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I want you to think about your favorite character from any book you’ve ever read.

Got one in mind?

Now here's my question: What made you love that character?

Think about it for a second. Even if it's been a while since you read that book, there are still things you remember about them.

There are still things that made you go, "This resonated with me."

Maybe it's that they're relatable, or they're a resourceful spitfire, or they overcome obstacles with snarky humor that draws you in. Whatever it is, that author didn't just tell you those things about their character—they showed you. They engaged you. They helped you connect with those qualities on the page.

As you know, thinking about author careers is my job, and I’ve noticed something after editing over 1,000 manuscripts and reading hundreds of books a year in my spare time: the characters readers remember aren’t necessarily the most clever, they aren't necessarily the ones with the most interesting backstory, and they're not always the characters authors think readers will love...

They’re the ones who readers felt they understood.

Here’s what I mean by the “I get you” connection:

It’s when your reader experiences your character’s emotions so clearly that they feel like they’re living inside that character’s skin.

It’s when your character’s anxiety about answering the door makes your reader's heart pound.

It’s when your character’s heartbreak makes your reader tear up on the subway.

It’s when your character’s fury at an injustice makes your reader want to throw the book across the room (in the best possible way) because they're frustrated and furious too.

That’s deep point of view in action.

And here’s the thing that authors misunderstand: no amount of sharing what your character sees, smells or hears (you know, that "use all the senses" thing people like to toss out) is going to create that type of connection.

What does create that type of connection? When you, the author, know your character well, know how they'll react, why they're acting the way they are, and what they're feeling in the moment, and you pass that on to the reader.

Let’s do a quick test with your current manuscript:

Think about your one of your narrative/main character's most emotional scenes. Possibly one where they’re really struggling, or celebrating, or making a huge decision. Maybe it's their inciting incident, that point when everything changes, or maybe it's a bleak moment for them in the book. Find a scene that's emotional, and where the readers should feel the moment.

Now ask yourself these questions:

1. Would a reader know exactly how your character feels in that moment? Are you showing their physical reactions and emotions (clenched fists, gritted teeth, needed to breathe, racing thoughts) rather than just using filter words like “she felt angry” or “he noticed”? Not just “sad” or “angry”—but the specific flavor of that emotion and how it shows up in their body, their thoughts, their reactions? Do the characters thoughts and narrative reflect their feelings and bring the reader into the moment and what's happening in their head and their body?

2. Would a reader understand WHY your character feels that way? Not just because of what happened in that scene, but because of who your character is, what they've experienced, what matters most to them? Are you giving the reader enough context about your character's background and motivations to make their emotional response feel authentic and understandable?

3. Would a reader think “I get you” to your character? Even if it's not an action or way the reader would feel in that moment, the reader should still be able to understand and maybe even empathize with the character. Have you given them enough insight into how the character is experiencing the moment? Have you led them to an understanding of who your character is, what they feel, why they would take that action? Would your reader maybe even have been able to predict this reaction from your character?

If you answered “yes” to all three—congratulations! You’re probably already writing in deep point of view!

If you hesitated on any of them, you’re not alone. Most authors struggle with this, and it’s not because they’re bad writers.

It’s because deep POV is a specific skill that rarely gets taught.

We learned about plot structure and dialogue tags and character arcs.

Those things are just a bit more objectively "easy" to teach (and to learn) because they have a structure and "rules".

But creating that visceral, emotional connection between reader and character? That's just not as easy because it requires more skill, more nuanced understanding of your characters AND your writing, and because there's no "plug and play" directions that come with writing deep point of view.

Deep point of view is something worth learning, knowing and growing your understanding of, because it is a skill that not everyone has and it can level up your writing.

That’s exactly what we’re going to work on in the Deep POV Workshop on July 8th at 2pm EST.

I’ll show you specific ways to create that “I get you” connection, plus give you concrete exercises to practice with your own manuscript.

I'll help you on your journey to get the reader further into your characters' heads.

We'll look at examples of different ways deep point of view can show up in writing.

I'm not promising that you'll have deep point of view nailed as soon as you watch the workshop, but what I will promise is that you'll leave with a better understanding and more tools than you had before!

The workshop is $30 through July 8th, then the price increases to $50.

​Register for the Deep POV Workshop​

You’ve got this. We’ve got this.

~Angela

P.S. I’m curious—when you did that quick test 3 question test with your manuscript, what did you discover? Did your character pass the “I get you” test, or did you realize there’s room to go deeper? Hit reply and let me know. I love hearing about those lightbulb moments.

Want to opt out of hearing more about the deep point of view workshop? Click here and you won’t receive any more of these emails!​