#135: Mastering Point of View and Voice: Expert Tips From Gabriela Pereira Of DIY MFA

Fiction Writing Made Easy

“You, the writer, have a bigger sphere of knowledge. You know more things than the narrator necessarily knows.” - Gabriela Pereira
In today’s episode, I ask Gabriela Pereira of DIY MFA for her thoughts on some of the most commonly asked questions I get about point of view and voice—and she shares some of her favorite tips and strategies for mastering POV and voice in your writing. Here’s a preview of what’s included:
[1:51] What's Gabriela’s advice for writers trying to choose the "right" point of view for their book?
[05:01] 3 Tips from Gabriela for mastering POV and voice in your writing.
[15:27] Using an omniscient third-person narrator may feel easier than a limited third-person but this isn’t necessarily true. We discuss how to utilize third-party omniscient without feeling dated.
[21:10] We talk about voice and Gabriela shares why she hates when people say "Find your voice".
[38:20] The takeaway from this conversation is the importance of approaching the editing process systematically. For instance, beginning with the big picture before focusing on minor sentence-level adjustments, ultimately leads to a better editing process. It is valuable to also maintain consistency in voice and POV, making sure that the writer's voice shines through for clarity and coherence of the story.
Links mentioned in this episode:

• Gabriela Pereira's Website
• Book: DIY MFA
• Episode #90 How to Choose the Best Point of View for Your Story
• Read this episode's blog post here!

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Luvut

1. Understanding Point of View and Voice (00:00:00)

2. Navigating Point of View Choices (00:04:46)

3. Sustainable Points of View in Writing (00:11:02)

4. Exploring Literary DNA (00:21:49)

5. Navigating Point of View and Revisions (00:31:21)

6. Editing Process for Writers (00:37:19)