Deep Point of View

Busy Writer's Guides #9

by Marcy Kennedy

Do you want readers to be so caught up in your book that they forget they’re reading?

Then you need deep POV.

Deep POV takes the reader and places them inside of our characters—hearing their thoughts, feeling their emotions, and living the story through them. Compared to other writing styles, it builds a stronger emotional connection between the reader and our characters, creates the feeling of a faster pace, and helps avoid point-of-view errors and telling rather than showing.

In Deep Point of View, writing instructor and fiction editor Marcy Kennedy brings her years of experience into showing you how to write deep POV. You’ll learn specific, practical things you can do immediately to take your fiction to the next level.

Each book in the Busy Writer’s Guide series is intended to give you enough theory so that you can understand why things work and why they don’t, but also enough examples to see how that theory looks in practice. In addition, they provide tips and exercises to help you take it to the pages of your own story, with an editor’s-eye view. Most importantly, they cut the fluff so that you have more time to write and to live your life.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

143 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 10, 2016

About the author

Marcy Kennedy is a science fiction and fantasy author who believes there's always hope. Sometimes you just have to dig a little harder to find it. In a world that can be dark and brutal and unfair, hope is one of our most powerful weapons.

She also writes award-winning mysteries under a pen name, but that's a secret. Shhhh...

Marcy lives in Ontario, Canada, with her former Marine husband, Boxer mix, eight cats (all rescues), and budgie. In her free time, she loves playing board games and going for bike rides.

Reviews

[Theresa Alan]

This is a fast read that is good to review while you’re writing your manuscript and again when you go back over to edit it.

Writing in deep point of view, whether in first or third person, past or present tense, gives your reader the opportunity to experience the character’s world as s/he experiences it. This builds a strong emotional bond between your reader and your character’s story.

I liked the examples Kennedy gave as well as her check list of things to look for when you’re editing your book. This is a great guide for anyone interested in writing strong POVs.

[Hailey Rose]

By far one of the best Deep POV books I've read! So much useful information presented in a digestible way that didn't drag out in the least! I felt like the author was respecting my time by only providing the most important bits of information in the easiest, most readable way possible. I'll definitely be investing in more of her books!

[Rachel]

After many revisions of my novel, I knew I still wasn’t done, but I didn’t know what to work on next. Feedback from a beta reader turned me onto the idea of “deep 3rd POV”, but I needed help figuring out what it was and how to do it.

Deep Point of View by Marcy Kennedy came up on Amazon and had a small number of reviews, but all of them 5-star. After buying and reading the book, I completely understand why. I thought I’d been writing in close 3rd POV before, but this book showed me how much deeper I could get. Chapter by chapter, Kennedy explains all the ways storytelling can create distance between the reader and the characters, and how to remove them so a reader can settle right behind the eyes of the characters in the story. Looking for the specific words and phrases that she lists in the “Take it to the Page” section highlighted (literally) for me exactly where in my story I was creating unnecessary distance. Reading and re-reading the guidelines from the previous chapters on how to maintain Deep POV helped me to re-write my whole novel using far more interesting and emotionally connected details. I’d heard “Show, don’t tell” before, but Kennedy explains what exactly is the difference and how to catch yourself when you slip into the latter.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of how to use POV to write a more immersive reading experience, especially if you’re not looking to switch to a 1st person POV just to achieve it. This book revolutionized the way I think about point of view, “showing” details, and the art of telling the story, and was exactly what I needed to take my revisions to the next level.

[Bonnie Schroeder]

Another of Kennedy’s “Busy Writer’s Guides,” this made me more aware of my own tendency to break the connection between reader and writer. Kennedy gives precise, relevant advice, illustrated by real-life examples to illustrate her points in an easy-to-understand format. A must for any writer who wants to improve their writing.

[Toi Thomas]

I am so happy my book club (The Insecure Writer's Support Group) decided to read this book. I've read other books about Deep POV before but none of them really sold me on the concept that this was a technique to be used all the time or for any book. The author explains in great detail the ways in which Deep POV is best used and lets the reader know that for certain things you can't use Deep POV and that's okay.

I've read other helpful writing books before but this one succeeded in a way most others have let me down. It gives so many relevant examples of what to do and what not to do. The author didn't waste the reader's time explaining concepts not related to the book's topic but formatted the book in a way that allows the reader to visit an appendix to gain more insight if desired. I wish more how-to books were written this way.

I like that the author took the time to confirm or debunk many myths about this method, which I found very helpful. Much of what she discussed is the main reason I haven't worked in this POV more.

I can't wait to read more from this author. Seriously, I just downloaded two more ebooks.

Highly recommended to aspiring writers and published authors at any level seeking to develop new skills or hone their writing.

[Katinka]

This is a book in the Busy Writer’s Guide series that was required reading for a class I am taking. This book holds a lot of very useful and helpful information. It touches lightly on what the different options for point of view look like, and the differences between each of them. As this book is specifically about what a deep point of view is and what it is used for, the other point of view options are not described in great detail within this book. So if you are looking for a book that delves more deeply into each of the point of view options, you would be better off reading Ms. Kennedy's book on Point of View instead. (I have previously posted a review on that book as well.)

Deep Point of View involves experiencing things within the story from one character’s viewpoint, almost as if you were that character. This can sometimes be difficult to appropriately master as there are many pitfalls that a writer can too easily fall into. But when done correctly, it really brings a story to life. This book offers tips and examples throughout to show us what works, what doesn’t, and why. For anyone looking to write using a deep point of view for one or more characters, this is a very good book to read.

I would recommend this book for anyone seeking to write using a deep point of view. It will help you know what to watch out for in order to spot areas where you might have accidentally slipped out of a deep point of view. It covers many issues, such as head hopping, “as you know” problems, transitions between the point of view characters, as well as other issues that may arise. It also offers potential ways to spot such problems and how they can be fixed once found.

The biggest issue I had with this book, is that like the other book in this series that was written by Ms. Kennedy, much of the text appears to have been printed in gray ink rather than black. And that makes it difficult for me to read as it causes me some eye strain. But other than that, I feel it is a book that can be of great help to both fiction writers and editors.

[Scott Azmus]

I thoroughly enjoyed Marcy Kennedy’s Deep Point of View! I have studied a lot of writing books over the years and this is one of the very best! And it is THE best book on POV and correcting deep point of view errors in existence. Terrific links to valuable resources plus a nimble sense of humor plus example after example: talk about show & don’t tell! Fabulous! Buy a copy for yourself. Borrow other writer’s iPads and computers and such and download a copy for them! The planet will thank you! Scott Azmus

[Cathy]

This is a good, solid guide to deep POV. I like the author’s effective organization, and she presents enough examples to help readers understand how her deep POV guidelines impact story in important ways. I ordered five of her books, and I’m looking forward to reading the other four. Only one complaint: I found the chronic spelling of “all right” as “alright” very irritating. “Alright” is nonstandard and in my opinion (and in the opinions of many others in the writing/publishing world) incorrect.

[R. Gene Turchin]

I don't normally recommend books on writing but Marcy Kennedy does a superb job with pragmatic points that are so helpful and insightful as to make this one of the most valuable books for anyone who hopes to become a fiction writer. I will certainly try other books by Marcy.
The examples alone are worth looking at, giving the reader an opportunity to examine what actually differs between something well written and something with simple common mistakes.

[Shari Weise]

An agent recommended I rewrite my book in a deep point of view. I'd never heard of the technique, so I purchased Marcy Kennedy's book. The months it took to re-write the book were worth it in the end. Marcy's book taught me the basic techniques of deep point of view. If I could give 1/2 stars, I would have given the book 4.5 stars. If there were more examples within the book, I would have given the book 5 stars.

[Kirstie]

A thorough and well-explained book. Kennedy breaks down all the facets to help understand and then enhance your Deep POV.
The best part is the 'take it to the page' section where she gives you direct actions to take to put what you've learned int practice.
Based on this boo I would definitely read some of her other writers guides too.

[Subject BGD]

This book was VERY well done. I struggle with reading non-fiction, as it has a tendency to be dry and sleep-inducing. This how-to kept me engaged and had some great examples for how to spot errors and strengthen character POV. It was short enough to not take up too much of my writing time, which is a huge plus. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series!

[Emmett J.]

Quick easy read loaded with good information.

I've been writing in deep pov for a while without knowing the name. Reading the book gave me something to hang my hat on. Also, I learned why I was struggling with aspects of deep pov. Being aware is the first biggest step to correcting those struggles.

[Lisa Swinton]

Ms. Kennedy is very thorough in explanation and examples in this book to help the writer or novelist up their game with drawing the reader into the character's head and experience from their perspective.

She's candid with a touch of humor.

This is a useful book to add to your author tool box to up your game and supply your reader with an elevated experience.

[Shelby Cuaron]

My editor recommended this to me and I consumed it at the start of my post-edit process! It has changed so much about how I think of POV and tell the story through my characters eye.

I highly recommend to any budding writer or experienced author who wants to self-edit before querying or sending off to your paid editor.

[Melissa Fourcade]

This was a quick, easy read, but so interesting and helpful in learning more about Deep POV. I'd never heard of the term Deep POV before, but it really is fascinating to try this style. This book was short, to the point, and gave great examples of the style and explanations to clarify how to best work Deep POV into your writing.

[Henry McLaughlin]

Very helpful for analyzing our writing and strengthening our characters and our stories.
Plenty of examples with clear and concise explanations.
I'll be referring to it a lot during the revising process.

[Daniel Earl]

An excellent practical guide

This was an excellent practical guide to deep point of view. Helpful tools at the end of the Book made this a far more valuable resource than "just another book". I feel like I got more than my money's worth.

[Shea Ballard]

Great book!

I had previously heard of Deep POV, but didn’t really know what that was. Now, I not only know, but feel I could apply it to my own writing. Definitely read this book if you want to learn Deep POV.

[Courtney Kenney]

This book on writing deep POV is a gem

I stumbled upon this book after getting a recommendation from a writer. I’m so glad I did because this is the way I’ve always wanted to write but nobody ever explained it so simply and clearly. Highly recommend!

[Diana Corbitt]

This is a very good book if you just want to review the idea and not get into it super deeply. It's a very fast read. There are some examples, but I wish there were more examples. That said, I learned a few things and the book was a good refresher.

[Jennifer Harbertson]

This book is descriptive and gives examples to really show what is meant by deep point of view. It has helped me to notice the effect of violating deep point of view more as well as giving me grounding to open up my own writing to deep point of view techniques.

[Lisa Rector]

I finally read this book! It’s been on my Kindle for a while. And I’ve been an author for a while, writing deep POV. This is great to brush up on the basics of writing deep POV, with a few tips that I need to do better on. I think authors new to writing deep POV will really benefit from this book.

[Michelle Pickett]

This review was originally posted on Michelle K. Pickett's blog: These Words Tell a Story...

I love writing-craft books. An entire shelf of my bookcase is dedicated to them. There’s only one problem… many writing books repeat information. An author might explain it in a different way, or use different illustrations and examples, but the truth of the matter is: out of every ten writing books I read, only one might have new, relevant information.
 
So, I have this idea for a book. It has been percolating for a while. I have some notes, a crude outline, and even a chapter or two of the manuscript written. But, I just can’t figure out how to present the information in the way I want to without breaking a ton of writing “rules.” And, yes, sometimes it’s okay to break rules… but not all of them—and not in the same book.
 
Enter: Deep Point of View (Busy Writers Guides, book 9) by Marcy Kennedy.
 

I have one word for this book: AWESOME!

 
Deep POV is the answer to my manuscript’s problems. In fact, when I shared my idea and concerns with another writing friend, she suggested I use deep POV. I said, “Yeah, that’s a great idea! Thanks!” But the truth is, I was really wondering how in the world deep POV would help me. I knew what it was, but I had no idea how to use it in my writing.
 

How deep POV can improve an author’s writing…
It creates a stronger emotional connection.
It eliminates unintentional “telling.”
It feels tighter and quicker in pace, even while using more words.
It helps the reader forget they are reading.

 
Deep POV—also known as deep penetration point of view—is the most intimate POV style. The author is nonexistent in this writing style, and the reader experiences the story from within the character’s mind. It’s an awesome way to tell a story… and difficult.
 
Marcy Kennedy’s Busy Writers Guide to Deep POV answered so many of my questions. She gave solid, understandable written answers, followed by easy to follow real-life examples, and exercises.
 
Not only does Kennedy describe and give examples of what Deep POV is, but she outlines the misconceptions of the writing style, which only furthers readers’ understanding of this often misunderstood and misused POV.
 
There’s no way I can adequately give you a summary of all the information Kennedy presents. There’s just too much important information. But, no worries! The Busy Writers Guides are called “busy writers” for a reason… Kennedy understands that authors want to learn new techniques to further their craft, but ultimately we want to WRITE. So she compressed an enormous amount of information, picking out the most important bits, and presented it in 158 pages. But even though the book is short and I read it in one sitting, I’m rereading it. And I’ll probably reread it several times over the course of my writing career—that’s how much information is contained within the pages. More than I could ever read, assimilate, and remember with just one reading.
 

Each book in the Busy Writer’s Guide series is intended to give you enough theory so that you can understand why things work and why they don’t, but also enough examples to see how that theory looks in practice. In addition, they provide tips and exercises to help you take it to the pages of your own story, with an editor’s-eye view. Most importantly, they cut the fluff so that you have more time to write and to live your life.

 
After reading this book by Kennedy, I downloaded all of the Busy Writers Guides. I’ll review them here as I read them.
 

If you’ve ever wondered about Deep POV, this is a must read. Deep Point of View by Marcy Kennedy gets my highest recommendation!

 
 
Don't forget, today is the last day of my Birthday Celebration Book Sale and Giveaway! Don't miss out on the awesome price discounts.

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Read more of my reviews, inlcuding this one, on Michelle K. Pickett's blog: These Words Tell a Story...

[Lisa]

The best book on deep POV that I've read. There's a lot of meat to it. If you're looking for a book on deep POV, this is the one to get. But the author's marketing of her other books was annoying.

[Steven Wilson-beales]

Exceptional, handy guide for would-be writers.

[Jennifer Jenkins]

👍🏻

Marcy’s books clarify large topics in just a few short chapters. It’s worth your while to have them in your library.

[Angela]

Now I just have to practice what I learned.

[Nancie]

Excellent

[George Moore]

This book presents a practical how-to guide to write in deep POV. I highly recommend it.