The word that describes the outlook an author or character has about something is "perspective".
The word that refers to the outlook an author or character has about something is perspective. To answer this question, one can look at the provided options and analyze their meanings. Scenery refers to the natural or artificial features surrounding a setting, plot refers to the sequence of events in a story, and purpose refers to the reason or intention behind something. However, perspective is the term that specifically relates to the viewpoint or point of view that an author or character holds. Therefore, the correct answer is perspective.