I’ve edited more novels this year than ever before. What I’ve observed (without pointing fingers at anyone in particular) is that a lot of inexperienced story writers make the same mistakes. One area of particular challenge is point of view. What is it? The term “point of view” pertains to the filter through which readers experience any particular scene in a story. Point of view occurs through the filter of the five senses and includes thoughts, memories, and really anything that can go on in a character’s head. One common rule of fiction writing today (which definitely wasn’t true one hundred years ago) is that point of view must remain consistent from the beginning of a scene (a slice of action in a story) to its end. What’s wrong with it? Readers want to experience story while “in the skin” not of the author but of one story character per scene…
Note: Previously published as a guest post at Thoughts of a Sojourner My Unconventional Path to Publication My boss sank into a chair across from my desk, hung his head, and delivered news no employee wants to hear. “We’re making cutbacks here at the college, and I’m afraid”—he took a deep breath and let it out—”your position is being eliminated.” A two-by-four to the side of the head couldn’t have jolted me more. What!? They’re cutting my job? It was January 13, 2006, and I was sitting in my office (see photo) at Northland Baptist Bible College (now Northland International University), where I’d been serving as an editor since 1995. With a BA in print journalism, I was in charge of editing and writing content for all sorts of campus publications: promotional brochures, a magazine, the academic catalog, the yearbook, even the website. And now, in five months, I’d no longer…
See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, and Part 9. #10: If a publisher accepts my novel, they’ll just make a few changes and print it. Acceptance of a novel for publication means a publisher is happy with the heart—the essence—of the overall story and believes that publication of said story shows strong potential for bringing in a good financial return. But that doesn’t mean the novel is perfect. Not by a long stretch. Rare is a manuscript that doesn’t need some level of work. That’s what the revision stage is for. Revisions? Say what? The newbie says in a timid voice, “But I thought . . . well . . . I guess I thought the publisher would . . . well, you know . . . just have the manuscript proofread and then print it.” Uh no. Before publication, manuscripts can go through quite a bit of…
Recently, a family member told me how much she liked the tagline “Meaning Suspense” I chose for my website. She asked me where I got the idea. While explaining my heart, I realized that others may also wonder about the two important words that not only define the novels I like to write but also embody my philosophy as a Christian author. Which is what exactly? I’m glad you asked. Let me answer that question by painting a picture in your mind. Imagine a crowd from all walks of life and worldviews crammed into the largest auditorium on the planet. Now, imagine you’ve been given a microphone and a request to tell them the most amazing story you can imagine. You have exactly one hour to speak. And no more. When the time’s up, you may never have opportunity to speak to these people again. If you’ve got only one shot, whatever you…
