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POV, or "Point of View" was one of the first things I had to study after I finished my Irish story. I'd swept through, creating a 100,000-word epic which I believed would become a best seller, not knowing what POV meant or how it can impact a story.

I'll assume you understand the basic principle of POV and get right to the heart of this post - WHY IT MATTERS.

I've been reading a YA fantasy called Pulse. Patrick Carman does an amazing job with world-building, much like Veronica Roth did in Divergent. But Carman, unlike Roth, left me scratching my head. 

The story began in Faith Daniel's POV, so I assumed it was about her. But then Carman switched to another character's POV, and another and soon I was in the head of no less than five others. Confusing? You betta. (So much so that when I went to write this post, I had to grab his book to remind myself of the character's first name!) 

Far worse was the frustration I felt when I was swept  from one POV and stuffed into another's. It left me baffled as to who the protagonist was in the first place. Like the image above, how does one care about five characters?

Here was my problem:
I couldn't fall in love with the protagonist because I didn't know who the protagonist was!

So, why does POV matter? It gives your reader a chance to know your character, lets them BE the character, FEEL the character's struggle, experience the character's emotions. 

Does your story pop in and out of multiple POVs? If so, you may want to rethink and edit. Trust me, your readers will thank you. 

Happy writing!
Sue

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I was asked recently how I stay motivated--how do I keep writing until a story is finished? Interesting question. Really. It got me thinking, because motivation has never been my problem. I've always loved writing, and felt irritated when something (like life) got in my way.

I thought some more. Why am I still motivated, even after all these years of frustrations and set-backs? What am I doing right?

Not sure if these will work for you, but they sure seem to work for me. And so, here are six things that keep me motivated:

1) Above all else, have fun. Let go and let the story take you on a wonderful journey. Writing is an act of creation. Be inspired! Think big!

2) Fall in love with your characters. Spend enough time with them and you'll have to finish the story. How will you be able to walk away from those heroes and heroines when you have so much invested?

3) Read. I mean REALLY read. Turn off your inner editor and freshen your mind with new material. Read outside your genre. You'll be amazed at the things you will learn and the strangest places inspiration can come from.

4) Share your work. Even if it's just with a trusted writing buddy. Get some feedback. Develop a network that supports you on this wild, kick-ass journey.

5) Protect your work. As in, turn off that blasted editor when creating a first draft. Editing is for finished manuscripts only. I should capitalize that. EDITING IS FOR FINISHED MANUSCRIPTS ONLY. There, get the point? I'm speaking from direct experience. Editing an unfinished manuscript is like polishing the door that opens to a brick wall. You'll end up with a nice, shiny door nob that leads nowhere.

6) And finally, reward yourself. Give yourself a break! Look at what you've accomplished, not what you haven't! Enjoy the successes, no matter how small.

I hope these things help. Got more ideas? I'd love to hear them!

Happy writing!

Sue

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So, I was reading a wonderful YA fantasy the other day. Maybe you've heard of The Red Queen by Lauren Kate? Awesome stuff. But part way through the book, I began stumbling over the author's overused, distracting, silly dialogue tags.

You know the ones? The three evil "M's"? No? Well, allow me to enlighten you...

They are murmur, mumble and mutter. 


Three simple words that can take down an incredible story. Plot all you want. Drive characters deep, but when you, the author, repeatedly ignore common sence BEWARE! You may lose your reader.

I was forgiving of this author because I generally like her work. I did, however, feel cheated that I had to skip these irritating tags in order to enjoy the story. It's a bit like doing the work for the writer. If I'm going to be an editor, I want my money back!

In this fickle world where there are more books than readers (probably. At least it FEELS that way), authors need to do whatever they can to keep a story flowing. And when a reader stumbles over such silly words (how do you murmur a sentence?) you take them out of your story.

So, don't use them. Use "said" or action beats, and whatever you do, please don't let your characters snip, snap or breathe the words.

Happy writing!
Sue

 

So, Life, right? 
How best-laid plans go astray.
And writing goals get shoved deep in a closet.
And words, once plucked from the imagination now seem finicky, elusive and challenging to find at best.

A few weeks ago, I hit the open road. Flew to LA and drove back across the country with my oldest daughter. It was an adventure. It was full of peril and risk. It knocked me off-center.

When I sit to write, the mojo just isn't there. But being a person who finds a silver lining in pretty much every gray area of life, I've been soaking up books like a mad woman.

And oh, those precious books! YA fantasies like "Red Queen" and "Teardrop" and YA romances like "The Truth About Forever" by Sarah Dessen have saved me. These books have offered a gateway to my imagination. Through them, I've learned about world building, dynamic characters and incredible plot arcs. Reading them has allowed my crisis-activated brain to slow down and relax. 

I've read so many times and from so many sources that to be a good writer one must be a good reader. And I must agree. 

If only for those times when life just gets in the way.

Happy reading!
Sue