Understanding Deep POV

Have you ever heard the following phrases from your crit partners, “Your novel is great, but it lacks deep POV” or “What you need to do is read some novels which utilize deep POV, as it will expand your writing ability?" I know I certainly have.

Is there a way to fix this? A way to make the move that lands our novels from the slush pile onto the bestseller lists? Utilizing deep POV gives our novels a better chance of succeeding in this tight publishing market. It also brings readers into a deeper experience with our characters. Writing deep POV is what distinguishes the above average writers from their counterparts.

So what exactly is deep POV? Deep POV is third person told in an intimate way. Rather than telling readers it uses descriptive language and thought processes to show them. The best novels are those where we connect with the characters, right? Deep POV helps us do just that. So to sum it up in one sentence: Deep POV is showing the reader the character’s emotions instead of telling them. The following examples will demonstrate.

Instead of:Amelia was angry, yet she tried not to show it.
Say:Amelia bit her lip, sucking in a deep breath, while fighting the urge to spew forth angry words.

See how the second example gives a better picture of what is going on inside the character’s head?

Another tip is to take out words such as, felt, saw, watched, thought, and knew. I confess I tend to use a ton of these words while writing the first draft of my novels, and then taking them out during the editing phase. Let’s look at another example:

How dare he, Susan thought? She knew Jack Kincaid was the worst cad she’d ever met and it would be a struggle not to tell him.

Pretty bad huh? Now let’s try and fix it:
How dare he? Susan splayed her hand against her bodice, trying to calm her pounding heart. Jack Kincaid was the worst cad she’d ever met. She gritted her teeth. The only thing better than telling him would be slapping him silly.

In the above example we not only get deeper inside Susan’s head but we also learn something new about her personality. This helps us to connect with her, which is what every author wants. We want readers to connect with characters, which better enhances the emotional experience of a good novel.

Novels That Show Deep POV Writing
Here are some novels which I’ve found utilize deep POV extremely well. These are only a sampling and I’m sure there are many more, but I’ve used several of these novels as “manuals” for good deep POV writing. Descriptions of the novels below can be found on Amazon.com.

Heiress – Susan May Warren
A Heart Revealed – Julie Lessman
Fairer Than Morning - Rosslyn Elliot
Abigail – Jill Eileen Smith
The Doctor’s Lady – Jody Hedlund
The Falcon and the Sparrow – M. L. Tyndall

This list is by no means definitive, but I’ve found these authors’ techniques to be extremely helpful when writing my own deep POV.

Lastly
Remember, deep POV is showing the character’s emotion instead of telling it. It’s bringing readers deeper into the lives and hearts of our characters thus giving us the ability to better touch hearts and lives with our novels.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS NOVEL GIVEAWAY

I’m extending my Countdown to Christmas one more week to offer one blessed reader a special book. This week I am giving away an autographed copy of “The Doctor’s Lady” by Jody Hedlund, one of the novels mentioned above. A great novel by an author who does deep POV extremely well. Reading this will give you a mini hands on course in writing deep POV.

Get your comments (and don't forget to leave your email) in by Friday, December 23^rd and I will pick a winner. Have fun!

This is also the last time I will be posting until after the New Year. I’m taking next Monday off as a holiday hiatus, but look forward to seeing you all back the following week to kick of the year 2012!!

A very merry and blessed Christmas and New Years to you all!
-Amanda