I think there are valuable lessons here for nonfiction as well, especially with learning how & when to zoom in on detail and when to summarize in order to move forward. There may be different terms for that dynamic when the writing isn’t precisely a narrative. Food for thought.
I suggest that nonfiction writers need this technique even more than fiction writers do. Summarize and condense = far distance to speed through time vs the telling anecdote to zoom in close and make the topic feel real.
As someone who isn't a writer in the sense that I write any fictional pieces, this was interesting to understand from a wanting to express my own thoughts at varying levels and test out these tools in my own self-reflection. Thank you for sharing this.
I really enjoyed this post! I was so well put together. I’ve read about psychic distance in writing as well as the distinction between the author, narrator, and character and how these can directly affect the level of intimacy the story has with the reader. I’d be very curious how this all ties together with your article and your thoughts.
Thanks, Matthew. All these things definitely overlap and interweave. The idea of intimacy is an interesting one. It would be intuitive to say that a close narrative distance increases intimacy between the audience and the characters (especially any POV character). But simultaneously, a detached “far” narrator could reveal more about a character in a few lines than a whole chapter of POV narration. An unreliable narrator has a closer narrative distance, yet maintains emotional obstacles; a “detached” narrator can still provide quite a bit of intimacy. e.g “he enjoyed eating Froot Loops as an adult rebellion against his late mother”
Absolutely, I’ve found a detached sort of birds view perspective can actually help readers place themselves in the characters perspective, or at least I do. What I’ve noticed too is when an author layers his narrative so that there’s a group of people talking about a group of people (a story within a story) can really change the perception of the story.
This is a fantastic article - thanks for sharing! This is making me more aware of the PoV of each scene in a story; what the scene would look like if it was turned into a movie and the different ways (depending on the narrative distance) it could be portrayed. Like camera placement and view (close-up, wide shot, etc.), I can see how using it will affect the "feel" of a scene. Also, like camera placement, I'm thinking there must be some guidelines regarding its use; when to "zoom in/out" and how much, in order to get the most out of a scene (without over/under doing it).
This really helpful post gives me much to think about. I’m trying to apply this to nonfiction writing. Would love your thoughts about that.
I think there are valuable lessons here for nonfiction as well, especially with learning how & when to zoom in on detail and when to summarize in order to move forward. There may be different terms for that dynamic when the writing isn’t precisely a narrative. Food for thought.
I suggest that nonfiction writers need this technique even more than fiction writers do. Summarize and condense = far distance to speed through time vs the telling anecdote to zoom in close and make the topic feel real.
Agree - so applicable across the different mediums
That was an excellent explanation! Thank you for sharing.
Glad you found it helpful!
This is really helpful, perfect for me right now because I'm just about to start editing again! Thanks!
heck yeah glad to hear it
As someone who isn't a writer in the sense that I write any fictional pieces, this was interesting to understand from a wanting to express my own thoughts at varying levels and test out these tools in my own self-reflection. Thank you for sharing this.
I really enjoyed this post! I was so well put together. I’ve read about psychic distance in writing as well as the distinction between the author, narrator, and character and how these can directly affect the level of intimacy the story has with the reader. I’d be very curious how this all ties together with your article and your thoughts.
Thanks, Matthew. All these things definitely overlap and interweave. The idea of intimacy is an interesting one. It would be intuitive to say that a close narrative distance increases intimacy between the audience and the characters (especially any POV character). But simultaneously, a detached “far” narrator could reveal more about a character in a few lines than a whole chapter of POV narration. An unreliable narrator has a closer narrative distance, yet maintains emotional obstacles; a “detached” narrator can still provide quite a bit of intimacy. e.g “he enjoyed eating Froot Loops as an adult rebellion against his late mother”
Absolutely, I’ve found a detached sort of birds view perspective can actually help readers place themselves in the characters perspective, or at least I do. What I’ve noticed too is when an author layers his narrative so that there’s a group of people talking about a group of people (a story within a story) can really change the perception of the story.
So true. As a writer, I completely agree.
This is a fantastic article - thanks for sharing! This is making me more aware of the PoV of each scene in a story; what the scene would look like if it was turned into a movie and the different ways (depending on the narrative distance) it could be portrayed. Like camera placement and view (close-up, wide shot, etc.), I can see how using it will affect the "feel" of a scene. Also, like camera placement, I'm thinking there must be some guidelines regarding its use; when to "zoom in/out" and how much, in order to get the most out of a scene (without over/under doing it).