What’s the Right Way to Include Multiple POVs? — Guest: Kassandra Lamb
Some stories benefit from multiple points of view, but only if we follow a few do’s and don’ts. Here’s how to write multiple POVs right.
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Why Is Head Hopping Considered Lazy Writing?
Several writing craft issues tend to be hallmarks of what’s called “lazy writing.” The practice of head hopping is usually considered lazy writing, but we might not understand why it earns that label. Let’s learn more and see how we can avoid head hopping and the “lazy writing” trap.
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Story Structure: What’s the Purpose…for Readers?
Ever wonder how many writing “rules” have a reason beyond “because I said so”? Story structure exists not just because it makes our story stronger, but also because the story beats help communicate with readers–and understanding how can help us write and revise our story.
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5 Tips for Empowering Description with Contrast — Guest: Marcy Kennedy
We’ve probably all heard (or thought!) that description is boring or the part readers skip. Yet our stories need description or else be confusing. Marcy Kennedy joins us today to share 5 tips to empower and add interest to our description by using contrast.
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Want to Evoke Emotions in Readers? — Guest: Marcy Kennedy
To create a great emotional story, we need to know not only the vocabulary of describing emotions, but also how we can evoke emotions in our readers. Marcy Kennedy’s here to show us how deep point of view can help us evoke those emotions we want within our readers.
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Point of View: What Does Your Character Know?
When it comes to learning about point of view and how to avoid issues like head-hopping, it doesn’t help that half the information out there is confusing and contradictory. Let’s take a closer look at how we can find and fix these issues.
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Why No Advice Is Perfect: Character Emotions
There’s never going to be a ‘one size fits all’ guideline for any aspect of writing. Every story is different, so some advice doesn’t apply to us. What’s right for one genre might not be right for another genre. Ditto for the point of view of the story. Or the characters. Or the plot.
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7 Methods for Handling Point-of-View Changes
Today’s a holiday in the U.S., so I’m dusting off and updating a post from the archives. While you’re here, don’t forget to comment on my Blogiversary post for a chance to win “me.” Want me to beta read for you or pick my brain about a writing or story […]
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Will Omniscient POV Ever Be Popular Again?
My recent post about avoiding “information dumps” prompted a conversation in the comments about omniscient point-of-view (POV) and its use of “telling” rather than “showing.” Serena Yung wanted to know why omniscient POV—and thus, telling rather than showing—are less common now than in the classics. She’s certainly right about omniscient being […]
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A Rating System for Books, Part Two: How Can We Include Context?
Thanks once again to all who responded to my last blog post about whether books should have a rating system. And I say that not just because I didn’t need my flame-proof jacket. *smile* Many shared thoughtful ideas here on my blog, Google+, and Twitter that helped me refine my opinion. If […]