Liv Constantine's Blog, page 9
February 5, 2019
10 Gripping Stand-Alone Mysteries
We’re so pleased to be included in this Wiki of stand-alone mysterires! CLICK HERE
December 17, 2018
Author and Editor: A Perfect Partnership
After an author hits the last keystroke on the first draft of a new book, the real work begins. During the drafting stage, it’s just the author and the characters as a new world is built—word by word, page by page. Even as I breathe a sigh of relief when the story is finished, I know that it will go through many more drafts, revisions, iterations, and additions before it is truly ready for the public. The final book that the reader holds in her hands – my latest being THE LAST MRS. PARRISH – goes through many other capable hands before it’s shared with readers.
I’m very fortunate to have a writing partner—my sister. We brainstorm our ideas, read and edit each other’s chapters, and work together to get that first draft into the best possible shape before we hand it over to our editor. We typically go through two more full drafts before we’re ready to deliver it to her. A nascent manuscript is like new wine—it needs time. Time to develop into the full-bodied story waiting to emerge from the bones of those first imaginings. As the authors, we’re able to get the story part of the way there, but we need the editor to get us all the way to the finish line. We become too close to it to see all of its flaws and shortcomings. And because we know things about our characters that never make it into the story, we easily forget that the reader might need us to put some of those on the page for the story to make sense.
Enter the editor. We are blessed with a brilliant editor who has a keen eye and remarkable ability to point out exactly where we’ve fallen short. As any writer will tell you, the first reaction to getting your manuscript back full of tracked changes on every page can be rage. Our editor has the wisdom to send us her edits at the end of the day when it’s too late for us to call her. By the next day, we’ve cooled off and are able to grudgingly admit that her edits are spot on. This goes on for another round or two, and we all joke that by the end of the editing process we’re lucky still to be on speaking terms. But by the time all the revisions are complete, we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to her for polishing a rough stone into a gleaming diamond. We couldn’t do it without her.
The relationship between an author and editor, like any good partnership, brings out the best in both parties, and our differences sharpen each other. And as in any collaboration, there are differences of opinion and concessions to be made. But when all parties are united in the desire to produce the best possible work, disagreements are easily resolved, and the result is something better than either could have accomplished alone.
With our editor, Emily Griffin, at the HaperCollins party at Thrillerfest
The post Author and Editor: A Perfect Partnership appeared first on Liv Constantine.
Author and Editor: A Perfect Partnership
After an author hits the last keystroke on the first draft of a new book, the real work begins. During the drafting stage, it’s just the author and the characters as a new world is built—word by word, page by page. Even as I breathe a sigh of relief when the story is finished, I know that it will go through many more drafts, revisions, iterations, and additions before it is truly ready for the public. The final book that the reader holds in her hands – my latest being THE LAST MRS. PARRISH – goes through many other capable hands before it’s shared with readers.
I’m very fortunate to have a writing partner—my sister. We brainstorm our ideas, read and edit each other’s chapters, and work together to get that first draft into the best possible shape before we hand it over to our editor. We typically go through two more full drafts before we’re ready to deliver it to her. A nascent manuscript is like new wine—it needs time. Time to develop into the full-bodied story waiting to emerge from the bones of those first imaginings. As the authors, we’re able to get the story part of the way there, but we need the editor to get us all the way to the finish line. We become too close to it to see all of its flaws and shortcomings. And because we know things about our characters that never make it into the story, we easily forget that the reader might need us to put some of those on the page for the story to make sense.
Enter the editor. We are blessed with a brilliant editor who has a keen eye and remarkable ability to point out exactly where we’ve fallen short. As any writer will tell you, the first reaction to getting your manuscript back full of tracked changes on every page can be rage. Our editor has the wisdom to send us her edits at the end of the day when it’s too late for us to call her. By the next day, we’ve cooled off and are able to grudgingly admit that her edits are spot on. This goes on for another round or two, and we all joke that by the end of the editing process we’re lucky still to be on speaking terms. But by the time all the revisions are complete, we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to her for polishing a rough stone into a gleaming diamond. We couldn’t do it without her.
The relationship between an author and editor, like any good partnership, brings out the best in both parties, and our differences sharpen each other. And as in any collaboration, there are differences of opinion and concessions to be made. But when all parties are united in the desire to produce the best possible work, disagreements are easily resolved, and the result is something better than either could have accomplished alone.
With our editor, Emily Griffin, at the HaperCollins party at Thrillerfest
December 11, 2018
August 18, 2018
Which Point of View is Right for Your Story?
Who’s telling the story? One of the most important decisions you will make when writing a novel is which point of view to use. When we started writing together, we didn’t give point of view much thought. We defaulted to a third person omniscient point of view in our first book, CIRCLE DANCE.
Over the years as we honed our craft, we began playing with point of view and learned a few things along the way.
1) The story dictates which point of view is most appropriate. If you want to really get inside the head of your protagonist, the first person point of view is probably your best choice. This gives the reader an inside view to her deepest thoughts and motivations and fosters a more intimate relationship between reader and character. Conversely, if your narrator has something to hide or you are going for misdirection, the third person may a better choice as you can choose which thoughts and emotions to make the reader privy to.
2) You can use more than one point of view in your story. In THE LAST MRS. PARRISH, we wrote one character, Amber, in the third person, and the other, Daphne, in the first. The shift in point of view comes in the middle of the book where the major twist is. This method worked well for us and is one of the things commented upon positively by our readers.
3) There are variations within each point of view. You can choose to write in the past or present tense. Again, the story and the feel you want to convey are the best indicators of which to use.
Example of First Person Past: I looked around at the crowded cafe and wondered if she ever came here. The thought that she might, at any moment, walk through the door suddenly occurred to me, and it struck me that I knew nothing about her anymore.
Example of First Person Present: I look around at the crowded cafe and wonder if she ever comes here. The thought that she might, at any moment, walk through the door suddenly occurs to me, and it strikes me that I know nothing about her anymore.”
Example of Third Person Past: Julianna looked around at the crowded cafe and wondered if Lindsay ever came here. The thought that she might, at any moment, walk through the door suddenly occurred to her, and she was struck by the fact that she knew nothing about her anymore.”
Example of Third Person Present: Julianna looks around at the crowded cafe and wonders if Lindsay ever comes here. The thought that she might, at any moment, walk through the door suddenly occurs to her, and she is struck by the fact that she knows nothing about her anymore.”
You can see that the present tense conveys an immediacy not found in the past. However, depending on the story, it can become tedious. In the example above, first person present is the preferred point of view as it puts us squarely in the reader’s mind and emotions. In this example, the third person past puts a distance between the reader and the character that makes it harder to connect with her, and the third person present just feels awkward.
4) It’s helpful to try your narrative in several points of view before deciding on which to use. In our most recent work in progress, we wrote the first several chapters of our first draft in three different points of view before finally settling on the one that felt right. It became an intuitive process which was helped along by seeing the story unfold in different ways. As we wrote, we realized that there were too many boring details being included when we tried to write it in the first person. When we changed to the third person, we both became excited about the story again and knew immediately we were on the right track.
5) Become familiar with writing in all points of view. Read widely and don’t shy away from books written in a point of view that you don’t especially like. Exposing yourself to all kinds of writing and becoming familiar with all the tricks of point of view will help you as you continue to develop your own unique voice.
The post Which Point of View is Right for Your Story? appeared first on Liv Constantine.
Which Point of View is Right for Your Story?
Who’s telling the story? One of the most important decisions you will make when writing a novel is which point of view to use. When we started writing together, we didn’t give point of view much thought. We defaulted to a third person omniscient point of view in our first book, CIRCLE DANCE.
Over the years as we honed our craft, we began playing with point of view and learned a few things along the way.
1) The story dictates which point of view is most appropriate. If you want to really get inside the head of your protagonist, the first person point of view is probably your best choice. This gives the reader an inside view to her deepest thoughts and motivations and fosters a more intimate relationship between reader and character. Conversely, if your narrator has something to hide or you are going for misdirection, the third person may a better choice as you can choose which thoughts and emotions to make the reader privy to.
2) You can use more than one point of view in your story. In THE LAST MRS. PARRISH, we wrote one character, Amber, in the third person, and the other, Daphne, in the first. The shift in point of view comes in the middle of the book where the major twist is. This method worked well for us and is one of the things commented upon positively by our readers.
3) There are variations within each point of view. You can choose to write in the past or present tense. Again, the story and the feel you want to convey are the best indicators of which to use.
Example of First Person Past: I looked around at the crowded cafe and wondered if she ever came here. The thought that she might, at any moment, walk through the door suddenly occurred to me, and it struck me that I knew nothing about her anymore.
Example of First Person Present: I look around at the crowded cafe and wonder if she ever comes here. The thought that she might, at any moment, walk through the door suddenly occurs to me, and it strikes me that I know nothing about her anymore.”
Example of Third Person Past: Julianna looked around at the crowded cafe and wondered if Lindsay ever came here. The thought that she might, at any moment, walk through the door suddenly occurred to her, and she was struck by the fact that she knew nothing about her anymore.”
Example of Third Person Present: Julianna looks around at the crowded cafe and wonders if Lindsay ever comes here. The thought that she might, at any moment, walk through the door suddenly occurs to her, and she is struck by the fact that she knows nothing about her anymore.”
You can see that the present tense conveys an immediacy not found in the past. However, depending on the story, it can become tedious. In the example above, first person present is the preferred point of view as it puts us squarely in the reader’s mind and emotions. In this example, the third person past puts a distance between the reader and the character that makes it harder to connect with her, and the third person present just feels awkward.
4) It’s helpful to try your narrative in several points of view before deciding on which to use. In our most recent work in progress, we wrote the first several chapters of our first draft in three different points of view before finally settling on the one that felt right. It became an intuitive process which was helped along by seeing the story unfold in different ways. As we wrote, we realized that there were too many boring details being included when we tried to write it in the first person. When we changed to the third person, we both became excited about the story again and knew immediately we were on the right track.
5) Become familiar with writing in all points of view. Read widely and don’t shy away from books written in a point of view that you don’t especially like. Exposing yourself to all kinds of writing and becoming familiar with all the tricks of point of view will help you as you continue to develop your own unique voice.
July 5, 2018
June 26, 2018
Are you Paying Attention to Point of View? 5 Tips to Perfecting POV in Your Story
Who’s telling the story? One of the most important decisions you will make when writing a novel is which point of view to use. When we started writing together, we didn’t give point of view much thought. We defaulted to a third person omniscient point of view in our first book, CIRCLE DANCE.
Over the years as we honed our craft, we began playing with point of view and learned a few things along the way.
1) The story dictates which point of view is most appropriate. If you want to really get inside the head of your protagonist, the first person point of view is probably your best choice. This gives the reader an inside view to her deepest thoughts and motivations and fosters a more intimate relationship between reader and character. Conversely, if your narrator has something to hide or you are going for misdirection, the third person may a better choice as you can choose which thoughts and emotions to make the reader privy to.
2) You can use more than one point of view in your story. In THE LAST MRS. PARRISH, we wrote one character, Amber, in the third person, and the other, Daphne, in the first. The shift in point of view comes in the middle of the book where the major twist is. This method worked well for us and is one of the things commented upon positively by our readers.
3) There are variations within each point of view. You can choose to write in the past or present tense. Again, the story and the feel you want to convey are the best indicators of which to use.
Example of First Person Past: I looked around at the crowded cafe and wondered if she ever came here. The thought that she might, at any moment, walk through the door suddenly occurred to me, and it struck me that I knew nothing about her anymore.
Example of First Person Present: I look around at the crowded cafe and wonder if she ever comes here. The thought that she might, at any moment, walk through the door suddenly occurs to me, and it strikes me that I know nothing about her anymore.”
Example of Third Person Past: Julianna looked around at the crowded cafe and wondered if Lindsay ever came here. The thought that she might, at any moment, walk through the door suddenly occurred to her, and she was struck by the fact that she knew nothing about her anymore.”
Example of Third Person Present: Julianna looks around at the crowded cafe and wonders if Lindsay ever comes here. The thought that she might, at any moment, walk through the door suddenly occurs to her, and she is struck by the fact that she knows nothing about her anymore.”
You can see that the present tense conveys an immediacy not found in the past. However, depending on the story, it can become tedious. In the example above, first person present is the preferred point of view as it puts us squarely in the reader’s mind and emotions. In this example, the third person past puts a distance between the reader and the character that makes it harder to connect with her, and the third person present just feels awkward.
4) It’s helpful to try your narrative in several points of view before deciding on which to use. In our most recent work in progress, we wrote the first several chapters of our first draft in three different points of view before finally settling on the one that felt right. It became an intuitive process which was helped along by seeing the story unfold in different ways. As we wrote, we realized that there were too many boring details being included when we tried to write it in the first person. When we changed to the third person, we both became excited about the story again and knew immediately we were on the right track.
5) Become familiar with writing in all points of view. Read widely and don’t shy away from books written in a point of view that you don’t especially like. Exposing yourself to all kinds of writing and becoming familiar with all the tricks of point of view will help you as you continue to develop your own unique voice.
