Jill Kemerer

Friday, May 1, 2009

Point of View Trick

Wow--it's Friday already! Hope you all have fabulous plans for the weekend!

Today, I'm going to share with you a little point of view trick I keep up my sleeve. If your book is written in first person, this tip won't help! But I'm guessing you don't have any point of view (POV) issues if you're writing in first person.

If you write in third person, either in one point of view or multiples, consider trying this for at least one scene.

Read the scene in first person.

First person? What are you talking about? It's written in third...duh!

It's easy if you try it. Let's say the scene you're reading is written in a woman's POV. Let's call her Jasmine. Simply pretend you're in her head when you're reading. Mentally replace every "she" and "Jasmine" with "me" or "I."

Why do this? It will point out any areas that you've shifted POV. Let's say the scene contains two characters: Jasmine and her mother. You can't very well be Jasmine and her mother at the same time.

Here's an example.

"You look tired. What on earth are you wearing?" Her mother shook her head and eyed her in disapproval. "When are you going to get your act together?"

Jasmine sighed. Her mother never failed to get on her nerves.

"I like my outfit," Jasmine said, looking down at her frayed jeans and tight tank top.

"Well, I don't!" Her mom spun on her heel and walked to the door. Why did Jasmine insist on looking like a hobo?

The above scene is written in third person from Jasmine's POV. I'll rewrite it below in first person so you can see where the POV shift takes place. Remember, you don't actually have to rewrite the scene in first person; you just have to mentally read the scene in first person.

"You look tired. What on earth are you wearing?" My mother shook her head and eyed me in disapproval. "When are you going to get your act together?"

I sighed. My mother never failed to get on my nerves.
"I like my outfit," I said, looking down at my frayed jeans and tight tank top.
"Well, I don't!" My mom spun on her heel and walked to the door. Why did I insist on looking like a hobo? (The line in red is a slip in POV. It's actually in her mother's head. This will jump out at you when you replace Jasmine with I.)

The technique is great for catching less obvious slip-ups too, like telling something the POV character couldn't possibly know.

Try it. You might like it. If not, well, you don't have to do it again!

Do you have little tricks to keep your POV's straight? Or do you write in whatever point of view suits your mood? Some of my favorite authors don't follow the current trend of staying in one point of view per scene, so I certainly don't think it's a cut and dried topic! I prefer to stay in one per scene because I think it adds more depth to the characters. I'd love to hear from you.

Enjoy your weekend!

Pictures of Characters

Have you ever read a book then looked at the cover and grimaced because the characters look nothing like they were described?

Yeah, me too.

For this very reason, I resisted finding pictures of real people to base my characters on. After all, my characters are conjured in my imagination. No one could possibly live up to the images in my head!

A few books ago, though, I had a change of heart. I'd find myself having to look up the heroine's eye color. I couldn't remember if the hero had brown or black hair. I knew I had to change.

Now, I fill out my character sheets for a new book, and when I form a mental picture of the hero and heroine, I spend a few hours on the internet, searching for models/actresses/musicians who come close to the ideal. I thought it would be much harder than it is. I've been fortunate to find the perfect picture for each character. Once I find them, I print out one or two pictures and stab the pics into my corkboard. The hero and heroine will be right there in front of me the entire first draft.

By the way, my current book features the gorgeous Teresa Palmer and the not-too-shabby Eric Martsolf. It's really not difficult to gaze at these two all day long! (Curious? Check them out: Teresa Palmer and Eric Martsolf.)

What about you? Do you find pictures of your characters? Or does the idea turn you off? I'd love to hear from you.

Join me on Friday. We'll be talking about a fun Point of View trick I like to employ.

And...

Write Already! It's Wednesday!

What Kind of Reviser Are You?

Do you love revising? Or do you hate it? How in depth do you revise? At what stage of the manuscript?

I revised minimally with my first few books mainly because I didn't know what to look for. Then, when I began to learn more and realized there were about a million things to examine, revising became a time-consuming and tedious process. I hated it!

Since I'm an analytical, systematic type of gal, I thought, "I'll form my own revising system and I'll get better!" For the most part, it worked. I write my first draft as polished and as quickly as possible. I don't look back, nor do I revise as I go. When I'm finished, I set the manuscript aside and I revise my previous manuscript--the one I wrote a few months ago. This gives me much needed space to give a critical eye to my work. I won't revise the current book until I finish revising the previous one and I finish writing the first draft of the next one.

I know many of you are weeping in horror. It does seem grievous to "shove Baby in a corner" so soon after writing it. I do it because I get too close to my story, and a slew of little things get overlooked. I need to have a few months distance from a final draft; many other writers don't.

I do lose precious submitting time with this method. If I were to revise my manuscript immediately upon completion, I would be able to query it right away. But I write category romance novels, and I only submit one project at a time. Months can pass before I get a response on a project already submitted. I'd rather have a few terrific manuscripts waiting at home than a few so-so projects waiting on an editor's desk.

Many writers write a chapter and revise it until it's perfect. Then they move on to the next chapter. Other writers write the first draft and then revise it. Some writers write such a wonderful first draft, their revisions are minimal. (Wouldn't that be nice?)

We're all different. What works for one won't work for another. Play around with different methods until you find the one that suits you best.

I actually enjoy revising now. Once I learned that I could drastically improve my book by looking for key things, I found revising pleasurable.

I want to share one widely toted revision tip that works wonders. I'm sure you've heard of it. Maybe you use it yourself?

Read your manuscript out loud.

The spoken word will alert you to words in the wrong sequence. It will point out formal writing. Do you use the same phrase, the same words, over and over? Reading out loud will point them out. Stilted dialogue will scream to get fixed. Reading out loud takes time, but it pays off.

What's your revision process? Do you read your work out loud? I'd love to hear from you.

Join me on Wednesday when we'll discuss the pros and cons of finding pictures to represent main characters.

And...

Get Motivated! It's Monday!

Distractions

Nothing distracts me. Nope. I don't get up fifteen times an hour for more coffee. Bowl full of Kissables downstairs? Don't think twice about it. Giant cat meowing up at me from the floor? Don't hear her, nor do I stop to pick her up, set her on my lap, and pet her incessantly until she settles down.

Distractions are simply not an issue in my life.

Are you rolling on the floor laughing right now? Yeah, me too! I get distracted every ten minutes. It's not easy keeping my rear glued to the seat. I'm sure you find a way to get writing in, one way or another, so I'm not going to focus on the daily distractions of writing. What about the broader aspects of writing, though?

Earlier in the year we set writing-related goals. How are you doing with them?

Did you intend to read five books on writing craft this year and realize you've read zero?

Did you tell yourself you'll take an online course once every three months, but you haven't signed up for any?

Or was this the year you were going to either design your website or hire it out, but it keeps getting shuffled to next week's to-do list?

What distracted you? Did the task seem impossible when you thought about it? Did you fail to write your goals down? Or did you think that you'd have plenty of time to do them--later?

Don't beat yourself up. If something is important to you, you'll do it. The key is to write it down and to plan for it. There's nothing worse than letting time slip past you and realizing you have not done the things you wanted to do.

Go ahead and review your goals for the year. What has distracted you? Do you still want to accomplish them? Maybe the idea of reading five books on the writing craft doesn't really appeal to you. Consider other ways of learning. Do you enjoy the internet? Print off great articles on writing and collect them in a binder. Maybe you would prefer interaction? Join a writing group or take a college course.

If your goal was to start your own website, talk to people you know who have experience with websites. Look into design programs. Take a seminar on website design, or take an online course about HTML code or WYSIWYG programs.

If your life is beyond busy, consider dropping most of your goals off your list. Life feels better when you don't have bottled up expectations in the back of your head. Go ahead; make a new list with only one goal: writing.

What distracts you? A giant cat? Loud toddlers? The bag of Doritos in the cupboard? Telephone? Internet? All of the above? I'd love to hear from you!

Enjoy your weekend!

Yoga Plotting

Yoga Plotting? Okay, it's not the greatest title. No, you're not going to break into the Lotus position while thinking up character names, nor will you do Downward Facing Dog to come up with the black moment (although these positions might help!). Yoga Plotting refers to maintaining a flexible attitude as you prepare to write the first draft of your next manuscript.

Stop pansters! Don't run away! The word "plot" doesn't have to terrify. I'm urging both plotters and pansters to consider trying on different pre-writing methods.

I'm a plotter. Can't help it--I was born that way. I'm analytical. I adore charts. Maps excite me. That's kind of creepy isn't it?

Do you know how many ways there are to plot a novel? Countless! Every writer I know has a slightly different method. Some don't plot; they sit down and start writing, and they have no desire to ruin the story by doing any preliminary work. Some do a small amount of plotting; they may know who the main characters are, the setting, and a brief idea of where the story is headed. Others do major plotting; they know every character, every plot twist, and every scene.
I plotted my first three books minimally and filled in the blanks as I wrote, but I struggled through the middles of each of these books. Last summer, I decided to play around with different plotting methods to find the one that would enable me to write the best book possible. After four more books, I found the hybrid plotting method that fits me perfectly.

My only complaint about trying on different plotting methods is that not every one works. Oh, the method works for someone--just not me. I tried the writing every scene on an index card method and let's just say I won't be using it again. Ever. However, I know other writers who adore writing every scene on an index card and poking each card on a giant corkboard.

A few things to ask yourself:

1. Are there sections of a novel that I slow down and struggle with?

2. Do I have a bad habit of not tying up loose ends because I've forgotten what they are?

3. Am I aware of my use of POV? (If it's written in more than one POV, what's the ratio of the scenes written in the various POV's? Is one hogging the spotlight?)

4. Do I forget names of secondary characters, physical attributes of main characters, or other minor details and waste time searching for the data midway through the project?

5. Do I know the main characters' goals, motivations, and conflicts? Are they the focus of the book?

If you have trouble with any of the above, consider trying on different plotting methods. It can be as minor as keeping a log of information as you write your first draft. This sheet could be your master reference so you can easily find the name of the schoolteacher you introduced in chapter two.

If you struggle through portions of your first draft, consider coming up with a more detailed outline. Better yet, determine the major scenes beforehand and spend a little time thinking up intermediate scenes. You can also assign whose point of view the scene should be written in.
Write down subplots as you introduce them. When you're ready to revise, check off the loose ends that have been tied up.

Whether you're a panster or a plotter, I highly recommend keeping a written record of your main characters' goals, motivations, and conflicts. This information will keep your book heading in the right direction.

My current method of plotting is highly detailed. I keep a spreadsheet as a one-stop information station. The spreadsheet contains several pages to keep me on track. I do detailed character charts, GMC's, a brief outline, a one-page synopsis, a four-page synopsis, and a scene chart. The scene chart has been the biggest time saver for me. I'm able to write faster because I've listed each scene, whose POV it will be in, what chapter it will take place in, along with the scene question, scene goal, the characters, time and setting. That's a ton of info to squeeze into one line but it works.

If you're interested in trying different plotting techniques, get a few books out of the library, read author blogs, and check out writing websites--they all give advice on different methods. Try the one that appeals to you most and, while you're doing it, ask yourself if it's working for you. What do you like about it? What don't you like about it? Is there something you can keep from one method but merge with a different technique? Don't be afraid to come up with your own unique plotting method. The goal is to make your writing life easier!

How do you approach a new manuscript? Do you need oodles of details or do you prefer to wing it? Are you willing to tweak your current method? Or do you feel your method is perfect? I'd love to hear from you!

Join me on Friday when we'll discuss what we can do right now to avoid distractions. Let's close in on our goals!

And...

Write Already! It's Wednesday!

Gripes About Grammar

Grammar. Punctuation. Spelling.

Do these three words mean anything to you? On a scale of 1 to 10, how important are they?

Have you ever thought, or heard, the following? I can fix the grammar; it's the content that matters. (I've heard this refrain from many unpublished authors.)

Okay, okay, I'll admit grammar can be fixed, but I'd love to know if it actually does get fixed. Or, to put it another way, do writers even know when they're using poor grammar, incorrect spelling, or punctuation that defeats the meaning of the sentence? If you can fix the grammar, why write it wrong in the first place? Wouldn't you have written it correctly the first time?

I get the impression that many writers feel grammar is the least important part of the book. Writing, at the most basic level, is the act of stringing words together; grammar rules enable the words to mean what the writer intends.

Least important part of writing? I don't think so.

Grammar, punctuation, and spelling do matter. Spelling is the easiest to fix; spell-check and the dictionary rarely lie. Punctuation and grammar pose a trickier problem. It can be confusing to know where to put a comma, and not everyone agrees on the correct placement. A few good reference books will steer you in the right direction.

When someone reads your work, they form a first impression of you by your writing skills. They may get so distracted by the lack of commas, the incorrectly spelled words, and the dangling modifiers that they can't comprehend the content. They'll begin to think you're uneducated. You may be a genius, but they won't recognize it, and no, they won't be impressed.

Here's a simple mathematical formula: grammatical errors=unprofessional; polished writing=professional.

Grammar rules help your writing. Ignoring them will not help you get published. Even if you think you're the master of grammar, consider asking a writer friend (preferably one with strong grammar skills) to check a few pages of your work for errors. We tend to make the same mistakes over and over. An outside eye will pick up any problems, and you can apply the knowledge to the rest of your work. Another good idea is to review a grammar book every six months.

One more note on the topic: make a conscious effort to always write with correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling--even in your rough drafts. You'll save time, improve your skills, and gain confidence. Grammar matters.

Where do you fit in? Do you write with little or no punctuation in your first draft? Do you fix the problems later? Or do you write as polished as possible at all times?

Join me on Wednesday when we'll discuss flexibility (or what I like to call Yoga Plotting).

And...

Get Motivated! It's Monday!

Fun Friday

It's Friday! Time to have some fun!

I hope you love baby animals as much as I do. Since spring officially arrived (please, no more snow!) I thought I'd post a few adorable videos courtesy of YouTube.