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The Power of Point of View: Make Your Story Come to Life
by
Every Character Has a Voice
Point of view isn't just an element of storytelling–when chosen carefully and employed consistently in a work of fiction, it is the foundation of a captivating story.
It's the character voice you can hear as clearly as your own. It's the unique worldview that intrigues readers–persuading them to empathize with your characters and invest in their t ...more
Point of view isn't just an element of storytelling–when chosen carefully and employed consistently in a work of fiction, it is the foundation of a captivating story.
It's the character voice you can hear as clearly as your own. It's the unique worldview that intrigues readers–persuading them to empathize with your characters and invest in their t ...more
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Paperback, 265 pages
Published
March 11th 2008
by Writer's Digest Books
(first published January 1st 2008)
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The Power of Point of View: Make Your Story Come to Life, Alicia Rasley
The Power of Point of View goes beyond simply defining the various Point of view options and shows readers how to use Point of view to enhance and tie together all other story components The difference between a pedestrian telling of a story and a powerful telling is in how the point of view is handled.
A well-written story is one in which the author allows Point of view to guide not just how the plot develops, but how the st ...more
The Power of Point of View goes beyond simply defining the various Point of view options and shows readers how to use Point of view to enhance and tie together all other story components The difference between a pedestrian telling of a story and a powerful telling is in how the point of view is handled.
A well-written story is one in which the author allows Point of view to guide not just how the plot develops, but how the st ...more

خوب نبود. البته از حق نگذرم ترجمه بهقدری فاجعهبار بود که من احساس میکنم ممکنه کیفیت کتاب رو پایین آورده باشه، بنابراین اولین توصیه من به اشخاصی که میخوان کتاب رو بخونن پیدا کردن نسخه زبان اصلی کتابه چون مترجم مربوطه، اصلاً و ابداً امانتدار نیست و هرجا دلش خواسته یا نتونسته متن رو ترجمه کنه متن رو عوض کرده، حذف کرده و مثالهای مثالهای متفاوتی آورده که شاید با منظور نویسنده درتضاد بوده یا مفهوم رو بهخوبی منتقل نمیکرده.
ولی خود کتاب هم دستکم برای من خیلی چشمگیر نبود.
من معتقدم بیشتر درسهای ...more
ولی خود کتاب هم دستکم برای من خیلی چشمگیر نبود.
من معتقدم بیشتر درسهای ...more

خب حالا که تموم شد، بیایید من از روی پروسهی نوشتن خودم، اهمیت این کتاب و محتواش رو توضیح بدم.
برای من همهچی با ایده شروع میشه. قبل از هر چیز دیگهای.
بعد تا حدود کمی، داستان رو تو ذهنم شکل میدم.
بعد دنبال ارتباط شخصیتم با این داستان و ایده میگردم.
وقتی موفق شدم پیداش کنم، یعنی میدونم مضمون این داستان قراره چی باشه.
بعدش پلات داستان رو میچینم و باقی چیزها رو تعیین میکنم. شخصیتها و ستینگ و از این قبیل.
اینها مرحلهی اول نوشتنم هستن. در حقیقت مرحلهی پیش از نوشتن.
اما وقتی میخوام شروع کنم به ن ...more
برای من همهچی با ایده شروع میشه. قبل از هر چیز دیگهای.
بعد تا حدود کمی، داستان رو تو ذهنم شکل میدم.
بعد دنبال ارتباط شخصیتم با این داستان و ایده میگردم.
وقتی موفق شدم پیداش کنم، یعنی میدونم مضمون این داستان قراره چی باشه.
بعدش پلات داستان رو میچینم و باقی چیزها رو تعیین میکنم. شخصیتها و ستینگ و از این قبیل.
اینها مرحلهی اول نوشتنم هستن. در حقیقت مرحلهی پیش از نوشتن.
اما وقتی میخوام شروع کنم به ن ...more

I wrote this, and would be glad to talk about it. My blog about writing and editing is http://www.edittorrent.blogspot.com, so meet me there! Also lots of my articles about writing are archived at www.rasley.com.
Thanks.
Alicia ...more
Thanks.
Alicia ...more

Understanding my creativity as levels within one point of view.
I'd read and thought about this book for several months, pretty much thinking it was "4 stars" for not having enough examples to get it's ideas about pov across well enough for me to consciously apply them.
Then very recently, pondering over a rare negative but constructive review of one of my fiction pieces, I think I finally got it.
One of the complaints was about some of the language (esp expressive thoughts and perceptions) being o ...more
I'd read and thought about this book for several months, pretty much thinking it was "4 stars" for not having enough examples to get it's ideas about pov across well enough for me to consciously apply them.
Then very recently, pondering over a rare negative but constructive review of one of my fiction pieces, I think I finally got it.
One of the complaints was about some of the language (esp expressive thoughts and perceptions) being o ...more

I’ll tell you how much I like this book:
Someone enters my study with his jolly stride and rosy cheeks, his summer curls bouncing around a friendly face. He asks if he could have a look at THE book.
I look at him and leave my work on the side. I’m knitting a sweater. Without taking my eyes off him I stand up. Slowly. I stand now stone-hearted, my hands are on the sides, ready. The small trembles of my fingers are the only movement of my body. I hold my breath.
Suddenly, with the speed of a crazy co ...more
Someone enters my study with his jolly stride and rosy cheeks, his summer curls bouncing around a friendly face. He asks if he could have a look at THE book.
I look at him and leave my work on the side. I’m knitting a sweater. Without taking my eyes off him I stand up. Slowly. I stand now stone-hearted, my hands are on the sides, ready. The small trembles of my fingers are the only movement of my body. I hold my breath.
Suddenly, with the speed of a crazy co ...more

This book is a lot like other self-help books and articles in which authors make a distinction between traditional third-person point of view and “deep” third-person point of view. I think the latter term is a lazy way of simplifying the variations in thought representation that occur in third-person point of view, which determine whether it is traditional third person or deep third person. Instead of discussing narrative distance, it’s more revealing to discuss how a narrator’s closeness and di
...more

This book was kind of hit or miss. Lots of the chapters seemed pretty self-explanatory, and I found the lack of voice made the book uninteresting. Also, as a small point, it frustrated me that Rasley would randomly choose genders to describe the generic "reader" and the generic "character." She ping-ponged between using she/he for both of them. Pick one and stick with it!
That being said, some of the exercises seem really interesting. Honestly, they might be the best part of the book. Some of the ...more
That being said, some of the exercises seem really interesting. Honestly, they might be the best part of the book. Some of the ...more

Excellent tips on improving POV characters. It's interesting to read, considering POV. This is a great resource to keep on the shelf to improve any aspect of Point of View, filled with tips and examples, it's a tool both seasoned and new writers would appreciate.
...more

One Person’s Point of View.
Rasley, Alicia. (2008). The Power of Point of View. Cincinnati, OH: Writer’s Digest Books.
When people hear or read a story, they want to know two things: What happens? And they want to know, Who is telling the story? That second question concerns point of view. If somebody is telling you a tale, whether around a campfire or over a cup of tea, it is important to know who this stoyteller is, what their attitudes are, and how they came to know of the events reported. In a ...more
Rasley, Alicia. (2008). The Power of Point of View. Cincinnati, OH: Writer’s Digest Books.
When people hear or read a story, they want to know two things: What happens? And they want to know, Who is telling the story? That second question concerns point of view. If somebody is telling you a tale, whether around a campfire or over a cup of tea, it is important to know who this stoyteller is, what their attitudes are, and how they came to know of the events reported. In a ...more

This is the second time I've read this, and I think it's the best book available on viewpoint for writers. Rasley parses POV in a way I've never seen before. For example, she divides omniscient narration into three categories: objective, classical omniscient, and contemporary omniscient—all of which are different from distant third. Interesting. I don't always agree with her, especially in her application of voice and viewpoint to children's books. [Though I love the Narnia chronicles, I most em
...more

This is probably the best book on the craft that I've read so far. It takes one subject, POV, and tells you everything you need to know about it. It shows what POV is, and what kinds of POV there are. It shows, for every kind of POV, what the advantages and disadvantages are of using that kind of POV, the dangers of using that kind of POV and gives several tips for writing in that kind of POV. All this is done in a very clear way with many great examples.
Most of all, this book makes clear that ...more
Most of all, this book makes clear that ...more

This book was recommended to me by a group member when I posted a thread on multiple points of view and I'm glad I took up his suggestion. Well-written and comprehensive, "The Power of Point of View" covers the basics right through to the intricacies of "voice". As I'm currently writing a novel from a multiple of view, I found the last section "The Master Class" invaluable. I highly recommend it to all writers as it goes to show that the more you know the more there is to learn.
...more

Every Character Has a VoicePoint of view isn't just an element of storytelling�when chosen carefully and employed consistently in a work of fiction, it is the foundation of a captivating story.
It's the character voice you can hear as clearly as your own. It's the unique worldview that intrigues readers�persuading them to empathize with your characters and invest in their t...more ...more
It's the character voice you can hear as clearly as your own. It's the unique worldview that intrigues readers�persuading them to empathize with your characters and invest in their t...more ...more

I was so excited to read a book by someone who is more geeky about point of view than I am, because most writing guides don't cover the topic in nearly enough depth. Rasley analyzes each possible narrative perspective and discusses when it might be appropriate for a story. Highly recommended if that sounds exciting to you, too.
...more

This is an excellent book. I'm a fiction editor, working mainly with self-publishing authors, and I ALWAYS recommend this book to clients. It's extremely comprehensive, but doesn't fall into the trap of being dry or dull. If you're interested in writing fiction, I'd strongly recommend reading this book first. Even if you are an experienced writer, I bet you will learn something from it!
...more

If you write fiction or just love to read it well, a must-have book. Buy it, re-read it, take a master's class in the art and mystery of point of view. Brilliant.
...more

I got this as a half-assed gift and didn't have the highest expectations, but it was decent for what it does.
...more
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