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As your fiction writing becomes more skilled it’s important to know how to blend scene and narration for a better reader experience. Writing Tip for Today: Here are some things to consider when blending scene and narration: Rule of Three As with a lot of writing skills, I think the Rule of Three is a […]
So many novels today are told in more than one point of view or POV. While adding voices to the protagonist’s story seems simple, writing effective multiple POV stories takes skill and purpose. Writing Tip for Today: What are some things to consider in writing a multiple POV story or novel? Purpose The most important […]
Last week, I read a former agent’s list of common mistakes writers make while writing their novels, and number one was stories that jump around in POV. I agree—also recognizing that some writers seem to have little trouble with viewpoint, while others struggle. Writing Tip for Today: Let’s talk about the role of protagonists and […]
Writing: Should I use Present or Past Tense? When you’re writing a story, choosing either past or present tense influences your reader’s experience. Just as your story’s Point of View character has a unique perspective, using past or present tense lends a distinct flavor to your work. Writing Tip for Today: How does past or […]
This week’s post is a preview for the workshop I’ll be teaching next week on writing Characters and POV. I find that writers either understand Point of View (POV) innately, or they struggle. With a few pointers, I hope every writer will master POV, also called Viewpoint. Writing Tip for Today: Here’s a refresher on […]
Point of View or POV, is one fiction area where many writers get confused. But getting viewpoint right doesn’t have to be a problem. Writing Tip for Today: Let’s review basic POVs and what they mean to writers and to readers: I, You, He, She, Us? The “I” voice, or First Person, has gained […]
Writers often feel uncomfortable writing in the first person “I” voice. Some English teacher from long ago taught them not to litter a page with the word “I.” But there are ways to keep these “I”s minimal–and using DEEP POV will help.Writing Tip for Today: What is DEEP POV and how do you use it? […]
Last in this series, the omniscient viewpoint has also been called a “God’s eye view.” In the 19th century, when novels were gaining in popularity, the masses didn’t travel as much as people today. Much of the world might remain unknown to these readers were it not for lengthy descriptions of settings, people and things. […]
I love to write in first person and I love to read a first person POV novel. So talking about this POV is comfortable for me.Writing Tip for Today: First person POV uses the “I” voice. Of all the viewpoints (aside from that pesky second person), first person seems to be evenly divided between those […]
I hear from writers who say they’ve been criticized for using the word “I” too often. Mainly (in my little opinion) this is a holdover from a previous era when being personal was discouraged and most nonfiction and even fiction held the camera farther away.Writing Tip for Today: If you are writing in first person, […]