Craft of Fiction : Point of View
Discover the right point of view for your story or novel.
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There's a lot more to point of view than first person or third!
One of the most important choices you make when you begin a sort or novel is point of view: Who is telling the story, and from what distance?
Through whose perspective will your story be the most compelling? What limitations and advantages go along with the various points of view?
When you complete this mini course, you will understand the pros and cons of each point of view and how to choose the best point of view for your story or novel.
This point of view mini course includes video and written lectures, writing assignments to help you practice what you've learned and deepen your understanding of the material,and suggestions for further reading. The discussion forums provide a place for you to ask questions, post comments, and engage in a respectful, helpful way with other writers.
About the Mini Course
Mini courses are a great way to explore the fundamental elements of narrative craft, one subject at a time. They are adapted from my comprehensive course, Fundamentals of Fiction. You can take the mini-courses one at a time, or get all eight craft sections when you enroll in Fundamentals of Fiction.
Course Curriculum
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StartThe Four Major Points of View (video) (8:56)
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StartFinding Perspective - An Overview of Point of View
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StartPoint of View In-Depth
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StartHandling Multiple Points of View (video) (18:12)
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StartAssignment 1
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StartAssignment 2
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StartRecommended Reading
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StartDiscussion Point 1
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StartDiscussion Point 2
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StartDiscussion Point 3
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StartBefore you go...
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StartYour Certificate of Completion, and Next Steps
Your Instructor
Michelle Richmond is the New York Times bestselling author of five novels and two award-winning story collections. Her books have been published in 30 languages. She has taught in the Masters of Fine Arts programs in creative writing at the University of San Francisco and California College of the Arts and has served as Distinguished Visiting Writer at St. Mary's College of Moraga, Bowling Green State University, and Notre Dame de Namur University. She has also designed and taught novel writing courses online for Stanford Continuing Studies. She is the founder and publisher of Fiction Attic Press, which discovers and promotes work by new writers.