Author intrusion is
something I saw a bit of in new writers’ manuscripts when I did a lot of
editing.
A
story is usually told through the mind of one or more characters. It’s known as
the story’s point of view (POV). (Also see the article Choosing a Point of View above in The Parts) The reader is only allowed to know what the point of
view character perceives and experiences internally.
Here’s
a correct sentence written through a character’s mind, told in 3rd Person POV:
~
Sara watched with nerves on edge, unsure of what she was seeing.
Now
told using author intrusion:
~
If we look at Sara, we see that she is hesitant about getting involved.
In
the 3rd Person POV, we are in Sara’s mind experiencing hesitation with her.
In
the author intrusion example, the author stopped the story to speak directly to
the reader, telling the reader what Sara experiences, instead of letting the
reader be Sara.
In
the past, many stories were told in this manner. The author seemed to speak
directly to the reader, or as if the writer were addressing a group of people.
This method of storytelling has become passé. Readers want to become their
favorite characters and experience with them and not simply be told by a
narrator.
Author
intrusion is easily avoided if the writer stays in the mind of the point of
view character. The character will not stop the story to speak to the readers.
Mary Deal
Author, Painter, Photographer
Eric Hoffer Book Award Winner
National Indie Excellence Book Awards Finalist (past)
National Indie Excellence Book Awards Finalist (past)
Pushcart Prize Nominee
Global eBook Awards Nominee
Global eBook Awards Nominee
2014 National Indie Excellence Book Awards Finalist
Global eBook Awards Bronze
Global eBook Awards Silver
Blog: http://www.marydeal.com
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Thank you for publishing another of my articles. However, I notice that when I submitted this one, in the 2nd paragraph, I neglected to remove the referral to other articles I've presented in my instructional book of writing. This sentence: (Also see the article Choosing a Point of View above in The Parts) I have to laugh at myself. It's an inadvertent plug for my other articles but it is a faux pas too.
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