Ever feel like your first person POV is a little weak?
Me too!
I love finding just the right information at just the right time.
Recently, I posted thoughts on writing in different point of views, and what do you know…
I opened my email and read a post by Janice Hardy about writing in the 1st person. I love tips and tricks that make writing easier and hers are top-notch.
Here is what I learned reading her post.
Know when the story happened.
Is character remember or experiencing the events?
Current in the moment events and the protagonist is in the dark as much as the reader.
Know how much distance is between my character and the events.
Distance in time and space determine the details.
Distance determines how fresh their wounds or experiences.
Know how objective or emotional my character is because of the events.
Time and distance can make details fade unless something happens to jog memories.
It’s important to decide if my protagonist is “in the moment,” “reflecting,” or retrospective.”
Where the protagonist is in their life determines how to present the story.
I find that most of the time I gravitate toward 1st, especially when writing children’s books. But sometimes I let the character pick.
Sound crazy? Sometimes I think so. But if I start out in one POV and it doesn’t flow, gets difficult, I change to another. This gives me a different perspective. Let’s me see my characters from a different angle. Often times, my first instinct was right and I go back to the original POV and see what stopped the action. Usually, it wasn’t the POV it was something else that needed fixing.
Doing this exercise helps me see what needs adjusting. Where I went off the rails. I’m not saying one is better than the other because I write in both. To me, the story and the characters determine which POV I use.
What I like/dislike about 1st and 3rd POV:
I like the intimacy of 1st.
This can be a two/edged sword.
The objectivity of 3rd.
Not into the omnipresence/God-like view.
Freedom of being all knowing in 3rd.
The responsibility of being all knowing.
So I guess that means there is no right or wrong point of view. But how to decide? Me, I let my characters show the way.
Do you think a writer should stick to one POV in all of their stories?
How do you decide which POV to use?
Want to know more about Point of View? Click on the links below.
I love comments, so tell me what you think about POVs.
Search for answers to questions inquiring minds want to know?
Do you brainstorm? Grab a subject, topic or character and launch the story from there.
Maybe you are one of the lucky ones and already know the answer. But until recently I wasn’t sure how or where I got my story ideas. Thanks to one of my readers Eva Blaskovic, another visual writer for a reminder.
For me sometimes it starts with a question or a topic but then it grows and percolates like good coffee until I begin to see scenes in my head. Sort of like snapshots of movies.
image source
Often late at night these pictures flash in my head and keep me awake until I draft it on paper. Hmm, maybe that is a haunting.
However, putting visual scenes into a readable format is not easy. After all, no one is a mind reader and showing people what you see is difficult.
I start out all excited and write like crazy trying to capture the people, action, and dialogue before my vision vanishes like smoke. Then I read what I wrote. Geese, it sounds nothing like it looked. Delete, delete, delete! My mind can be a scary place.
But I at least I don’t give up because the movie in my head replays until I get it inside my computer. Yep, sounding more and more like a haunting.
One thing that helps, in addition to practice, is understanding myself and my process.
I am so grateful to the many writers who share their process, successes, and failures so that I might continue to learn. Although many of the articles are same song different verse, it pays to keep reading.
You may think you’ve read enough about grammar, genre, style, flash-fiction, outlines, or any other writing subject. But I seem to always find a nugget or two that helps.
Why? Because just like snowflakes, all writers are unique as is their viewpoint. That’s why I keep reading and sharing my finds. Such as the article below by Tarah Benner.
What did I learn from her quiz?
I grab a subject and go nuts. No one wants to read rambling.
Although I love to tell a good story, sometimes my writing is too minimalistic. People can’t read my mind or see what I see.
I read for two reasons. For pleasure and to be informed. And that’s good. Yay!
Grammar is why I need a good editor. LOL
I can’t tell a joke to save my life so no point in trying to write one either. Swearing is my second language but not always in a story. Be selective.
While her article and quiz didn’t fix my problems, it did give me a little insight into some of my strengths and weaknesses. I fall somewhere between a rule follower and a rule breaker. Nothing new, just a good reminder to…
Be true to myself and my style.
Do you find nuggets that inspire, when reading other writers?
Do you need the occasional reminder to be true to yourself?
Do you understand your style?
Don’t forget to click and read the article by TARAH BENNER at the bottom of the page.
That’s how I’ve felt for several days. Like Sisyphus pushing my writing up a hill only to have it roll back down again. It’s exhausting not to mention frustrating.
I don’t know about you but when I take time away from writing, for whatever the reason, the stories stop. It’s as if my characters go on vacation too. And when they show back up it is at a most inconvenient time, like in the middle of the night.
Writing my blog, my book, short stories, my journal… Whew! Sometimes it’s all too much but I love it! Crazy right?
However, if I stop the well runs dry. So how do I prime the pump?
I’ve had to get inventive to get my imagination going again. Believe me, it’s not always easy.
Any and everything, Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Emails (you get the idea)
Favorite books, new genres, something different-uncomfortable
Watch a good movie
Yes, good movies come from good writers
Make notes
My memory isn’t what it used to be, sigh…
Send emails to myself when I find a good article
See above note about memory
Write
Anything, even if it’s gibberish, edit later
write somewhere different, maybe outside
Still can’t write?
Well, here is one of my favorite exercises.
Open a book, any book. Copy the first paragraph. Now rewrite the paragraph making it your own. Change the character, the setting, the action, everything until it is completely different. This never fails to get my imagination going.
What do you do to keep the writing flowing?
To jumpstart your writing process after a break?
Please do share. I’d like to know. Tell me in the comments section.
Jean's Writing 