Multiple points of view—should you use them or should you not? More genre books than not use multiple POVs to present multiple protagonists–or sometimes just to give readers a glimpse at what’s happening behind the main character’s back. Usually, I’m more inclined to discuss their drawbacks, because, sadly, they’re more likely to be abused than […]
February 10, 2014 by 6 Comments Outlining Your NovelHow to Make the Right Decisions for Your Book
Today, I’m guest posting over on Write to Done, with the post How to Make the Right Decisions for Your Book. Here’s an excerpt: How can authors know which choices are right for their novels? When you first sit down at your desk and start typing words into the delicious white blank of your computer […]
January 29, 2014 by 41 Comments CharactersHas Your Protagonist Gone MIA? How to Keep Your Main Character Onstage
Quick Answer: If your protagonist disappears for more than a chapter early in your novel, you risk losing reader engagement. Introduce them early, keep them visible, and make sure they remain central to the story. Pop quiz! Who’s the most important character in your book? I’ll give you a couple seconds to think about that. […]
June 15, 2009 by 4 Comments Point of ViewChoosing the Right POV
Narrative point of view (or POV, as it is popularly known in writer parlance) is one of those things that writers often tend to take for granted. We come up with a story idea, sit down to write, and spend maybe all of thirty seconds debating between a first- and third-person POV. But this snap, […]
