Lisa Hall-Wilson's Blog, page 7
December 4, 2018
3 Red Flags For Author Intrusion In Deep Point Of View
Many writers are looking for ways to create a deeper connection between readers and their main character. They want to create an emotional experience and deep point of view definitely can do that, but not if you undermine the feeling that readers are IN THE STORY instead of reading a story – if that makes sense.
A character’s thoughts tend to be the lifeblood of deep point of view. Internal dialogue helps to cla...
Red Flags For Author Intrusion In Deep Point Of View
How do new writers (or writers new to deep point of view) undermine the emotional tension they’ve created with internal dialogue? By not changing their mindset.
I’m in the middle of my Method Acting For Writers course so I often don’t post here as often as normal when I’m in the midst of giving feedback for students every day. However, I often address issues that trip up my students here on the blog for my larger group of readers. Author intrusion is trick in deep point of view because it’s...
October 31, 2018
How To Write Fear Authentically Even If You Don’t Write Thrillers
Boo! What better day to write about the body language of fear than the scariest day of the year!
A Deeper Look At FearFear can range from mild to paralyzing. What’s interesting though is that fear caused by a real immediate threat is rarely paralyzing. Our bodies and minds instinctually engage in a race for survival. Usually the fears that can leave us paralyzed are imagined (what ifs).
Chronic stress is a low-intensity fear response to worry, daily insecurity, anxiety, etc. The more I lear...
October 23, 2018
How To Write About PTSD In Deep Point Of View
We’re always looking to create dynamic characters who are faced with insurmountable (and often life-threatening) obstacles. Characters who are at war with themselves in addition to any external conflict just makes good fiction, and one popular or common internal conflict writers use is post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The problem is writers research symptoms and run with it. There’s so much more to PTSD than flashbacks that can add emotional layers, depth, and connection for readers.
W...
October 19, 2018
Do You Really Have Writer’s Block?
Is there such a thing as writer’s block? I don’t think it’s as common as writers would like to believe. I think we give the “writer’s block” label to a whole bunch of other things because we feel like we can’t do anything about writer’s block — so we’re off the hook.
Not so, my friends.
Do You Really Have Writer’s Block?I don’t think I’m all that terribly unique to experience things in a vacuum. I’m convinced that my experiences are fairly universal when it comes to the trouble with getting...
October 17, 2018
4 Tricks To Keeping Fight Scenes Authentic
I wrote about writing action or fight scenes in deep point of view a while ago, but I got a reader question asking for more specific advice. To deliver the best punch possible, be specific!
Let’s dive a little deeper at the techniques and stylistic choices you can make to add a punch to your action scenes in deep point of view. How much internal dialogue you use will be determined by your POVC’s (point of view character’s) personality, but also the genre you’re writing in. Sword and sorcery...
October 12, 2018
4 Ways To Replace Dialogue With Subtext Even New Writers Can Master
Once I realized what subtext was and the different ways I could use it effectively, it became a go-to tool for deep point of view. I had a reader ask: Can subtext replace dialogue and how would that look?
Subtext is silent communication. It’s the body language (posture, facial expressions, gestures), tone of voice — all the ways we send signals and communicate without using words. Subtext can add a layer of realism and authenticity to our stories and is a necessary technique when using deep...
October 10, 2018
How To Use Beats To Keep Long Dialogue Passages Interesting Even If There’s No Action
There are times in a manuscript where your characters engage in a longer dialogue exchange. Ideally, those dialogue passages are where important information is revealed for readers. In deep point of view, we want to avoid using dialogue tags (he said, she said) but additionally we don’t want readers to lose track of who’s talking, where the characters are (setting: time and place), or how the POVC (point of view character) feels as the dialogue is happening.
How do you keep long dialogue pas...
September 28, 2018
4 Steps Anyone Can Take To Avoid Writer Burnout
Writer burnout is a real thing and it’s absolutely devastating. How awful to have the time to do what you love to do, but not be able to bring yourself to the laptop to do it. Sometimes this is just a simple sign of procrastination or fatigue, but sometimes it’s a symptom of something bigger.
What does your work week look like?
There was a point in my life where I was working part time four days a week, 5 hours a morning. I had freelance clients that could account for 5 to 20 hours a week w...
September 20, 2018
3 Tips On Writing Internal Conflict With Emotional Punch
Does your main character have a line in the sand, a personal boundary or belief they will not violate? This internal conflict is central stories written in deep point of view often. What happens if the character violates their belief or boundary? What would they sacrifice in order to avoid crossing that line? What would either action show readers about what kind of person they are?
In Mission Impossible: Fallout near the very beginning of the movie, Tom Cruise’s character Ethan Hunt draws a...
