WEBINAR | Getting Past “I”: The Challenge of Writing in First-Person POV
September 30 @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT
Writing a compelling first-person narrator in your novel or memoir is far more challenging than it seems. Learn to recognize and avoid the pitfalls of your Point of View.
For All Genres
Included in the Season Pass
Writing in first-person seems easy at first. After all, how hard can it be to get inside just one character’s head and stay there? But from a craft perspective, writing in first-person is a potential minefield. Building an interesting and dynamic world full of believable characters can be a craft challenge when the reader only sees that world through one set of eyes.
Common first-person pitfalls involve an over-reliance on telling rather than showing; not using inner dialogue strategically to build conflict and tension; and accidentally switching out of first-person, which can confuse the reader.
Yet the first-person perspective is an exciting opportunity to explore your protagonist’s deepest secrets—whether a fictional character or from your own perspective—and drives and develops a sympathetic bond with the reader as they get to know your character from the inside.
In this webinar, we’ll examine what can go wrong and explore great examples of first-person done well.
In this webinar, you will:
- DETERMINE the right Point of View for your story and genre
- LEARN HOW first-person works differently from other POVs
- ANALYZE examples of first-person pitfalls
- IDENTIFY hallmarks of great first-person POV writing
- EXPLORE practical techniques to vary your writing style within a single narrator
This webinar is ideal for beginning and intermediate writers…
- writing a novel, memoir, or personal essay in first person who want to strengthen their craft
- worried their narrator sounds flat, limited, or overly self-focused
- struggling with showing rather than telling from a single perspective
- who want to build a rich, believable world through one character’s eyes
- unsure whether first-person is the right POV choice for their story
- who find themselves accidentally slipping out of first person mid-scene
- who need models of first-person done exceptionally well
Closed captioning is available. ✔
All registrants receive the recording. ✔
ABOUT YOUR PRESENTER
Amy L. Bernstein shares her passion for writing craft and her deep knowledge in info-packed presentations with clear examples and plenty of time for Q&A!
Amy writes award-winning fiction and nonfiction that lets readers feel while making them think. As the author of six novels, including Tent City, and a book of inspiration for creatives called Wrangling the Doubt Monster, Amy brings a compassionate and insightful voice to writers’ conferences around the country. A former journalist, Amy also works as a book coach, helping nonfiction authors craft compelling book proposals. She welcomes followers to her weekly Substack, Doubt Monster, which explores the agony and ecstasy of creativity.
REFUNDS (less a $10 processing fee) ARE AVAILABLE before the replay is sent out. For a refund, EMAIL us at info@WritingCraft.com. Canceling your Zoom invite will not initiate this process.
There are no refunds after the replay is sent.
Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com
