Intimate Storytelling – Part I Character Viewpoint

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Hi from Gail Gaymer Martin at www.gailmartin.com One of an authors goals is to have our characters connect with our readers. They begin to care about them and to relate to their joys and sorrows. They don't want to put down the book because it's like saying good bye to a good friend.  As writers, then, we try to use writing techniques that connect in an intimate way with our readers and this can happen by our storytelling style.  One thing that first person offers that third doesn’t is an intimacy between the POV character and the reader. In first person,…

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Craft of Nonfiction Storytelling

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Jan here, writing about nonfiction writing craft on this fine Friday in January of the new decade. Let’s talk about the craft of storytelling in nonfiction. Fiction writers naturally spend much focused time developing the craft of story. Nonfiction writers quickly discover this is essential for their writing as well. It is very possible that a section of story excerpted from its larger context could be told so well that a hearer or reader would need to guess if it’s nonfiction or fiction. Is it a true account told by a storyteller who has skillfully woven the facts through a creative use of…

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POV, the Psalmist, and the Writer

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Jan here, writing as 2009 is drawing to a close about a recent prodding I received through another look at Psalm 23. As writers we seek to factor in the best point of view (POV) for the piece we are writing. We make intentional choices or shifts to bring out nuances of meaning or story direction. The topics and characters are important, as are the readers we bring along with us through our story or narrative. The power of POV came through recently as I was rereading Psalm 23.

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