EPISODE · May 26, 2026 · 31 MIN
#249. 5 POV Mistakes That Pull Readers Out of Your Story
from Fiction Writing Made Easy with Savannah Gilbo | How to Write a Novel & Writing Advice · host Savannah Gilbo
Most fiction writers are making at least one of these point of view mistakes. Find out which one could be hiding in your draft. You know that feeling when a scene isn't quite working, but you can't put your finger on why? Your pacing, dialogue, and structure all seem fine. And yet something is still off. Nine times out of ten, the culprit is POV. In this episode, I'm walking you through the five most common point of view mistakes, what each one looks like on the page, why it pulls readers out of your story, and what to do if a POV mistake is hiding in your draft. The good news? It has nothing to do with your talent as a writer. I see these mistakes in the strongest of manuscripts. And every single one is fixable. This is what I talk about: [02:27] Why head-hopping feels so disorienting to readers, and the simple scene-level rule that instantly creates cleaner, stronger POV. [07:11] The subtle "omniscience leak" that happens when your POV character knows things they realistically couldn't know in the moment. [11:42] Why a POV character who only reports action—with no thought, reaction, or internal stakes—leaves readers feeling disconnected. [17:13] How info-dumping and backstory disguised as thoughts can make scenes feel unnatural instead of emotionally immersive. [22:00] The subtle voice drift that makes your POV character slowly stop sounding like themselves, and why this is the hardest mistake to catch. These mistakes are fixable. Every single one. And once you know what to look for, you can write fiction so immersive that readers forget the real world exists until they reach the final page of your book. If that's the kind of story you want to write, this episode is for you. 🔗 Links mentioned in this episode: Take Author Success Quiz (FREE) Get on the Notes to Novel Waitlist Ep. 90 - How to Choose the Best Point of View for Your Story Ep. 94 - How to Reveal Your Character's Inner Life on the Page Ep. 210 - 5 Tips To Write Multiple POV Novels Without Confusing Your Readers ⭐ Follow & Review If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week! FREE QUIZ: Take this 30-second quiz to get a custom action plan that'll help you move from stuck writer to published author! Support the show
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Most fiction writers are making at least one of these point of view mistakes. Find out which one could be hiding in your draft. You know that feeling when a scene isn't quite working, but you can't put your finger on why? Your pacing, dialogue, and structure all seem fine. And yet something is still off. Nine times out of ten, the culprit is POV. In this episode, I'm walking you through the five most common point of view mistakes, what each one looks like on the page, why it pulls readers out...
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#249. 5 POV Mistakes That Pull Readers Out of Your Story
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