm with other readers. This technique also eliminates the showing versus telling issues if done well (and trust me, I’m still learning). Also, if done well, deep POV is much easier to edit – when you lapse out of the POV when you shouldn’t it jarring to the point you what must be edited.

But why did I ever decide to use deep POV? How did I even transition from my old way of writing? Here are three answers to these questions:

1. I was fortunate enough to receive a critique last year that gave me clues to the nature of my writing and the direction it needed to go – deeper. At the time the suggestion was made I really was at a loss as to what to do with it and rather overwhelmed at the prospect of such a fundamental change to my manuscript. I sensed that this would require an extensive overhaul. However, I was fortunate to sit-in on a seminar by an editor at a conference I attend that addressed reasons why manuscripts are rejected. After discussing these many reasons, the editor strongly advised using deep POV and explained what it was. It got my attention and motivated me to begin using this writing style.

2. At that point, I knew what I needed to do but not precisely how. Fortunately, I came across a free webinar on the subject through another writing group of which I’m a member. This webinar has been the basis of this series since last July, In it, I was provided better explanation about what deep POV is and how to use it.

3. Armed with this I was able to enact more decisive changes in my writing. With a clearer understanding of my path ahead, I began making increasingly substantial progress in my novel’s revision. As I progressed, I understood more of what needed to be done. Frankly, the last half of my most recent revision is better than the first half but that is being addressed through more editing. Now I’m to the point where I’m able write my current short fiction in this style and edit them better. I also expect to make faster progress through my long fiction drafts in the coming months.

Here are previous posts based on deep POV that may help:

3 Tips for Editing to Deep POV PT 1

Deep POV Tips Part 2

Deep POV Tips Part 3

Deep POV Tips Part 4: Of Sneaks and Shallow POV

Deep POV Tips Pt. 5: Eliminate Narrative Distance

Deep POV Pt. 6: Editing for Emotion

Deep POV Pt. 7: Editing Tips

Deep POV Pt. 8: How to Use Internalization

And of course here are more resources for deep POV and showing emotion rather than telling:

Rivet Your Readers with Deep Point of View

The Emotion Thesaurus

So that’s why and how I’ve made the transition in my writing style over the last year. What have you learned about the writing craft in the last year? What tips do your have for deep POV or any other style? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. See the News page for announcements and remember to sign-up to receive news and posts by email. I’ve added a new sign-up tab on my FaceBook page to simplify the process. New followers can download The Black Bag via free coupon today! Also, the cover of my book, The Bow of Destiny, was revealed recently so take a look.