Point of View Masterclass with Erin Wilcox

No aspect of the craft of writing fuses with "story" as completely as point of view. Ideally, a story's perspective lends it focus and dimension. New writers often lose sight of this goal as they find themselves adrift in a sea of possibilities. Practiced storytellers use their knowledge about point of view to locate weak points in their drafts and strengthen their prose — or revisit aspects of character, setting, and theme that need work.

This workshop delves into the elements of point of view, with a close look at how to wield narrative distance for different effects. We'll look at draft samples and how they evolved on the way to publication. We'll talk about point of view slips as a craft problem and as a symptom of deeper story problems. We'll explore with in-class writing exercises  (sharing of in-class work is optional). The conversation will focus mostly on fiction and memoir, with some references to point of view in essay craft.

Details

Skill level: All are welcome, but this deep-dive workshop targets intermediate and advanced writers.

Materials

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Instructors or Guides