Since starting to write over a decade ago, I’ve matured a lot as a writer. Not only have I learned a lot about craft and publishing (thanks, in huge part, to Writers in the Storm!), I’ve become more certain of who I am as a writer. And more willing to stand up for myself where it matters.
Younger Writer Me didn’t know as much about what mattered, and I wish I could go back and give her some advice—saving her time, frustration, and stagnation. Because, while you should sponge up all the great writing insights and wisdom available out there, there are three aspects you should never let someone mess with. They are core to your writer self, and you should remain true to them.
What are those three aspects?
Your Voice
What’s your unique voice? Writing coach Michelle Barker noted that:
We each have a voice that we write in, and it’s as individual as a fingerprint. A novel by Margaret Atwood will sound different than one by Stephen King, and while this might be related to both genre and characters, there’s an ineffable quality to each author’s voice that seeps into their work regardless of how hard they might try to keep it out.
A lot of what readers connect to is an author’s voice.
But too often, a well-meaning writing coach, editor, or critique partner suggests changing so much of your prose that, if accepted, a book would lose your voice.
Years ago, I attended a workshop by a marvelous presenter who taught me so much, but thankfully, a colleague pulled me aside at some point and said, “Great stuff here, but don’t let them mess with your voice.” (Although, to be fair, she didn’t say “mess” but rather a word that begins with f.)
I have long felt grateful for that fellow writer letting me know that it was more than okay to protect my unique author voice. I could say no at times to suggestions made by this person, who knew far more than I did about writing, because at the end of the day—I knew me.
For your writing to stand out, you have to protect your author voice. What makes your writing identifiably yours? Make sure you honor that uniqueness, for yourself and for your readers.
Your Process
How do you write books? Some people believe you should write every day, while others believe you should write when inspiration strikes. Some believe you must plot, while others suggest you write “by the seat of your pants” (plotter vs. pantser). Some tell you to vomit your first draft onto the page, while others champion editing as you go.
Meanwhile, one of the best books about writing I ever read was Process: The Writing Lives of Great Authors by Sarah Stodola. Why? Because this journalist looked at how various successful authors wrote, and it turns out that there’s no one way to write a book.
The right process is whatever works for you.
After signing with my dream agent, we were unable to sell my first book to publishers. I pitched another idea, a cozy mystery, and my agent suggested that I send her a scene-by-scene synopsis. I was resistant—because that’s not how I wrote—but after some coaxing, I decided to give it a try. The result was a great outline for a cozy mystery … and zero desire to write the book. For me, the joy of writing included discovery as I wrote!
I’m not blaming the agent. She had good intentions and wanted to make sure I could write a great book that she could sell. But I let her mess with my writing process and, in the end, lost more than a year of progress on that book.
By all means, try out different ways of writing, but once you figure out your process, stick to it. If you know what works for you, own it and protect it.
A thematic statement is what your book is about. Every book is about something. Every writer, whether they initially realize it or not, is making a point. A great way to get at theme is by asking yourself, "What’s the point?”
Theme can change from book to book, but more likely, you have a main point that threads through all or most of your books. Examples of major themes include:
Love conquers all.
You’re stronger than you think.
Everyone is redeemable.
Family is the people you choose.
You always have a choice.
You must fight for what you get.
In my case, I nearly signed with a publisher to put out my first YA contemporary novel, Sharing Hunter, but after some back and forth, I realized they saw the theme differently from how I saw it. To me, the message was about the importance of friendship and standing up for yourself, while the publisher wanted love-conquers-all to be the focus.
I walked away because I wouldn’t compromise on my theme, and I’ve never had any regrets. While someone else might believe fully in that theme, it wasn’t what I wanted to get across.
Ask yourself what the point of your book or books is? What message do you want readers to glean from what you write? And don’t depart from that goal!
Final Thought
If I thought long and hard, I might be able to come up with a fourth and fifth aspect you shouldn’t let someone mess with. But these three have long stood out to me.
Figure out who you are as an author regarding your:
Voice
Process
Theme
And then hold to that. So much else is negotiable, but if you surrender any of those, you’ll likely be unhappy with the result.
Which aspect speaks strongest to you? And is there another aspect of one’s writing self you would add to my list?
About Julie
Julie Glover is an award-winning author of young adult and mystery fiction. Her contemporary YA includes Sharing Hunter, Daring Charlotte, and coming-soon, Pairing Anton, and she has written several YA paranormal stories. She has also co-authored five supernatural suspense novels and two short stories in the mythology-based Muse Island series under her pen name Jules Lynn.
Julie holds a master’s degree in counseling, has taught conference workshops and online courses, and serves as sidekick and sometimes-host for Cruising Writers, an incomparable writers’ retreat at sea. A native of Texas, she now lives in Denton with her hottie husband, her loquacious cat, and her large collection of cowgirl boots.
Top image by RgStudio & Getty Signature Images through Canva Pro
Ideally, the experience of reading both fiction and nonfiction is transformative. Readers pick up a book for that transformation, even if it is only to learn a new skill or to be entertained while the piece is being read. But how do the writer’s choices while developing, writing, and editing the book create that experience?
While every choice an author makes influences the reader, it is the choice of a particular point of view (POV) that provides the foundation for it all. Arguably, it is the most important decision the writer must make.
This first in a series of two posts will discuss the meaning of “point of view,” ways to express POV, how POV influences which pronouns to use, and how POV changes what the reader knows.
What is Point of View?
Discussions of POV are often confusing and sometimes contentious because the term has multiple connotations and are different for different media. For this article, we’ll stick to book writing.
Writers sometimes use POV to identify the main character. “Your POV character is (fill in the blank).” Most of the time, the main character is the point of view character, but not always.
Some people use point of view and perspective interchangeably. But the two terms are different.
2 a.The interrelation in which a subject or its parts are mentally viewed.
b. The capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance.
3 a. The appearance to the eye of objects in respect to their relative distance and positions.
4 a.The technique or process of representing on a plane or curved surface the spatial relation of objects as they might appear to the eye.
b. A picture in perspective.
Point of View
is a position, or perspective, from which something is considered or evaluated.
Many people over simplify the definition of the point of view to mean the pronouns in the narrative referencing the main character of that scene.
In this article, point of view means the position which experiences or evaluates all events, places, things, and people in a story. More than pronouns, “point of view” includes attitudes, education, interpretations, word choices, and much more. It is the hidden architecture, the underpinnings if you will, of your story.
The Foundation
Point of view isn’t just deciding what pronouns to use. It is nearly invisible to the reader, yet it provides the foundation for everything else in your story, from story structure to word choices. Your choice of POV will strengthen or weaken your story.
In broad terms, there are five choices for expressing “point of view” in any story. Those five ways are: First Person, Second Person, Close Third Person, Limited Third Person, Omniscient, and Objective. Each of these serve specific purposes and deeply influences every writing decision. Consider how the following scene plays using each of the ways to express the point of view. In Charlotte’s Web, the author uses an objective point of view. (Many apologies to E. B. White for the imperfect liberties taken with the opening lines of Charlotte’s Web.)
The difficulty for the author lies in how closely related these five different points of view are. Accidentally slipping in and out of the point of view is easy to do, even with only a single word.
First Person
The reader assumes the character’s identity through the use of the pronouns I and me. This view point shapes everything that “I” sees, thinks, and feels. She can see her feet, but she cannot see her own face unless she looks in a mirror (cliché alert).
Example
“Where’s Papa going with that axe?” said I to my mother as we were setting the table for breakfast.
“Out to the hoghouse,” replied Mother. “Some pigs were born last night.”
“I don’t see why he needs an ax.” I was only eight and didn’t understand.
“Well,” said mother, “one of the pigs is a runt. It’s very small and it will never amount to anything. So your father has decided to do away with it.”
“Do away with it?” I shrieked. My heart beat wildly in my chest. “You mean kill it Just because it’s smaller than the others?”
Mother put a pitcher of cream on the table. “Don’t yell, Fern!” She said. “Your father is right. The pig would probably die anyway.”
I pushed a chair out of the way and ran outdoors.
Second Person
Second Person viewpoint uses the pronoun you. This assumes the _reader_ is the character and addresses the reader directly. Second person POV shapes everything that “you” sees, thinks, and feels.
Example
“Where’s Papa going with that axe?” You said to your mother as the two of you were setting the table for breakfast.
“Out to the hoghouse,” replied your mother. “Some pigs were born last night.”
“I don’t see why he needs an ax.” You, being only eight, didn’t understand.
“Well,” said your mother, “one of the pigs is a runt. It’s very small and it will never amount to anything. So your father has decided to do away with it.”
“Do away with it?” You shriek. Your heart beats wildly in your chest. “You mean kill it Just because it’s smaller than the others?”
Mother put a pitcher of cream on the table. “Don’t yell, Fern!” she said. “Your father is right. The pig would probably die anyway.”
You push a chair out of the way and run outdoors. (5/21/25 corrected ran to run.)
Close Third Person
In this viewpoint, the reader is in the mind and body of the character whose scene this is and only knows what this character sees, thinks, and feels.
Example
Through the window, eight-year-old Fern saw her father stride purposefully across the yard in the morning light. “Where’s Papa going with that axe?” said Fern to her mother as she helped set the table for breakfast.
“Out to the hoghouse,” replied Mother. “Some pigs were born last night.”
“I don’t see why he needs an ax,” continued Fern. In all her eight years, she had never seen Papa carry an axe to the hoghouse.
“Well,” said Mother, “one of the pigs is a runt. It’s very small and it will never amount to anything. So your father has decided to do away with it.”
“Do away with it?” shrieked Fern. Her chest ached and her throat tightened. “You mean kill it. Just because it’s smaller than the others?”
Mother put a pitcher of cream on the table. “Don’t yell, Fern!” she said. “Your father is right. The pig would probably die anyway.”
Fern pushed a chair out of the way and ran outdoors.
Limited Third Person
At first glance, this appears to be the close third person point of view. However, in the limited point of view, the reader doesn’t know everything that the character knows and often isn’t in the character's body.
Example
“Where’s Papa going with that axe?” said Fern to her mother as she helped set the table for breakfast.
“Out to the hoghouse,” replied Mother. “Some pigs were born last night.”
“I don’t see why he needs an ax,” continued Fern. In all her eight years, she had never seen Papa carry an axe to the hoghouse.
“Well,” said Mother, “one of the pigs is a runt. It’s very small and it will never amount to anything. So your father has decided to do away with it.”
“Do away with it?” shrieked Fern. “You mean kill it? Just because it’s smaller than the others?”
Mother put a pitcher of cream on the table. “Don’t yell, Fern!” she said. “Your father is right. The pig would probably die anyway.”
Fern couldn’t let that happen. She pushed a chair out of the way and ran outdoors.
Omniscient
This is the god-like view. From this viewpoint, the reader sees the scene from above with a little knowledge about every character in that scene. The trick to this view is to treat every character the same way. If the author applies it to random characters or in random scenes, it’s called head-hopping.
Example
Eight-year-old Fern peered through the kitchen window. Her curious eyes followed her father’s figure, striding purposefully across the yard in the morning light. Her small hands put the plate on the breakfast table where her mother had arranged the silverware. “Where’s Papa going with that axe?”
“Out to the hoghouse,” replied Mrs. Arable, carefully answering her daughter’s question without saying too much. “Some pigs were born last night.”
Concern flickered across Fern’s face. “I don’t see why he needs an ax.”
“Well,” said Mrs. Arable, calculating in her mind how to explain the harsh realities of farm life to her eight-year-old daughter who had a tender heart, “one of the pigs is a runt. It’s very small and it will never amount to anything. So your father has decided to do away with it.”
“Do away with it?” shrieked Fern. She couldn’t stand it. “You mean kill it? Just because it’s smaller than the others?”
Mrs. Arable put a pitcher of cream on the table. “Don’t yell, Fern!” she said, regretting she'd said anything. “Your father is right. The pig would probably die anyway.”
Fern couldn’t let that happen. She pushed a chair out of the way and ran outdoors.
Objective
This is the camera view. This can appear similar to the limited third person point of view except that it is not just one character. The reader knows nothing more than what the camera sees. Instead of conveying emotions as internal feelings, the only visible or audible expressions of emotions or motivations appear on the page.
Example
“Where’s Papa going with that axe?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.
“Out to the hoghouse,” replied Mrs. Arable. “Some pigs were born last night.”
“I don’t see why he needs an ax,” continued Fern.
“Well,” said her mother, “one of the pigs is a runt. It’s very small and it will never amount to anything. So your father has decided to do away with it.”
“Do away with it?” shrieked Fern. “You mean kill it? Just because it’s smaller than the others?”
Mrs. Arable. put a pitcher of cream on the table. “Don’t yell, Fern!” she said. “Your father is right. The pig would probably die anyway.”
Fern pushed a chair out of the way and ran outdoors.
E. B. White, Charlotte’s Web(Original text)
A Note of Clarification
The author can create stories told by two or more characters within the story in any of these kinds of POV. The Help by Kathryn Stockett, An American Marriage by Tayari Jones, and The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger are each told with more than one narrator but all use the First Person POV. Some authors who use multiple narrators also use a mix of two or more kinds of POV. Veniss Underground by Jeff Vandermeer uses first, second, and third person narration. Louis L’Amour’s Galloway is the story of two brothers. One brother’s written in first person and the other is in third person.
A Balance of Power
Many authors say a character came to them and they had to tell that character’s story. Other authors start from a situation or a place or a theme. Often, what happens in the moment they decide ‘this is the story I want to write,’ they’ve made a subconscious choice. They’ve chosen a point of view. Why? Because the point of view determines how much information (factual and emotional) the reader will know at any point in the story.
For these examples, I’m going to pick on Charlotte and Mr. White again.
First Person
I was upstairs changing my sneakers when I heard the back door swing open and closed. It must be Father back from the hoghouse. Breakfast would be ready soon. I couldn’t hear Mother setting the table anymore, and the smells of coffee, bacon, and wood smoke drifted up to my room.
Second Person
You are upstairs changing my sneakers when you hear the back door swing open and closed. It must be Father, you decide. He’s back from the hoghouse. Breakfast will be ready soon. You can’t hear Mother setting the table anymore and the smells of coffee, bacon, and wood smoke fill your room.
Close Third Person
Fern was upstairs changing her sneakers when she heard the back door swing open and closed. It must be Father back from the hoghouse. She couldn’t hear Mother setting the table anymore, and the smells of coffee, bacon, and wood smoke drifted up to her room. Breakfast will be ready soon.
Limited Third Person
Fern was upstairs changing her sneakers when the back door squeaked, a sure sign it had opened, followed by the bang of it closing again. She guessed Father was back from the hoghouse. She couldn’t hear Mother setting the table anymore, and the smells of coffee, bacon, and wood smoke drifted up to her room. Breakfast will be ready soon.
Omniscient
“When Mr. Arable returned to the house half an hour later, he carried the piglet in a carton under his arm, already regretting his decision to spare the thing. Fern was upstairs changing her sneakers, feeling a little proud of herself for convincing father to spare the little pig but also a little worried about what Father had meant. The kitchen table was set for breakfast, and the room smelled of coffee, bacon, damp plaster, and wood smoke from the stove.”
Objective
“When Mr. Arable returned to the house half an hour later, he carried a carton under his arm. Fern was upstairs changing her sneakers. The kitchen table was set for breakfast, and the room smelled of coffee, bacon, damp plaster, and wood smoke from the stove.” E. B. White, Charlotte’s Web(Original text)
POV, More than Pronouns
An author makes thousands of decisions during the process of writing a fiction or nonfiction work. Point of view is one of the basic, foundational decisions and it heavily influences every word in that work. An instinctive choice of POV can work well, but it can also lead to an ineffective piece of writing or a frustrated author who must completely re-write her work.
There are strengths and limitations to each of type of POV and not all types suit every story. Next month, the last installment of this series, will list those strengths and limitations, as well as give you guidelines to help you decide what to use or avoid for your story. Learning how and when to use the various points of view is a skill that will help engage your readers.
Which POV are you using in your current WIP? Why did you make that choice?
About Lynette
Lynette M. Burrows is an author, blogger, writing coach, and Yorkie wrangler. She survived moving seventeen times between kindergarten and her high school graduation. Her stories weave her experiences into speculative fiction stories that balance character growth with thrilling action and social themes.
Her Fellowship Dystopia series is an alternate history dystopian tale of a young woman of privilege who faces losing control of her life. Her desperation to avoid her fate leads to an escape and learning her world is far darker and more dangerous than she knew. And she faces a choice: return to suffocate under the rules or fight for her country and her life. Book One, My Soul to Keep, and Book Two, If I Should Die, are available at your favorite online book seller. Book Three, And When I Wake, will be published in 2025.
When Lynette’s not writing she avoids housework and plays with her two yorkies. They live in Dorothy’s home state of Kansas. You can follow Lynette on her website or her Facebook page or Sign up for her newsletter.
Let’s be real: the phrase “email marketing” can make a lot of us twitchy.
We’re writers, not brand strategists. We know how to build rich, emotional worlds—but a newsletter subject line that converts? Ugh. That sounds like a corporate memo, not a love letter to our readers.
But here’s the thing: connecting with your readers isn’t about marketing. It’s about play. It’s about building that same sense of delight, curiosity, and “what’s next?” that keeps someone turning pages at 2 a.m.
Want proof? Let’s talk numbers.
In the entertainment world (yes, that includes us!), the average email open rate hovers around 40%. That’s fantastic. It tells us readers want to hear from creators. But what they don’t want? A sterile sales pitch.
Side note: when we talk “open rate” we aren’t talking about the actual email content, but we’re only evaluating three things: subject line, snippet, and our name recognition. The connections and expectations that we’ve built with our fans are an important part.
One author I know—who typically gets great engagement—once sent out a short email that simply announced a release date. No story. No spark. Just the facts.
Her open rate dropped to 15%.
It wasn’t a failure. It was a signal. A reminder that readers aren’t just waiting for updates—they’re looking for a connection. A release date is helpful, sure. But without a sense of story or delight, it can feel like inbox noise.
On the flip side, I have a client with a tiny but mighty list. She sends newsletters that read more like story snippets than marketing—playful, reader-centered, full of voice—and her open rate? A jaw-dropping 70%. Her readers want to support her creative career, because she’s made them feel like part of it.
Another client, with a much larger list, consistently hits 50% open rates. Her secret? She shows up with personality, with behind-the-scenes peeks, and sometimes just a moment of real-life chaos. Her newsletters aren’t about her books—they’re about connection.
And yes, they almost always include links to buy books. This isn’t about not selling, but about connecting with readers deeply before selling.
What Makes Readers Actually Open Your Emails?
Here’s what we’ve learned from the inbox trenches:
Be Personal—Not just “use their name,” but actually sound like yourself. Write like you’re talking to a reader who adores your weird little universe.
Offer Value—Give them something to smile about, think about, or save for later. A deleted scene, a writing blooper, a book recommendation—anything that adds to their day.
Invite Curiosity—Tease, don’t dump. Keep them wondering what’s around the corner.
Be Consistent—A familiar voice gets opened. You don’t need to be weekly—just dependable. Like a favorite author showing up with a new chapter.
And About Those Numbers…
Open rates can be wildly helpful—and also completely misleading.
Many readers use email privacy tools and tracking blockers, especially with Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection. That means your open rate might be under-reported… or over-reported. Either way, it’s not the whole story. Click-throughs, comments, and replies tell you more. Actual connection tells you everything.
Readers are Friends not Food Sales
Your readers aren’t waiting to be “converted.” They’re waiting to be invited in.
The moment you stop pitching and start playing, something magical happens: they look forward to your emails. They open, they click, they reply, they care.
And isn’t that what we all want as writers?
What would your readers most like to receive from you?
About Lisa
Lisa Norman's passion has been writing since she could hold a pencil. While that is a cliché, she is unique in that her first novel was written on gum wrappers. As a young woman, she learned to program and discovered she has a talent for helping people and computers learn to work together and play nice. When she's not playing with her daughter, writing, or designing for the web, she can be found wandering the local beaches.
