Persnickety POV: First Person vs. Third Person.

POV is always an interesting subject. For writers, and even some readers, it's a source of great debate. Every person has their own opinions and preferences, myself included. The question then is: Which should YOU choose?

Whichever one you like.

That might seem too straightforward, but really there's no right or wrong answer. Certain genres lend more acceptance to one or the other, but that doesn't mean your story won't sell or readers will ridicule you for stepping outside the box.

So, how do you choose? Let's explore that thought a little further.


Narrative Distance

This is how far from the POV the reader feels from the story. The more distance you put between the protagonist or narrator, the less attached the reader feel from the lead character. Your plot and characters are a couple of things that will help you out when choosing which route to take. You have to ask yourself: Do I want this story to be observed or be experienced? And there's no wrong answer.

Some people don't like first person because they think it takes away from the story itself. I personally favor it, because I'm such a character driven person, and I love being inside their head. I want to experience their journey first, followed by the actual journey. Others don't like third person because it limits how attached the reader will feel to what's happening. If you haven't lived through their angst/joy/triumph first-hand, that takes away from your experience.

Preference plays an important role in choosing between the two. If you feel more at ease and confident writing first person, don't choose third simply because you think it'll sell better with your target genre. A GOOD story will sell itself but only if it's written well. There's no need to force a POV for something as trivial as "the norm" of the genre.


Exploring Narrative Distance

Narrative distance has a few options because, like the term implies, there's distance involved. How much distance is up to you. Here's what I mean.
 

Far Narrative Distance

Evie sighed and decided to put on the first clean shirt she came to.

This is an example of far narrative distance. By using the word “decided,” the author is telling the reader what the character is doing. We don't see Evie make that choice. Using far distances puts the reader on the observation deck, oftentimes getting information the character doesn't even know from an unknown narrator.  

Medium Narrative Distance

Evie spotted the overflowing clothes hamper and sighed. This shirt will work, she thought.

This sentence falls under a medium narrative distance. We've added the phrase, “she thought,” which allows the reader to get inside Evie's head. The reader sees Evie's actions, but they need to see what she's thinking. Medium distances uses phrases like "she noticed" or "she considered" to remind us that we're still reading a story. We can "see" the action, but the mental stuff has to be there because we aren't fully in the character's head.

Close Narrative Distance

 

Evie spotted the overflowing clothes hamper and sighed. No time to do laundry.

This example is close narrative distance. The way we see that is because there aren't explanations from the author. The reader "hears" Evie thinking just as she thinks it. Close distances let the reader see, hear, think, everything at the same moment the character does. If something is contrary to what the character thinks, we have to figure it out as they do.


Choosing Which POV to Use

 

You have to listen to your instincts here and choose the POV you believe work best. If your story is telling you it wants/needs to be in third person, take that into consideration even if it's different than what you're used to. A note of caution, if you choose to write first person, be absolutely certain your character is interesting enough to write about! If you still aren't sure, consider this...

1. Think about the plot.
 
Do you have a plot that revolves around multiple subplots/events? Are there places where the story would drag if the reader was solely focused on one character? Will there be scenes that don't involve the main character, yet need to be explored? If you choose to write first person, you limit yourself entirely to ONE person's head. The reader misses everything the character misses. While it's becoming more and more popular to go between character POVs per chapter, this doesn't always work well! If you have a plot that revolves around one character pursuing their goal, then your POV is optional.

2. Think about the characters. 

In my book, Haven, I I knew Ashton was the focus of the story. I never considered doing anything but first person because A) I preferred it; B) It made sense because the story revolves around her life and journey. If you have a slew of great characters, each with their own vital role to play in the story, third person may be the better way to go. As most people have read the Twilight series, we all know there were times no one wanted to be in Bella's head. (No snarky comments needed here, guys ;) Meyer made an interesting choice to switch to Jacob's POV in Breaking Dawn. While it was somewhat jarring after three books, it was the better idea. The reader gained valuable info on what the wolf pack was doing and missed out on some tremendously boring pregnancy scenes.


The wrong POV can hurt a story and limit its potential, but as long as the story is good, the POV won't matter. In other words, don't worry about your story not doing well from a POV perspective. People have preferences, and you can't do anything about that. Write your story the best way you know how using the best POV for the job. If you feel like you can only do that in one type, then write everything in that type. If you can handle both, choose what feels best for that particular story.

Which style do you prefer to read or write?

Happy writing!

A Day in the Life of Writer-Mom.

I find it funny that one of the most common questions I've seen in interviews is: How do you balance being a writer (AKA marketing lackey, publicist, critique partner, editor, mental health counselor, etc.) and a mom (AKA cook, maid, chauffeur, nurse, dedicated alarm clock, surgeon of stuffed toys, etc.)?
So, I thought I'd give you guys a peek into the glamorous life that is writer-mom.
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6:00 AM -- Alarm clock goes off. Unbeknownst to me, I hit snooze.

6:10 AM -- Do it 3 more times.

6:44 AM -- Fly out of bed, realizing I've overslept, again, and scramble to wake the natives. Put dogs outside.

7:07 AM -- Moderate burn from iron. Can't find matching socks to save my life. Wrestle the kids into the clothes while they insist on pirouetting through the living room. Let dogs inside.

7:10 AM -- Yell at dogs for eating out of child's cereal bowl. Crying child gets a consolatory granola bar.

7:30 AM -- Kids leave. Walk through the house, turning off every light upstairs that is inexplicably left on every day for no reason at all. Throw in a load of laundry. Pick up the crap in the floor that's in my direct path. Silently curse dog for eating insole of shoe. Shouldn't she be full after the cereal?

8:00AM -- Put dogs outside quickly. They're full of foam and Lucky Charms. Check email, FB, Twitter, Triberr, and 15 other app tabs at the top of computer. Shout out books and awesome people. Contemplate blogging but brain isn't working. Open current WIP doc and Google search window. Twitter app tab's lit up. Hop over there. Conversation ensues.

8:10AM -- Let dogs in. Swap out laundry. Debate folding load removed from dryer. Back to Twitter, er, work.

11:00 AM -- Notice it's now 11:00. Stomach growls, nothing sounds particularly appealing. Eat a spoonful of peanut-butter. Put dogs outside. Another load of clothes in. Plop back down in makeshift computer chair and continue wondering why exactly the lights were on at all this morning? What's remotely interesting in the closet? Very long rabbit trail follows along these lines: I need to clean out the closet. That means Tupperware and donation boxes which means I'd have to go to the store. Looks at clock. No time today. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow. I'll have to remember to get some mushrooms. I wonder why mushrooms make my feet hurt? I'm so old... Phone call.

12:45 PM -- Crap. It's after noon. Make the most of time and shout out books and people again. Check clock. Just over an hour to write, and I still haven't showered. Sulk to the bathroom, bypassing dirty dishes. Quick stop to let dogs in.

1:39 PM -- Get into perfect, harmonious writing groove.

1:50 PM -- Alarm goes off on my phone, reminding me to pick up my kids, because yes, I have to be reminded. Frantically type, trying to squeeze 5 hours worth of writing into 20 minutes.

2:35 PM -- Fuss at myself for not leaving on-time 10 minutes earlier. Pray I have enough gas to get one city over. It's too late to stop now.

2:50 - 3:20 PM -- Stuck waiting at school. Work thumbs to nubs trying to make most of sit-in time and do more marketing. Decide that's not interesting. Play Plants vs. Zombies.

4:00 PM -- Make it home after going through another exhaustive explanation about why McDonald's and donuts don't make for a healthy after-school meal. Break up senseless argument about imaginary medicine. Kindly demand youngest child stop making faces at oldest child. Repeat process when retaliation is sought. Threaten grounding for all involved. Pouting and tears ensue. Eye begins to twitch. Put dogs out.

4:09 - 6:27 PM -- Various household chores that are over a week behind. Scrounge around for dinner. Break up fight over which hair bow looks best. Remind kids to eat, not play. Insist on all toys being put away. Let dogs in. Remind anyone within earshot to feed the chickens and the cat.

7:00 - 7:45PM -- Homework. Step over toys still scattered through house. Bathe kids. Clean their teeth. Pajamas for all. Listen to oldest's dissertation on why a later bedtime should be in order. Shoot down dissertation for the umpteenth time. Read story. Decline request for second story and TV. Grit teeth through whining. Eye continues twitching. Put dogs out.

Credit Chris at exhausted.com

8:03 - 9:15PM -- Quiet time with hubby, less the two interruptions from youngest child wanting to lay on couch/floor/chair/etc. Let dogs in. Phone call.

9:22PM -- Head to bed, intent on enough sleep tonight. Pajamas. Teeth. Pick up book to relax for 10 minutes.

12:43AM -- Lay down book. Turn off light. Think about book for 30 minutes. Finally fall asleep.
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It's okay to be jealous of me ;) In all seriousness, balancing writing with anything else is a tough act. It can get overwhelming. When your writing, you feel like you should be cleaning. When you're cleaning, you feel like you should be spending more time with your family. And when you're with your family, you're thinking about that deadline looming over your head.

I get lost in all the To-Do's and tend to want to shut down entirely. The important thing to remember is, at the end of the day, if you can't get your word count where you intended or your clothes are laying on the table, still not folded, the world won't come crashing down. You get another chance tomorrow. So, enjoy your family. Your children won't be children forever. And while some days it gets to be a lot to handle, just think about how blessed you are to have two, capable hands.

Happy writing!

See Bob Market Like a Boss

Marketing. That ever-evolving, never-ending, stress containing part of authorhood. It's a necessary evil and something that can make or break your career.

We've all seen it ... those really bad books that do inexplicably well simply because some marketing genius got a hold of it and morphed it into a 19th century regrow your hair! tonic.

Likewise, there are brilliantly written books out there that never see the light of day because the author isn't a marketing god. In most cases, you have authors who are indie, self-pubbed, or small press who go into publishing with the same mindset the rest of us had at one point or another: I'm a writer. I have good books. People will automatically want to read them, and I can focus wholly on my craft.

Um, no.

What most writers don't know is, without marketing, your career will crash and burn like one of those high school movie spoofs. The market is competitive enough with books that are highly promoted. Your little indie project is already at an epic disadvantage.

So, how do you market without being a Bob, you ask? (To find out about Bob, click here.) I'm still figuring that one out myself, but I do have a few tips on the things I've learned or have worked for me. Keep in mind what works for one may not work for all. Find your groove, and stick with it. The important thing is consistency!

Twitter:

Twitter has become my largest marketing tool BY FAR! It's free. It's easy. It's pretty much idiot-proof. There are #hashtags and RT's galore. Readers, writers, and bloggers abound making it easy to find those who share your passions. Twitter should become your best friend. Trust me on this one.

How to Utilize Twitter

Because so many people are on Twitter, it takes a matter of seconds to be inundated with quotes, and rants, and cheers in the timeline. For this reason, it's both easy and challenging to leave a mark in the feed. The good thing is, there's a lot of wiggle room to shout out your stuff, because it's going to get buried beneath a mile of Beiber and Damon Salvatore love before you can even send the thing. So tweet and tweet again!

Personally, I tweet about HAVEN 5 or 6 times a day, trying to leave a few hours in between. It's good to watch your sales, RT's, and shout outs to see what time people are online. Before 9AM, lunch, and oddly late hours seem to be my running theme. Yours may be different depending on whether you have more work friends or school friends. Teens keep different hours than adults!

Create a catchy one-liner or description to capture attention. A line from your book or one sentence from a glowing review works well. Also, the use of popular hashtags is a nice touch. #YA #urbanfantasy etc work well for those readers looking for something specific!

Last, but by no means least, NEVER, EVER, EVER direct message, email, or inbox someone you've just met saying: Thanks for the follow. Here's a link to my book if you want to buy it! This is rude and presumptuous and just plain irritating. If you're polite, 87% ( <-- a="" all="" always="" an="" at="" book="" check="" comment="" cover="" do="" for="" goes="" great="" i="" if="" interesting="" is="" it="" like="" long="" me.="" my="" on="" or="" out="" p="" people="" positively="" possible.="" premise="" reciprocate="" respond="" retweet="" sounds="" statistic="" theirs="" them.="" them="" this="" to="" want="" way="" when="" will="" you.="" your="">
Follow back! Seems like such an obvious thing, but for some, it isn't. If a fellow writer, reader, or anyone who looks remotely sane and non bot-ish follows you, follow them back. I'm not saying hop on board all trains, but blogger cars, reader wagons, and writer buses are win-win. You're going to want pals on your team when it comes time to get the word out. I can't tell you how many times I've seen promotions fall by the wayside because an author expected his 32 followers to chip their nails clicking away for free advertisement on their computers. If you don't shout out their stuff, they won't shout out yours. Try not to be self-serving, yo!

Facebook:

Facebook is a little more difficult to navigate. If you have a good base such as a blog with tons of followers, it can work well. For the most part, I don't have any sales generate from Facebook friends. Though I will say, friends of friends sales are excellent. For example, I get messages all the time from people I don't know, saying: I'm friends with your mom, or your husband and I went to school together. So, while personal sales aren't the highest, that friends and family bonus plays nicely!

How to Utilize Facebook

First thing, Facebook is more of a get-into-your-life social platform. Conversation is limited to 140 characters on Twitter. Harder to get to know people. Facebook has About Me, Interests, Photos, Education, Criminal History...

Okay, I made that last one up. The point is, heavy marketing here is just frustrating to people who haven't blocked you ... yet. In my opinion, it's okay to talk about what's going on with your work. It's okay to showcase interviews, blog tours, and giveaways, but no one wants the same sales pitch showing up in their timeline six times a day. Guaranteed block. Sell here sparingly, guys.

Also, if you're active on FB as a normal person -- i.e. you have pictures of your kids and you talk about watching underwater polo games all the time -- that isn't the page to talk about your writing. Start a fan page. As much as your college mates love and support you, they aren't nearly as excited as your book blogger mates. Confine the book stuff (that isn't epic news) to an author page. Keep your personal life and your author life separate as much as possible.

On this same note, if you do have an author page, a personal page, a book page, and a fan page for your blog, don't swamp your friends and fans by posting the exact same thing on each page. I see this often. Bob is excited to show latest interview, so he posts on EVERY frakkin feed he has. Suddenly, I can't see the bottom of my page. Now, I've missed out on Bob's life, because I've hidden all but one feed simply so I can stay in some sort of loop. I know it sounds backward, but I swear, posting on every feed is the opposite of helpful, and honestly, there's usually no reason.

There are countless opportunities to market! I've only highlighted a couple for now, but it's a good jumping off point. Just remember, be courteous and at least act like your interested in other people's lives. No one is going to support a douche-canoe.

Happy writing.

As a Matter of Fact, You Can Judge a Cover. Pt III

Part III of III: The Analytical post.

Congratulations, you made it! Today I want to wrap up the cover discussion with actual layout and design. Now, mind you, I'm a bit peculiar in my ways, so me liking or not liking something doesn't always follow the trend. However, there is still a general template to follow no matter your tastes or preferences.

As we discussed before, you need to know your reader and your subject matter. For me, choosing the perfect cover was as paramount as the story itself. The cover is the first thing a reader will see. It needs to send the right message, fit into the YA paranormal-romance field, but yet be unique and striking. Not an easy task, I'll tell you, but my cover designer is brilliant, and his skill made all the difference.

Step One: Your Background Image
Is your story the one with Princess Fluffernutter and the search for her one true love? You're probably going to want a background image that portrays such a scene. Castles, dragons, cyclops fairies...whatever. The point is, your background needs show the setting of the story without drawing the eye fully. It needs to be subtle, but noticeable. This is your first option. Think Harry Potter.

Harry is the first thing you see, but the background is full of other characters and creatures that are vital to the story.

Your second option, you can go the less obvious route and choose a solid or textured background. This is a great idea if you're going for something striking or if you have an A) excellent focal point (see the following section), or B) a busy focal point. Think all of the Twilight covers or Bree Despain.


Plain, black background makes for a more vivid focal point. Consider your storyline, or simply a striking image to figure out which suits you.

Step Two: Your Foreground Image or Focal Point
This is the image you want to capture your audience. It needs to stand out and draw immediate attention to the cover. This is your selling point! Faces are the trend at the moment (though I thoroughly dislike full-on faces for most covers) so here's where you're going to add the beautiful princess looking pouty, irresolute, or whatever her purpose is in the story. Readers need to see her and wonder why her expression is set the way it is. They need to marvel at her vividly red hair and mysterious eyes. You get one chance to capture the reader's attention. Take advantage of it! I really liked this one. I'm intrigued by her role in the story.


She looks like she's up to something, doesn't she? And what's with the flowers? I would pick this up, despite my aversion to faces, just because it's eye-catching. Whatever style you choose, whatever your focal point, stand out, be bold even if it's subtly, and make an impact.

Step Three: Font
This seems like such an easy task, but for me, it was one of the more difficult. I wanted a font that captured the title of my story as well as the story itself. Not so easy! In my mind, I was looking for something like the font on Beautiful Creatures.


This is a great cover all around, in my opinion, but the font really pops. In this case, the font is actually the focal point. It captures the feel of story and in conjunction with the background, you get a good idea of what to expect. Very well done. If you don't have a dark, mysterious story, this font likely wouldn't work for you.

**Take note however, if your cover is busy, unless your story warrants it, keep your font simple. Think about where you want the readers focus and concentrate on that. Keep it clean, simple, and easy to read when you can.

I hope you guys have learned more quickly what it took me a while to understand!

As a Matter of Fact, You Can Judge a Cover. Pt II

Hey guys! Thanks for coming back for part II of our cover discussion. Today I want to address the ever lingering questions: How do I find a good cover designer? (The word "good" is super important there.) And of course, What should I expect from them?

Well, coming at this from a what-I-experienced-myself mindset, I'll tell you. Finding a the designer(s) is the tough part. There is countless talent out there, but one talent isn't a fit for every project. You MUST find someone who shares your vision. Being an awesome designer is a broad term.

I'll give you some examples. Just image for a moment you see this:


That's a sick cover, right? I mean, it's enticing. It alludes to some darkness in the story. It feels creepy and mysterious. Brilliant design.

Now, what do you see here?


I see something light and girly that is probably full of whimsical felicity and charming princes.

**Disclaimer: I haven't read either of these. This is just a cover post ;)

Now, perhaps the same person designed both these covers and he/she is very good. Most likely though, a designer was chosen by their experience and taste in that particular field. They both did an outstanding job, but if you have a dark, mysterious story with a Tim Burton-esque feel to it, you don't want whimsical. (If you do have a dark, Tim Burton-esque story, please email me with details ;) Likewise, if Princess Fluffernutter is seeking her one, true love, an ominous forest surround by glowing eyes isn't going to fit the bill.

Now then, what should you do? Search through several designers. Talk to them. Get a feel for their personality and style. SEE EXAMPLES OF THEIR WORK. Get referrals and compare prices. Tell them what you want up front, and ask them what they envision. Clear the path before you sign a deal! And please don't think you have to spend a fortune to get a great cover. I promise you that isn't the case. But shop around to find the designer who will best suit your needs.

Next time, we'll discuss ideas, styles, and layouts. By the end of this mini-series, you will know what I learned the not so easy way!

As a Matter of Fact, You Can Judge a Cover. Pt I

This is going to be a mini-series of posts since I have a knack for following the most difficult path possible, before I randomly stumble over the writing-stone of obvious.

As many of you know, I've been on the all-encompassing journey to develop the perfect book cover. I openly admit, I went about it somewhat blindly, and it made for a very stressful adventure. **I don't recommend this route, just so you know.**

A book cover is the first thing people see when they're Googling your novel or perusing the shelves at the local bookstore. It has to stand out, to beckon the wandering eye with promises of excitement, romance, or mystery. A good cover tells the story of what's inside without being overstated. A good cover is hard to come by.

There are may factors that go into cover design. I'm by no means an authority on the matter, but I've learned a few things in my own process. Shall I share them? It'll cost you 25 cents. If you said "No, thanks. I don't like you anyway," well, you can have your quarter back. If you answered, "Yes! Why shouldn't we benefit from your ignorance?" then you can keep your quarter as a reward for your honesty!

There are a couple of ways of going about design.

The first way is the easiest: You don't care what's on the front or what your font looks like as long as it's eye catching and awesome. Good for you. Your designer loves you.

The second, since easiest is taken, is the hardest: You have an idea of what you want...or better yet, you have a whole vision of how your cover is going to look sitting next to NYT best-sellers! You imagine the perfectly formed Ocelot no one can create, overlaid with embossed spots made from every texture imaginable, and you smile. Congratulations, your designer hates you now. Just kidding! ...but not really. It's true.

If you follow the same path as me, there are a few things you should know about your cover and how things work. Today, I'll address images since you have that complicated little Ocelot in your head. This is an Ocelot by the way...



STEP ONE: Images.

Your image MUST be A) public domain. What does that mean? It means it belongs to no one in particular, B) your own image that you created either on your own or a combo of PD pics and Photoshop, C) a picture you yourself took, or D) you have written permission to use a copyrighted image for profit. That profit word is very important in asking for permission. People are less generous when there is money to be made. Just a fact.

STEP TWO: Fonts.

Fonts fall under a similar agreement, but with a couple of differences.
Option One: Standard fonts. These come on your computer when you buy it, and are fair game. No worries when you use them for any reason profit or otherwise.
Option Two: Downloadable fonts. There are multiple factors here, and more factors to those factors. I'm going to attempt to break these down further.
*Free to download: You are free to download them. You MUST check user license from the CREATOR to use these for profit. I myself had to do this. Just because it's free to download does not mean it's free to use if you're going to benefit from it. Under this falls the question: How frequently will you profit from the font use? You can only sell so many if you don't have an unlimited user licensing agreement. Be forewarned!
*Purchasable fonts: Those are pretty self explanatory. You pay for them from the get-go. Each site is different when it comes to user licensing. There are Standard End, Multi-user, Web-server, and so on. Please research each site's requirements and find the one that best suits your needs. Most of these people are pretty helpful.

STEP THREE: Anything written on the front or back.

If you have a quote from your favorite author, poet, or song, you'd better give full credit. Seems like an obvious, and I hope it is, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention it.

So, for part II of the series, I'll be talking about finding a good cover designer and what to expect.