You Tell Me...About POVs

How do you feel about changes in POV during a book? For instance, in a wonderful book I just finished, the majority of the book was in the MC's POV, with a few scenes in the villain's POV. Then toward the end of the book, we got one scene in the love interest's POV and at the end of that scene, there was a paragraph or two in another character's POV.

Now it was done very well and clearly and didn't bother me at all. Yet, I know switching like that does bother some people.

So I'm curious how you all feel about it. Because my current WIP sort of follows a similar pattern to the book I mentioned above. The book switches back and forth between my MC and her love interest until close to the end. Then there are two or three chapters that are in two other characters' POVs. But in these scenes, my MC and her love interest are out of commission. But stuff needs to happen, so....another character or two take the wheel for a second.

I've been debating somehow changing these scenes so they can stay in my MC's and her love interest's POVs - but really, those scenes just work better with the other characters.


So tell me....how do you feel about switching POVs?

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You Tell Me...About POVs

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Characters on the Blog Chain and a Thanks to my Editors!

Today you get a twofer because it is both my turn on the blog chain and Thankful Tuesday (a la Christine Fonseca) - First up....the thank yous :D Today we are thanking our wonderful editors, without whom our books would quite literally suck :D

I've had the pleasure to work with several editors, along with a team of other awesome people who are working hard to get my book all polished and shiny and ready for its debut in Jan. Adam Schwartz is the awesome acquisitions editor who signed my book - he is the one who started me off on this dream come true and I am more thankful than I can say that he decided to take a chance on a new author with a tiny platform and believed in my book enough to make an offer for it. Along with Adam, Michael Pye, the senior acquisitions editor at Career Press, has been a tremendous help and has fielded several newbie questions from me with patience and kindness, for which I am eternally grateful.

Then I had the pleasure of working with my developmental editor, Kiersten Dalley. She was absolutely amazing, had incredible ideas, and even came up with an idea for a new chapter that I just love. Saying Thank You seems so inadequate, but THANK YOU!!

Most recently, I've been working with my line editor, Diana Ghazzawi - she has really helped bring my book up from just okay to pretty dang snazzy :D Just an FYI, don't ever think you'll be able to get away with anything once your editor gets a hold of it - they call you on EVERYTHING and make sure you fix it :D She helped me make my examples more fun and interesting, had me add a much-needed new first chapter, and literally went through every line of my book to make sure everything was as it should be. And fielded a million questions from me in the process. She has been amazing to work with and I am so thankful for every minute of time she spent on my book. Thanks so much Diana!




And now for our blog chain question - this one was chosen by the awesome Abby who wants to know:


Where do your characters come from? And once they've been introduced to you, how do you get to know them?

For me, it sort of depends on the character. I have characters pop into my head all the time. Sometimes they have names, sometimes not. Sometimes I change their look a bit from what I see in my head (I just lopped a finger off a character....he needed something a little more amped up than a simple facial scar like he'd had :D ) and sometimes I write them like I see them and they stay that way. There is always some aspect of their personalities that changes - with my first MC, Min, I toned down her klutziness, amped up her intelligence, made her less trusting, more ambitious, and a little more feisty than when she first appeared. The basic character of Min stayed the same, but the specifics needed tweaking.

I get to know them by writing them. I don't do character sketches or interviews or collages, though I see the value in doing them. For me personally, doing something like that, at least right off the bat, feels forced. For the most part, I write what I see for the first draft and then, with subsequent drafts, I go back through and make sure my characters are who they need to be. The more layers I add, the more times I read the manuscript, the better I get to know them and the more "real" they become to me.

Just like with any "real life" relationship - the more time I spend with my characters, the better I know them.


How do you get to know your characters? Do you craft them one characteristic at a time, or do they show up fully formed and ready to go?

Be sure to check out the lovely Laura's answer from yesterday and swing by the spectacular Shaun's tomorrow to see who his characters make themselves known.

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Evolution of the Female MC

I was watching some movies with my daughter over the weekend and they got me thinking about a few posts I'd read around the interwebs - about today's heroines. There seems to be a lot of concern over whether or not there are strong female leads in the books out today, and to be honest, I was surprised that a lot of people didn't seem to think there were.

Sure, there are the Bellas out there who spend more time getting rescued than kicking butt themselves, but it seems like every time I pick up a new book, there is a strong heroine taking the lead.

Case in point: Disney princesses. I know these are movies, but stick with me for a sec...

I'm the mother of a five year old girl...Disney princesses make up a huge part of my life (and, okay, they would even if I DIDN'T have a 5 yr old daughter...but I DO so I can blame it on her) :D

We watched Snow White this weekend. Meek, mild, gentle Snow White who wouldn't hurt a fly, fell in love with some guy who trespassed on her property and married him because he stumbled across her in the forest, and kissed her....while she was UNCONSCIOUS....with an entire woodland audience as witness.

And then we watched Princess and the Frog. Where the heroine has worked her tail off to make her dream of owning her own restaurant come true. Not only does she NOT fall in love with the prince at first sight, he irritates the crap out of her. And when the love bug finally strikes and they do the happily ever after thing, her happily ever after does not entail following him to his castle in the clouds. Nope. He follows her into the restaurant business.

And I cannot WAIT for Tangled to come out - Rapunzel looks absolutely hilarious pushing the stuck up prince around :D

Now, I know these are movies, not books, but I see this in literature too. Even Bella had her moment in the sun, flying off to Italy to rescue Edward. Hey, I was impressed. I'd be terrified to fly off to Italy to face off against a whole mess of angry super vamps. Give the girl some brownie points (oooo brownies....brb)

Anyhow, I'm just glad to know that my daughter is growing up in the age of Tiana and Katniss and Zoey from the House of Night series and all the other kick-booty heroines out there...not that I don't love Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, but I'd rather see my girl out there pulling some Princess Fiona moves instead of waiting for some guy to come accost her while she's out cold in the forest.

Just sayin'.

NaNo stats! Weekends are tough for me - I don't usually write on the weekends. That's family time. So carving out the wordage was a little more painful than usual. I'm hoping to get back in the power writing groove today! But, I still pulled a respectable (I think) 1583 - I'm just happy for the word cushion LOL (p.s. I'm not really as frustrated as my potato guy lets on....I'm just having fun playing with all his moods) :D

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My Characters' True Nature

So I was talking to a good friend/crit buddy of mine last night. We are both reworking old novels that have been sitting for several years and we are both just jumping out of skins excited at how our revisions are turning out. Apparently, even if you love a book like it was your own child, letting it sit for a year or three gives you a bit of prospective. I have been slashing away like you wouldn't believe....about 30,000 words so far. In fact, other than the characters and the basic story line, most of the story is brand new.

But we started talking about how I miss some of the scenes between my MC and her love interest but that I just couldn't keep them because the scenes no longer fit the dynamics of their relationship (they were very tender, gushy...love them, but their relationship has more of an edge to it now - there's more mistrust and other stuff going on instead of just straight 'OOOO I LOVE YOU SO MUCH' stuff).

And then we talked about how much I love the new scenes between them. And she pointed something out.

I still know about those scenes that are no longer in the book. Those scenes show how my characters really feel about each other - they show the emotions my characters can no longer afford to show. And all of that comes through in the new scenes.

It made me realize that THIS is probably the reason people do character sketches and fake interviews and bios or character bibles. I've never done one...never wanted to. I get to know my characters through writing them. BUT I have a tendency to let inconsistencies in their makeup slip through. I'm getting much better at catching that (and this is something that I've learned over the last year so it wasn't present when I wrote the first 100 drafts of this novel) :D (p.s. thanks Elana and Christine) :D I'm hoping that I'm just getting better at staying true to my characters...not that it will take several years to really get to know them every time. Because that could be a problem LOL

However, now, when I'm going through reworking these scenes, I am staying true to my characters and who they really are. I'm not forcing them to react the way I want them to react. When I first wrote the book, I wanted a story where they guy got the girl and they stayed together totally in love, totally trusting, through the whole book. But that's not only boring, it just doesn't fit the way real people are....and certainly doesn't fit who my characters are.

Rewriting these scenes and letting my characters' true natures shine out is just unbelievably exciting. *happy sigh* It's moments like this that really drive home to me why I do what I do :)

How about you? Have you ever tried to force a character to do something he/she/it just wouldn't do? Do you have trouble staying consistent? And do you do character sketches, etc before writing? I'm still not sure I have the desire to do one, but I can definitely see it's merits.

And how are my fellow NaNoers doing? I got my goal in last night so I am now up to.....

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Despised Character Lovers Anonymous

I mentioned on Monday that I'd revisit the whole "I like Bella" can of worms I cracked open. So, here we go.

*ahem* My name is Michelle McLean and I like the character of Bella from the Twilight series.

Now, let me clarify - I didn't like everything she did. Yes, I frequently wanted to slap her, and yes sometimes I rolled my eyes so hard I went crossed eyed. Do I think she was a compelling character who changed and learned and grew and developed throughout the series? Not necessarily. Do I realize that writers as a community tend to despise her? Yeah, I do.

So why do I like her?

Because I WAS her. I was the sorta klutzy girl that fell over walking out her own door. I was the girl that fell so head over heels in love that my world literally STOPPED every time my heart was broken. I lived and breathed for the love of my life (cause every single one of them was my soul mate, naturally). I always fell fast and hard and nose dived when things ended.

As I grew up, I learned to handle things differently. I didn't really figure out who I was and what I wanted out of life until I was near 30, and I continue to learn and grow, as one does as one gets older.

But Bella was only 17 turning 18....and she became a vampire at 18. At 18, I experienced EVERYTHING in extremes. The way Bella acted around Edward, the way she behaved when he left, the whole triangle drama with Jacob and Edward...I could soooo see myself reacting EXACTLY as she did.

I grew out of it....but at 18...yeah, I was Bella.

So, do any of you like, love, or at least relate to a character that the writing world at large hates? Do you force a laugh and mutter an "oh yeah, yeah, I feel the same way" when that character is reamed and secretly think "oh I so DON'T!"?

Come on, you can tell me...I won't laugh, I promise ;-)

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Does A Name Really Matter?

I know this has been discussed around the Webs before, but an incident with my son this weekend brought it to mind again. I was making lunch (grilled cheese sandwiches..can you guess where this is going?)

Me: "Would you like a grilled cheese sandwich?"
Son: "Nooooo."
Me: "Well, your sister and I are having one. What do you want then?"
Son: "A boy cheese sandwich."

Nothing I did, no explanation I gave, not even a cooking demonstration while making them would convince my son that there were no boy or girl cheese sandwiches, just GRILLED.

Finally, I said, "here's your boy cheese sandwich" and he promptly scarfed it down. The content of the sandwich didn't matter to him at all - it's what I called it that made it edible.

So it got me wondering....

How important is a name to you? Does the title of a book or the name of a character, or even the name of a creature or other item in a story make or break it for you? 

There have been a few instances where I hated the name of the character (Bella from Twilight is a prime example - though I did like her as a character...more on that later this week (I realize I'm in a huge minority on this one)) :D

But it didn't put me off the story. There have been instances where the name of a character or the title of a book have bugged me to the point where it pulled me out of the story or made me not pick the book up until peer pressure forced me to cave.

Has this ever happened to you? Does a name really matter that much?

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Blog Chain - What Do You Remember?

This round, the fabulous Shannon hit us with a great question:


Imagine this: when you're gone, readers will remember your writing most for just one of these things: your characters, your plots, your settings, or your style. Which one (only one!) would you prefer over the rest? Why?

I read this question and thought "heck, if people just read me, I'm thrilled" :D And if they remembered me for any of the above, then every second of every minute I spent writing would be worth it.

In order to answer this question, I thought back over the authors I love and what it is about their stories that stick with me. And it's the characters. The settings are in there in some cases (Diana Gabaldon created AMAZING settings in her Outlander series...I can close my eyes even years later and still see every setting in her books. Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games and Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth series are also both series where the settings really stuck with me.)

But mostly...it's the characters, and as Christine said, their relationships with each other. Jaime and Claire in the Outlander series, Trent and Jocelyn in The Braeswood Tapestry (one of my all time fave historical romances), the characters in Victoria Holt's gothic romances, Katniss, Min (my character :D ), and yes, even Bella, Edward and Jacob. Those characters are who I think about long after I've closed the book. They are what make me feel a little depressed when I've finished a good book. I miss them. I want to know what happens to them AFTER the story.

And that is what I'd love for people to take away from my stories. I'd love for them to be thinking about Min long after they've left her story behind. I'd love for them to wonder about Kesi and Ronan, think back to Cilla and Brynne and Lucy and daydream new stories for them. I want to create characters that my readers can't forget :)

What about you? What do you want people to remember about your writing?

Don't forget to go back and see what Laura wants you to remember and stop by Shaun's to read his response tomorrow :D

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Tutor Tuesday - Looking at Characters

First of all, happy 7th birthday to my little boy!!!! Can't believe how old he's getting :) 

Second, welcome to Tutor Tuesdays :D With the release of my non-fiction book fast approaching, (and since I closed down my other blog) I decided I'd devote one day a week to non-fiction matters, including writing tips for essays, papers and other NF things (memoirs, narratives, and anything else you can think of). Just a little non-fiction info to spice up the place :D

Our recent awesome Blogging Experiment topic (on Writing Compelling Characters) reminded me of a post I did on my other blog about focusing on characters when writing analysis essays.

If you have to write a book report or an essay analyzing a work of literature (or even a film), looking at the characters in the piece is an excellent way to start.

Characters are one of the most important, if not THE most important, element in any work of literature. Without a character, there is no story. Even if the story is about a frog...that frog is your main character. So, characters are a great element to look at when analyzing a work of literature for a paper or essay. Here are some questions you could ask about the characters in the story:



• Who are the characters?
• Who is the main character?
• Who is the main villain?
• What qualities/vices/characteristics/quirks/mannerisms do these characters have?
• What do these characteristics do for a particular character?
• What is the author trying to show with a certain character? For example, is the extreme evilness of the main villain supposed to symbolize the evil side of mankind? Does it work? Why or why not? 
• Do the characters personify anything? Qualities/characteristics/feelings? For example, if you were analyzing a story about a girl named Hope who went up against a villain named Dr. Evil, do these characters exhibit the qualities of hope and evil? Is Hope an optimistic person, etc?
• What flaws do the characters have? Or are they too perfect?
• Are the characters believable? Can you relate to them? Are they likable, intriguing, mysterious? How do these qualities affect the story?
Look at the characters from every possible angle and analyze what each character brings to the story. Think about why they are a part of the story, what their presence does, or does not, do for the story.

This also applies to fiction - take a look at your own stories and ask yourself the questions above. Analyzing your characters the way an English student writing an essay would is a great way to make sure they are fleshed out, well-rounded, unique, and doing the job you need them to do.

Have you ever given your characters a good analysis?

   

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Thirty Word Thursday - Another Way to Describe

Sometimes I can better describe a person by another person's reaction. In...my first book, I couldn't think of a way to 
sufficiently describe the charisma of a certain boy, 
so the narrator says, "I knew girls who saved his gum."  
— Amy Hempel 

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Blog Chain: So Many Authors, So Little Time

The topic for this round of the ol’ Blog Chain was chosen by our fabulous Christine Fonseca who wanted to know:


“Which author or authors have most influenced your writing and how?”

At first, I wasn’t quite sure how to answer this question. I guess because I think of it more in terms of authors who inspire me – inspire me to write better, write more, write in different ways. And the list of those incredible people is endless. So, I chose two. These two authors are the ones who inspired me to write in the first place.

Eleanor Alice Burford Hibbert – this incredible woman wrote under eight different pen names, but the ones I read the most were Victoria Holt, Jean Plaidy, and Philippa Carr. In fact, the books of Victoria Holt were the first novels I read. Her books have everything. She was able to blend history and romance and danger and mystery so flawlessly that I would get sucked into a story and read it cover to cover in one day. I am on a mission to own every book she ever wrote and have read the entire series of books under each of these names more times than I can count. I always keep her in mind when I write and try to aspire to include and blend the elements of my stories as seamlessly as she did.

Diana Gabaldon – again, an amazing writer whose storyworld is so expertly created, with historical elements blended so perfectly into her stories you feel like you are running through the 18th century with a bunch of Scottish highlanders. And her characters are so alive and real that I am still in love with Jamie, the Scottish chief that marries her main character, Claire, who feels like she is one of my best friends (which makes the fact that I am in love with her husband a little awkward *snort* Oh, and I swear I’m not insane, these characters just REALLY feel…well, REAL) :D

It’s been 2 years since I’ve reread the Outlander series and I still think about her world and characters on at least a weekly basis. Because of her, I aspire to create characters and settings that stay with my readers long after they’ve read my books.

Other authors who make me want to hang up my pen and inspire me to pick it up and use it better include Suzanne Collins, Charlaine Harris, Scott Westerfield, Orson Scott Card, Laurell K. Hamilton, Stephanie Meyer, J.K. Rowling, and many, many more.

Be sure to check out Shannon's answer from yesterday, and swing by Amanda's blog tomorrow to find out who influences her!

So tell me, who influences and/or inspires you? Why?

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Blog Chain: Creating New Worlds

Blog Chain time again! This round's topic was chosen by the ever awesome Cole, who wanted to know:



How do you get inside your character's world?

You know, to be honest, I read this question and my first thought was "I don't know! I just do!"

So I had to take a second and think about what I do when I start writing and building that world. I think at first, I just sort of have an idea of how things are. A character, a storyline pop into my head and they are a part of a world. I explore that world as I write. With each scene, the world gets a little more detailed as my character's go different places and experience different things.

I'll get to spots where I need to research something, details about what could or would be in the world in which my character lives (were there toilets in 1855? Does it snow in Nevada? What would a 200 year old tombstone look like?)

I love researching the details. It makes my worlds come alive and helps me create something real and fantastic.

I do find pictures that are similar to my character's world. I'll often use these as my desktop picture, just to keep me in the right mood. For example, my latest book has a pyramid of rocks as one of the key locations - there is an actual Pyramid Rock in Nevada that I use in my book. I did change things about it...exactly where it is set, etc. But my storyline revolves more around things Egyptian. So I have a picture of the Giza Pyramids as my desktop background....because they get me in the right mind frame.

I will often see locations and think "ooooo that would make such a cool location for a story!" Like the Pyramid Rock. Or the cemetery next door to my house. When I find locations like that, I do try to take or find pictures of them because they often will trigger storylines and scenes. I don't describe them exactly as they are in real life. They are more like the starting point for my storyworld. So it's never exact.

And I never do this for my actual characters. I might see someone in real life that has the same features as one of my characters. And I might see someone that I think might be a cool character in a book. But I don't think I've ever seen someone and thought "Ooo, that is my character!" It's more often going to be something like "Ooo, that guy has the same hair and eyes as Bryant" or something along those lines. I'm not sure why, but I think trying to describe something I'm looking at is harder for me than describing something I'm seeing in my own mind.

As I do revisions and rewrites, my characters and their world become more detailed, more vivid, more real to me. I learn more about them and their surroundings. It's sort of like in the first draft is our first meeting. I had a vague idea of who and where they were, but the more we meet, the more I get to know them and their world. And that helps to make revisions a little more fun and exciting...knowing that I'm going to come across something new and interesting about my storyworld. :)

How about you? How do you get into your characters' worlds? Do you find pictures of people and places or go by that fun movie playing in your head?

If you haven't read it yet, head over to Sandra's blog for her take on the subject and be sure to visit Kat tomorrow to see how she gets inside her characters' worlds :)

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Funny Cartoon Characters: Puzzled Squid

I was just goofing around drawing different things and came up with this puzzled squid character that I ended up using for a to-do list stationery design. Enjoy and have a great day.



Funny Cartoon Stationery: Squid-do list check boxe by nopolymon
Browse Funny cartoon to do lists Stationery

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