Viewpoint, in fiction, is the point of view from which a story is told. As such, it is one of the most important weapons in a writer's armoury. Does the author tell the story as if she were a god, looking down on all the characters and seeing their innermost thoughts? Or is the narrator one of the major characters in the story? Or even a minor character?The way in which a writer handles the point of view is what sorts out the professionals from the amateurs. It has an amazingly powerful influence over the extent to which you can grab, and hold, your reader's attention - which is why the subtitle of this book is How to tell your story in the most effective way. Michael Allen's first novel was published in 1963. He is the author of numerous other novels and short stories (some written under pen-names) which have variously been published in hardback, paperback, and ebook editions, in the UK, USA, France and Denmark. He has also had work successfully produced on stage, television, and radio. He is a former director of two publishing companies.