Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Dynamic Characters and Effective Viewpoints
by Nancy Kress
There is some really good info and material in this book, but she really misses the mark on third person point of view. For the record? It is NOT good to put "authorial exposition" in, not even if you (heaven help us) put it in a paragraph of its own. Sigh.
"Author intrusion" is never good in third person, and it's lazy writing. Don't do it. Find a better way to give us that exposition -- like, as part of the story? Okay? (shaking head in dismay) (See page 188.)
And while I'm on the subject, on page 189? the only thing that isn't (or couldn't be) in Hartmann's point of view is the label, "a voluptuary," which is totally unnecessary when followed by a lovely passage that clearly IS (or COULD be) in his point of view, because it is his voluptuous view of what he is experiencing at that moment.
Gads.
Fiction is Folks: How to Create Unforgettable Characters
by Robert Newton Peck
OUT OF PRINT -- But this is a terrific book. Written with a fun, vibrant tone, easy to read, strong material. Get it from the library, through the Interlibrary Loan, if necessary. It's also available secondhand at a reasonable price if you follow that link.
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