POV: 'Peter's Obvious Validation' by Peter Leavell

ACFW loops and other writing blogs are hosting an interesting question—Is it okay to write part of a novel in first person, another part in third person?

I’m embarrassed. My novel published at the beginning of the year, West for the Black Hills is sometimes first person, sometimes third person.

My decision to bungle the writing rules stemmed not from a maxim long ago found to quantify affective writing. The decision came from a deeper magic—relationships.

In life, we become friends with people in different ways. Some friends (or enemies) we work with. Other friends (or enemies) we meet at church. Sometimes we create friendships online. It’s not how we get to know people, it’s the character of the people themselves that matter.

So when I sat down to write West for the Black Hills, I wanted Philip Anderson, the reluctant gunfighter, in first person. But Anna, his sweetheart, was so intriguing she wrote herself in. It's simply how I wanted readers to meet my characters and start a relationship.

Did the method work? Yes, West for the Black Hills won several secular awards already and sales are great. Not because there was some rule about whether you can write a certain way or not, but because of the deeper magic of humanity—we need friends and people we like or hate. The truth carries over into our writing.

Focus on characters, focus on plot, and if they’re good enough, how the reader is introduced to them won’t matter so much.

And maybe your method will spark a topic on writing threads, and your face will turn red, and you’ll need therapy. Although, the awards make good therapy.

Disclaimer: Study writing laws so you know what rules you’re breaking. Remember, there is no magic formula for writing except a good story with compelling characters trumps everything. Also, awards make terrible therapists, and I’m still embarrassed.

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Peter Leavell is an award winning historical fiction author. He and his family research together, creating magnificent adventures. Catch up with him on his website at www.peterleavell.com, or friend him on Facebook: Peter R. Leavell. 

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Philip Anderson keeps his past close to the vest. Haunted by the murder of his parents as they traveled West in their covered wagon, his many unanswered questions about that night still torment him. 

His only desire is to live quietly on his homestead and raise horses. He meets Anna, a beautiful young woman with secrets of her own. Falling in love was not part of his plan. Can Philip tell her how he feels before it’s too late?
With Anna a pawn in the corrupt schemes brewing in the nearby Dakota town, Philip is forced to become a reluctant gunslinger. Will Philip’s uncannily trained horses and unsurpassed sharpshooting skills help him free Anna and find out what really happened to his family in the wilderness?

Confessions of a Multi-Genre Author by Cindy K. Green

Cindy K. Green

When you start in this life we call the writing game, one of the first things you learn (after how to utilize proper POV, of course) is that as a published author you must brand yourself. That means you sell your name more than any particular book. When you pick up a Stephen King or Nora Roberts novel, you know what you’re getting before even reading the blurb. Readers need to get to know you—how you write and what you write. In the large New York publishing houses, their authors typically have to BRAND themselves and only write in but one or maybe two genres. But…what about those of us who love to skip around and experiment in the genres?

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. There are some big names who jump around in the genres. James Patterson is known for his mystery/suspense/thrillers. But he’s also penned some award-winning young adult titles and even a series of romances.  

When I’m asked: ‘What do you write? What’s your genre?’ I seriously have to make out a list. And I make no excuses for it. I love skipping from genre to genre, stretching my writer’s legs or fingers—or to be more precise my imagination and my writer’s niche. It keeps the writing fresh and exciting. I finally branded myself in a general sense with ‘Humorous, Heartfelt, Spirit-filled Fiction.’ My subgenres include: Inspirational Contemporary & Historical Romance, Young Adult, Chick-lit, Romantic Suspense. I’ve even written a high fantasy. I told you it was a lot.

So, I’ve been asked, ‘how do you write in all those genres? I feel like I’d get confused.’ Well, here’s my confession—it’s very easy to get confused. If you write in several genres you have to go through steps to bring it all together. Let me take you through an example.

I’ve recently been writing two different YA series. In doing so, I had to purge from my mind the voice and tone of my just finished historical western. I was now an almost eighteen-year-old girl full of insecurities while watching my life spin upside down. So, first step, I have to read some YA books. A little Meg Cabot, some Jenny B. Jones and a bit of Melody Carlson and I’m set. I listen to music that’s for the young or young at heart. And then I watch lots of teen movies. Basically, I get into the mindset of the American teen. (I also have a teen living in my house and that’s the best prep work there is.)

I do something similar for whatever genre I’m writing. It’s like I’m priming myself to write. You see there is a tone, a set a verbiage that is necessary to each sub-genre. I have to get myself into that place before I start writing. Now if you only write in one genre that isn’t really a problem. No matter what you are reading or watching it won’t affect your writing. You’ve trained yourself how to write your genre. But when you write several genres, you have to equip yourself to write many different ways and your muse needs a reminder as to what hat to put on today. 

Dora here. Do you write in multiple genres? If so, how do you "prime" yourself to write?

If not, have you considered writing in a different genre?

****

Cindy K. Green has worked as a middle school history & English teacher, a frozen yogurt server and a golf magazine employee. Today she's a multi-published, award-winning author, a mother, a wife, and a homeschooler too. This native Californian now resides in North Carolina with her husband, two boys, and two cats named Chloe & Kassey.

Connect with Cindy:

Join her newsletter by sending an email to cindy@cindykgreen.com. Visit her website www.cindykgreen.com & her blog cindykgreen.blogspot.com. She's on Facebook (Cindy K. Green) and Twitter (@cindykgreen) too. Connect with her on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cgreen0224/ and Google+: https://plus.google.com/+CindyGreenAuthor/posts as well. 

Her latest release Andrea & the Five Day Challenge is a Christian YA novel, the first in the Aubrey Christian Academy Series. A Bible Study Challenge, a Prayer Journal and Homecoming. The combination just might change her life.

Buy Links:

PelicanBook Group

Amazon 

ChristianBook.com

A Look Back at the Past by Terri Weldon

Terri Weldon

Every writer I know has at least one manuscript buried deep in the closet, including me. I hope you'll take a moment over the next few days to tug it out, dust it off and skim through the pages with fresh eyes. Like Terri, you might be surprised to realize how much you've grown as a writer. Enjoy "A Look Back at the Past" by Terri Weldon. ~Dora

About a month ago, I dusted off the first book I ever wrote. The storyline is one I’ve always loved and is dear to my heart. So I pulled the manuscript out of the bottom drawer it’s called home for more years then I like to admit and started reading. Let me tell you, times have changed. I discovered the book is out of date – way out of date.

When I penned that manuscript, which shall remain nameless, I didn’t know squat about the craft of writing. I read voraciously and decided I wanted to write a book. I had a fun idea. So, I sat down and typed that puppy. Words flowed fast. I still remember the number of pages I could whip out in a day. No plotting, just the sheer joy of writing.

Until I revisited that book in June, I’d forgotten how bad it was! Point of view (POV)? I didn’t have a clue. I changed POV numerous times on a single page – hero, his friend, heroine, and her friend. Hmm, could that be one of the reasons I received a swift rejection on that manuscript?

The heroine is sassy and fun and she intends to accomplish her goal, no matter what. The hero has been burned by love in the past and there is no way he’s going down that road again. I still love the story, but can it be saved? I don’t know.

Looking at that book made me think of Philippians 3:13 (TLB) – No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.

As a writer I can revamp my manuscript, clean up the imperfections, and give it a new life. As a Christian, I have a heavenly Father who is willing to take me in my imperfect state and through the blood of Jesus wipe the past clean and give me eternal life. I can forget all about my past mistakes and focus on the future. Such an amazing blessing – the greatest blessing of all!

So how about you – have you grown as a writer since you wrote your first book? Leave a comment and let me know if you’ve revisited your first manuscript. Or if you’re one of those phenomenal writers who sold their first book just the way they penned it? You can be honest, I’ll still like you. LOL!

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Purchase Link

Misty Winslow is determined to find her prince, and she meets the man of her dreams through an Internet dating service. Or is he, because the new dentist in town also sets her heart aflutter.

It's love at first sight for Tyler Davenport, but before he can finish his first root canal, Misty is involved in an exclusive online romance with Wes99—Tyler’s online persona. How can he tell her he’s the man she’s been waiting to meet, and how rational is it for him to be jealous of Wes99! Soon Tyler's pulling out all the stops to woo Misty.

As Christmas approaches, Wes99 and Tyler both ask her to meet them under the mistletoe. Which man will she choose?

Terri is a lead analyst by day and an author by night. She enjoys gardening, reading, and playing in the hand bell choir. One of her favorite pastimes is volunteering as the librarian at her church. It allows her to shop for books and spend someone else’s money! Plus, she has the great joy of introducing people to Christian fiction.

She lives with her family in Oklahoma. Terri has three dogs – a lovable mutt and two adorable Westies.

Terri is a member of ACFW and OCFW, a local chapter of ACFW. Her dream of becoming a published novelist came true in November 2013 when Mistletoe Magic, released from White Rose Publishing. To learn more about Terri visit her website at www.TerriWeldon.com.

Do Violence to Your Reader, Part I: Hook ‘Em on the Way In! by Jill Elizabeth Nelson

I love running across new tools, don't you? Hey fellow writers, Annette here. This summer Jill Elizabeth Nelson published the most useful book on deep point of view that I've ever read. I've used it in my own writing, told my clients about it, and recommended it over and over. She's here for the month of August to share a series on point of view with us. Enjoy!

Part I: Hook ‘Em on the Way In!

by Jill Elizabeth Nelson

Imagine a fish eyeing a tasty morsel dangling on the end of your fishing line. If you jig that treat just right . . . it strikes! Now the fish is on the hook, and you can reel it in, taking the creature exactly where you want it to go. A hook in a story works much the same way. With every individual scene and chapter, a writer must present a tasty morsel in such a way that the reader is compelled to follow your story wherever you want to take them. A dull hook will lose a potential reader within a paragraph or two, or even a line or two.

Readers who seek primarily to feed their intellect or to gain information will pick up a work of non-fiction. Readers who buy novels are hungry primarily for an emotionally resonant experience that satisfies them at gut level. This emotionally resonant experience hinges on maintaining and escalating tension moment-by-moment throughout the story, but especially in the opening lines of each and every chapter and scene.

Here is an opening hook that does NOT work. (Don’t worry. It’s not from anyone’s published book.) Why does this hook not work? Ask yourself if this opening contains any element that communicates tension or emotion.

Hayley Jones walked off the plane and onto the tarmac of the small airport.

Certainly, the sentence conveys vital information—the name of the character, what the character is doing and where; however, information minus emotion equals stagnation. There is no hint of a story here to intrigue us to read on!

Here is an opening that works in one simple line. (Again, not from a published book.) Why does it work? (Hint: is there any word choice that evokes emotion or tension?)

Aimee huddled in the corner of the room.

This line contains all of the informational elements from the line that didn’t work—the character’s name, what the character is doing and where—but it also captures that all-important element of tension, as well as suggesting the emotion of fear. Someone huddled in the corner of a room cannot be in a good situation, and the reader will crave to know more. There are a gazillion different directions a writer can take the story from here, but the reader is hooked and will avidly follow where the story leads.

Here is your assignment:

Pick up one of your favorite novels and find at least one scene or chapter opening that hooks you and evaluate why the hook works. Remember our keys to effective hooks—tension and emotion.

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Award-winning author and writing teacher, Jill Elizabeth Nelson, writes what she likes to read—tales of adventure seasoned with romance, humor, and faith. Jill is a popular speaker for conferences, writers groups, library associations, and civic and church groups. She delights to bring the “Ah-ah! Moment” to her students as they make new skills their own. Her handbook for writers, Rivet Your Readers with Deep Point of View, is now available at Amazon (see links below). 

Connect with Jill:

Website: www.jillelizabethnelson.com  

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/JillElizabethNelson.Author 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JillElizNelson.

(print version)      (eBook version)

Deep POV: Lesson One by Karen Witemeyer

Happy Monday, writers. Today, Karen Witemeyer is visiting to begin a new series on Deep POV. As an editor, I see this come up a lot. POV takes time to master. Thankfully, Karen's here this month to help simplify it for us. Read on!

How to Increase the Intimacy Between your Characters and your Readers

When Annette invited me to Seriously Write to do a series of mini lessons, I knew right away what I would like to share. In my opinion, mastering Deep POV (Point Of View) is one of the best ways to catch an editor's eye and a reader's loyalty.

Many of my readers have told me that one of the reasons they enjoy my books is because my characters feel so real. This is directly tied to deep POV.

During this series, we will discuss what deep POV is and then spend most of our time working on practical ways to incorporate it into our writing. Even experienced authors can benefit from the reminders. As I was working on putting this material together, I found myself going back and editing passages in my current manuscript to deepen the POV. I need the reminders as much as anyone.

What is Deep POV?

* Deep POV is being so far into the head and emotions of your character that you write in her voice instead of your own. 

This goes beyond adding the occasional direct, italicized thought to the point where the narrative itself takes on the personality of the POV character. It puts the reader in the character's head instead of relying solely on action and dialog to determine the character's motives and opinions.

* Deep POV cultivates the intimacy of 1^st person while allowing the flexibility of 3^rd person.

With deep POV, you can have multiple POV characters, like the hero and heroine in a romance, but each POV voice must be distinct. Just as in crafting dialog, the narrative voice should be unique to each character.

* Deep POV is the ultimate way to show in show vs. tell.

Readers don't just listen to the story; they experience it directly with the characters. They feel the characters' emotions firsthand and are privy to their thoughts. This draws the reader in and bonds her to the characters so that she becomes personally invested in the story's outcome.
 

Next week: How to capture the voice of your POV characters.

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Short-Straw Bride released June 1, 2012.

No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a lethal plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a twelve-year-old debt compels her to take the risk.

Fourteen years of constant vigilance hardens a man. Yet when Travis Archer confronts a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can't bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt send him riding to her rescue once again.

Four brothers. Four straws. One bride. Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she determines to stand by his side against the enemy that threatens them both. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her merely as a short-straw bride?

~~~~~

Two-time RITA® Finalist and winner of the coveted HOLT Medallion, CBA bestselling author, Karen Witemeyer, writes historical romance fiction for Bethany House, believing that the world needs more happily-ever-afters. She is an avid cross-stitcher, shower singer, and bakes a mean apple cobbler. Karen makes her home in Abilene, TX with her husband and three children. Learn more about Karen and her books at: www.karenwitemeyer.com.

Purist POV

Hey, readers. Happy Labor Day! Annette here. I read an ARC (unedited advanced reader copy) the other day on my Kindle. Oh, boy. First thing is that unedited books are difficult to read. But the second thing is formatting on an e-reader goes screwy without proper editing. Every now and then, the author would switch POVs (points of view) but without scene break symbols or extra spacing (e-readers delete space), I couldn’t tell. Then, I had to figure out where we were and whose head we were in. Don’t worry, I loved the book and tried to ignore the jarring challenges, but the apparent headhopping threw me at first.

As an acquisitions editor, I see headhopping (POV issues) a lot. So, I thought I’d bring it up this fine Labor Day/Manuscript Monday.

Nowadays, pretty much the only way to be a respectable writer (in most genres) is to employ purist POV. If you headhop, the first thing readers (editors/agents/readers) will do is peek at your name. If you’re bestselling, famous, writing fulltime and untouchable, they’ll forgive you. *wink* If not, beware. I’ve turned projects down for POV infractions, especially if it was clear the writer really didn’t have a handle on it.

One of the best ways I know to “get a handle” on POV is to read in your genre. I learned a ton from reading Karen Ball’s book Wilderness (now out of print). Choose a trusted author from a trusted house and study how they delineate points of view.

Here are two key pointers:

~ Only switch “heads” (POVs) following scene breaks or chapter breaks. Scene breaks used to be just for movements in time or setting. To avoid jarring readers, they were meant to signal to the reader that, hey, something’s different here. Now, scene breaks are sometimes used when all you want to do is switch POVs (i.e. let another character express herself). Some houses may not allow that. Some will. Either way, editors want one POV per scene or chapter. (A side note for romance writers, switching POVs is great in a romantic scene. You get her perspective, then you get his. But, once you make the switch to the other character, stay there until the scene is over or the chapter ends.)

~ POV is about what you can experience through that character’s perceptions, including all the senses. What can this character see/smell/taste/touch or hear? Only include those things. If you’re going to have your character assume something, you have to tell us that. Think of this like a camera from one person’s, well, point of view. You can only capture what that person is recording.

If you can do those things without fail, you’ll be well on your way with purist POV.

One more nugget today. How do you best choose which character for the privilege of POV in a given scene? By asking yourself this question: who has the most to lose in this scene? That will ensure you’ve got some built-in emotional tension, which will make your job a bit easier.

What do you think? Do you get POV? Have questions? Ask away.