Defining Deep POV
First, let's establish a few quick definitions just to make sure that everyone is on the same page.
When we talk about the point of view or POV Character, that is the character that the author uses to tell the story.
Generally stories are told in either first-person POV, meaning the author uses words such as “I” or “We” or third-person POV which meaning the author uses the character’s name and pronouns such as “He” “She” or “They”
There is a second-person POV, which is not used very often in fiction but has slowly been gaining popularity. In second-person POV, the author addresses the reader directly, usually using the word “You.” That is a very specialized style of writing that we won’t be getting into this in this class.
What is Deep Point-of-view? Deep POV (sometimes called “close third POV” or “limited third POV") refers to the narrative distance between the reader and the character. When editors and writing coaches refer to deep POV, we are talking about the reader experiencing the story through the character rather than being told the story by the character.
In some cases, it's clear the reader is being told the story by a narrator who isn’t directly involved in the story at all. That would be considered a distant POV. That is more common in genres such as literary fiction, some fantasy, and some styles of mysteries/thrillers.
Genres such as romance, suspense, and horror use deep POV frequently to drawn the reader in and hold very them close to the characters for a more intense experience.
Basically, deep POV is slipping into the character’s mind as an observer, holding up their lens and checking out their view on the world.
