Wednesday, July 31, 2013

A Writing Contest That Fights Cancer

I received the email letter below from Margaret Turley who has been so pivotal in making this event a success. I know the deadline is close but if you have a short story or are in the mood to write one (page limit 4000 words), then here's a place to do that and also help out a very deserving charity.  Please support them if you can.

The 2013 WUFC Writing Contest is open for entry submissions from April 16th, 2013–midnight August 15th. PRESS RELEASE

This year’s theme is The Drive to Thrive, with emphasis on Thriving verses merely surviving life’s challenges and obstacles.

Everyone over age 18 is eligible to enter. Subject matter may be on any topic as long as it follows the theme of The Drive to Thrive  Entry Fee is $30.00 per submission.

Dear WUFC authors and supporters:  Today's Blog article is about the 2013 WUFC writing contest: The Drive to Thrive.  The submission deadline is only two weeks away, Midnight on August 15th, 2013. Here is the link for the blog article: http://margaretturley.com/the-drive-to-thrive-writing-contest.htm . This is the link for the WUFC (Writers Unite to Fight Cancer) website writing contest page:  http://writersunitetofightcancer.com/events/annual-writing-contest . Here is the link for the WUFC Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/440020176095884/ .

Please tell your family, fans and friends who may be interested in sharing their stories with a chance for publication.  Contestants must be 18 or older. They can enter any category they like. Fiction includes Middle Grade, YA, Mystery, Fantasy, Inspirational, Paranormal, Speculative, Romance, Suspense and Western. Non-fiction categories include Essay, Editorial, Inspirational,

The entry fee is $30.00 per submission. The entry fee will be waved for cancer patients upon request. There is no limit to the number of submissions a contestant may enter in the contest. Winners and Finalists will be published in THE DRIVE TO THRIVE Anthology - they must be willing to work with an editor at no charge to them - to polish their piece so that is publish worthy. Judges, editors and publishers donate their time and services so that all the money we gather from entry fees and the profits we make from the sales of the anthology can be donated to natural cancer research.

Mark your calendar for the WUFC Writing Contest Awards Ceremony on Tuesday September 24th, 2013 from 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm.  Plan to come support your friends who will be acknowledged as winners and finalists for The Drive to Thrive. James A. Owen will be our guest speaker and Vanessa Joy will perform songs from The Voice CD / DVD. A Keepsake poster is available to anyone who would like to pre-order before the Awards Ceremony.

Thank you for your support,
Margaret L. Turley, administrator 
Twitter: @ WritersCanFight                               
writersunitetofightcancer@gmail.com                                                      
1146 N. Mesa Dr. #102-202 Mesa, AZ 85201     


Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Enter to win enchanting jewelry in Kathryne Kennedy's new contest!

I'm celebrating the upcoming release of EVERLASTING ENCHANTMENT with a contest to win a gorgeous moonstone bracelet! This one has many more moonstone jewels than the one my heroine wears in the novel! And this time I bought the jewelry through a program from National Geographic, where local artisans create and get paid for their jewelry. For more details, visit the Contest page at my website: http://www.kathrynekennedy.com/contest.html

(You might need to refresh your browser if you've been to my website before, to make sure you are viewing the updated page.)

My Magical Best!
Kathryne

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Fantastic Opportunity for Writers!

2013 Hot Prospects Contest
Sponsor: Valley of the Sun Romance Writers

****Permission to forward****

Looking to sign your first book contract, switch from a small press to a large
publisher or simply explore another genre of romantic fiction? Turn up the heat
on your writing career with the Hot Prospects Contest.

GRAND PRIZE: The grand prize winner of the contest will have their entire manuscript (400 pages, Courier, 12pt, Double spaced) reviewed by two professional editors at The Author's Red Room. TheAuthorsRedRoom.com

Announcement by a former winner:

I entered the Hot Prospects contest in 2011 and placed first in the Contemporary Single Title category and won the Grand Prize overall with my erotic legal thriller, Legally Mastered (now Legal Heat by Sarah Castille). The feedback I got from the contest judges was invaluable in helping me polish my book and that year I landed an agent, and a publishing contract with Samhain Publishing and then a second publishing contract with Sourcebooks Casablanca the following year. The Hot Prospects contest was very well run and I recommend it to all my romance writer friends.

Fee: $25 for Valley of the Sun RW chapter members
$30 for non-chapter members
Chapter website has PayPal capability. www.valleyofthesunrw.com

Postmark Deadline: September 1st, 2013
E-Submit Deadline: September 1st, 2013

Eligibility: The Hot Prospects Contest is open to any work uncontracted and
unpublished at the time of entry.

Enter: 3-5-page synopsis and up to the first 25 pages of story (30 pages max). Entry or
synopsis may be shorter, but neither may be longer than specified.

Categories/Judges: Trained judges for preliminary round

Final round judges

1) Historical/Regency

Editor - Holly Blanck, St. Martins
Senior Editor - Esi Sogah, Kensington

2) Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal

Assistant Editor - Kelly Quinn, Tor
Editor –Kristine Swartz, Assistant Editor, The Berkley Publishing Group 

3) Romantic Suspense

Editorial Assistant- Lauren Plude, Grand Central Publishing
Editor Samhain -Tera Kleinfelter

4) Contemporary Long/Single Title

Editor –Deborah Werksman, Sourcebooks, Inc
Editor at large, Sue Grimshaw, Random House

5) Series Contemporary
Associate Editor – Johanna Raisanen, Harlequin
Senior Editor Sweetheart Rose – Leanne Morgena, The Wild Rose Press

For More Information, entry form, and rules, see website at
www.valleyofthesunrw.com For questions please email Voshotprospects@yahoo.com

Those entries that do not final will be returned approximately October 30th,
2013 to help those who plan to enter RWA's Golden Heart.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Author Spotlight Vicki Lewis Thompson

The Heart Won't Lie
  • Aug 2013
  • ISBN: 9780373797639 (#759)

Just get up and ride…
Much to his family's displeasure, Michael Hartford pens popular Western paperbacks. But despite his cowboy image, he's more Central Park West than Wild West. With a major photo shoot coming up, he'll need to be a cowboy—not just look like one! And Michael has only a week at the Last Chance Ranch get the giddy-up in his game….

After a girl-fight scandal, socialite-turned-housekeeper Keri Fitzpatrick is cheerily unrepentant as she waits for the dust to settle. It's not long before she discovers Michael's secret and a whole lot of similarities…including an irresistible temptation to play Naughty Naked Cowboy!

But does this scrappy socialite have what it takes to ensure her would-be cowboy is both saddle sore and satisfied?

New York Times bestselling author Vicki Lewis Thompson’s love affair with cowboys started with the Lone Ranger, continued through Maverick and took a turn south of the border with Zorro. Fortunately for her, she lives in the Arizona desert, where broad-shouldered, lean-hipped cowboys abound. Visit her website at vickilewisthompson.com.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-heart-wont-lie-vicki-lewis-thompson/1114504380?ean=9781460316597

Friday, July 19, 2013

Love's Miracles by Sandra Lee Smith



This month I would like to introduce Sandra Lee Smith and her new book Love's Miracles.

Dr. Margo Devaull came to Dominic Zanelli's mountain retreat confident that she could help this Vietnam veteran overcome the torment that kept him apart from the world. But her training as a psychologist had not prepared her for the tragic, explosive contradictions brewing inside him. For here was a sensitive artist who could be gentle – and a man whose eyes flashed with violence and pain when he told her to leave and never come back. Yet Margo did come back, slowly gain his trust, and awaken the sleeping needs of his heart. Only by reliving her own wounded past and helping Zane confront a terrible memory from the war could she set them both free – and save their last chance for love.


Love's Miracles is available for purchase at Amazon
http://goo.gl/h5DB5



You can learn more about Sandra and her other books at

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Shrouded in Illusion by H. D. Thomson Releases This Week


I'm super excited that my third book in my Shrouded Series has just been released this week. To celebrate my release of Shrouded in Illusion, I'm holding a contest for the entire month. By entering you have a chance to win a $25 gift card and 1 of 4 copies available of Shrouded in Darkness, the first in the Shrouded Series.
PLUS all three books in the series are 99 cents each for the entire week.
Below is a snippet of Shrouded in Illusion.
The fear and unease she’d tried to bury resurfaced. Her heartbeat quickened and sweat thickened across her skin, causing her t-shirt to cling tighter against her body. She’d been here before. Skye didn’t have to search her memory. She’d lived, breathed inside these four walls as an orphan.
After passing several doorways, Skye stepped into a room to the right. A floorboard creaked beneath her weight. Broken blinds hindered the sunlight from struggling through a large bay window. A couple of desks, decades old sat like large bull frogs, bulky, brown and weathered. Laughter and tears echoed through the past and into the room, faint but unmistakable memories from Skye’s past.
Other children had lived here and died.
She paused, frowned.
A sound, possibly a footstep, resounded from the hall. She backed up against the wall beside the door. Forcing air in and out of her nose, slowly, quietly, she waited and listened.
Silence.
Cautiously, she re-entered the hall and found it empty, dark and ominous. Moving as quietly as possible, she eased back down the hall from where she’d started. By one doorway, ‘Office’ was stenciled in faded gray across the open door. Sadly even if there were filing cabinets inside, she didn’t think she’d find anything useful inside them. Still...
She slipped inside, past what looked like a waiting room and into an office with three tiers of metal files in the same faded beige as the walls outside. She eased two drawers open and found both empty.
Exactly where would years of records be?
Helplessness gnawed into her stomach. There must be a storage unit somewhere. They couldn’t have all been destroyed, could they?
As the drawer scraped shut, the noise almost masked the rustle of clothing. That and the sigh of someone’s breath alerted her too late. She gasped. A hand roughly clamped over her mouth, locking the breath in her lungs. Before she had a chance to latch onto the drawer handle, the person jerked her backward. Her fingers clutched at air.
Focusing past the panic, she forced her mind on the drawer and stared hard at the cabinet. The drawer flew from the cabinet, rushing past and grazing her shoulder but missing her attacker. Damn it. She couldn’t get to the person behind her without hitting herself.
Trying to bite at the hand across her mouth, she struggled against the steel-like arm around her stomach. A man. His scent of soap and aftershave filled her senses. Skye stiffened in shock.
David whipped her around and pushed her up against the nearest wall, his hand firmly latched over her mouth. The buckle of his belt dug into her stomach. She shivered as the heat of his body scorched through her clothing and into her skin as fear and a sick sense of excitement rushed through her limbs.
“Shhh,” he whispered by her ear, his breath feathering her hair back from her temple. “We’re not alone.”

The 'Don't Miss It" Desert Sleuths WriteNow Conference Aug. 16-17



MEDIA CONTACT:
Roni Olson, Desert Sleuths Conference Chair:
602-740-9936, ronisays@gmail.com
Deb Ledford, Desert Sleuths president:
480-951-8702, djledford@cox.net
Polish, Publish, Promote
Writing conference open for all genres

Hear from the national president of Sisters in Crime (SinC) as well as a New York Times bestselling author and more at “Polish, Publish, Promote,” the annual WriteNow 2013 Writers Conference Aug. 16-17, 2013 at Millennium Resort, 7401 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, AZ.
It’s a day-long writing workshop for those writing in any genre, preceded by an evening reception, and sponsored by the Desert Sleuths Chapter of SinC, an international organization supporting the professional development and advancement of women writing crime fiction.
SinC president and award-winning author Hank Phillippi Ryan is among the conference speakers. Her latest mystery, “The Other Woman,” is the Agatha Award nominee, winner of the Mary Higgins Clark Award and was selected as a Best Book of 2012 by Suspense Magazine. An investigative and consumer reporter for Boston’s WHDH-TV, Phillippi Ryan has also won 28 Emmy Awards and 12 Edward R. Murrow Awards for her television work. www.hankphillippiryan.com/
In addition, Los Angeles resident Gregg Hurwitz will lead a writing session. The New York Times bestselling author of 12 thrillers, including his most recent “The Survivor,” Hurwitz’s novels have been shortlisted for numerous literary awards, graced top ten lists, and have been translated into 22 languages. He has also written comics for Marvel, (Wolverine, Punisher) and DC (Batman, Penguin) and produced and written screenplays for film and television. www.gregghurwitz.net 
Another conference presenter is Liz Fichera, who writes stories inspired by teenagers “who do extraordinary things.” Most of her stories are set in the American Southwest, and as one who relocated to Phoenix from Chicago, she finds the desert to be “an intriguing and mythic place.” Fichera has published two previous novels, and “Hooked” is her debut Young Adult novel from HarlequinTEEN. www.lizfichera.com/
Rounding out the panel of speakers are Kris Tualla, an award-winning and internationally published author of historical romance and suspense, with “The Hansen Series” and its spin-off, “The Discreet Gentleman Series,” at www.kristualla.com  Also, Connie Flynn, bestselling award-winning author of 10 published novels who teaches fiction writing at Mesa Community College. Writing paranormal romance, romantic comedy, action-adventure, contemporary fantasy and mystery/suspense she has been reissuing her legacy books in the Amazon Kindle store and is releasing a new romantic suspense, "Know When to Run," concurrent with the Write Now! Conference. www.connieflynn.com
Conference organizer Roni Olson announces that Jessica Trimble, publisher at Poisoned Pen Press, will be accepting a limited number of 15-minute pitches from writers for $15 on Aug. 17.
To cap things off, the Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter anthology, “SoWest: Crime Time,” will be unveiled and on sale at the conference. This latest anthology contains 20 original short stories by author members of the Desert Sleuths.
Conference fees, which includes continental breakfast, box lunch and afternoon snack, are $95 for members; and for nonmembers, $115.
To reserve an appointment to pitch to Trimble, contact Desert Sleuths by email at desertsleuths@gmail.com.
Conference checks, payable to SinC Desert Sleuths Chapter, may be sent to P.O. Box 9352, Phoenix, AZ 85068.
To register online, visit www.DesertSleuths.com and click on WriteNow conference.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Spotlighting Sci-Fi Fantasy Author April Reign

April Reign
presented by Connie Flynn

April M. Reign is the bestselling author of The Mancini Saga, The Dhellia Series, The Disciples of the Damned Series and The Turning Series. She started her writing career long before she could read or write. While bundled around a campfire at the beach in Southern California with her family, she'd share stories about sea monsters and land creatures.

In her teenage years, authors such as Nora Roberts, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Jude Deveraux, Anne Rice and many others were the influence that shaped her career as an author.

April lives in Southern California with her two teenage sons, her attention-seeking cat and the glorious beach, which is almost close enough to be her backyard.



I asked April to tell us what question has she never been asked that she wishes someone would? And she gave us a great answer.

Where do you get your story ideas?

Almost anything and everything sparks a story idea in my mind. Some are good ideas and some are not, but on any given day, I’d say there are at least five (5) consecutive ideas that are sparked by some random event. Then those ideas twist around in my mind, working out the details to assess if I can formulate a solid story plot from that concept.

Because my mind can wrap around anything and start a story idea process, I don’t write in one genre. Being free to write in any genre leaves the door open to almost any idea that may potentially turn into a book.  Is this a good thing? Yes, except when my mind is racing to create a story out of a half-eaten slice of bread left on the counter and an open window, one that I never opened.

By the end of the day, I’m exhausted. When I close my eyes to go to sleep, my mind works the same way while I dream. My dreams have been the plot source of three of my standalone books and I’m sure will be the catalyst for many more.

My writer’s mind never rests. Luckily, I enjoy it!


Click Here to Order from Amazon

April's Latest Release is Hash, Book 1 of the Imprint Trilogy

Every night, Jade is rattled by a recurring dream—a dream that’s as real as the research institute where she lives. When flames fall from the sky and an alien ship crashes into Earth, Jade becomes government property and at the mercy of scientists. After all, she’s imprinted with an intelligent alien metal that could be the answer to all of Earth’s problems.

However, in the wrong hands, the metal implant could become the deadliest weapon known to humankind.

Kept underground for sixteen years, Jade fights to keep her sanity and understand the intelligent organism that is wrapped around her spine. When a new company takes over the science institute, Jade’s alien symbiont warns her of imminent danger.
 

Then Jade meets Aric, the lone survivor from the spaceship. They form an alliance that will change their personal destiny and they put a plan into motion that will alter the future of mankind. Book One of THE IMPRINT TRILOGY.


CONTACT APRIL:
Subscribe to my blog: www.aprilmreign.com
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/aprilmreign
Author Page: www.facebook.com/aprilmreign.author
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/aprilmreign
Reader fan group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/283234361806272
Instagram: www.instagram.com/aprilmreign
AuthorsDb: www.authorsdb.com/authors-directory/754-april-m-reign
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/aprilmreign 

Thursday, July 11, 2013

The Writer's Library

I love books. Like many writers, I am a reader first and so many books provide inspiration for my stories. But some books help writers make those word connections to readers. So if you're looking for a way to improve your writing, you may consider adding these two books to your library. I keep them on my iPad so I always have them handy to reference.

The Emotion Thesaurus.

If you've been writing longer than a second, I'm sure you've heard the phrase 'show, don't tell'. Well here is the showing part in one handy reference book. The major emotions are present and give the body language (90% of communication is body language) that your character would see in others, the internal reaction your character would feel (no more POV slips), the mental slippage emotion cause and the long term effects of that particular emotion. The links are interactive so you can jump around as needed. The authors even provide hints on how to use the book. The ebook is only 4.99 USD and is well worth the investment.

Writing Fight Scenes by Rayne Hall

While not everyone includes action in their books, occasionally a character can get a bit uppity and need an attitude adjustment. This book begins with a basic technique on writing a scene, including tips on building up to the action. The author then moves onto the variety of weapons. She provides specific verbage to use for the weapon, descriptions and no-nos, plus there are links to youtube videos so you can watch the weapons in action.

Until next month!

Linda

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Overcoming Fear or Water Park, here we come!

Kim Watters here. Fear is something we all have, some just hide it better than others. Me, I don't hide it very well. But with life, as well as writing, there are some things you just have to do if you want to have fun. So back in March I bought season passes to Wet 'N Wild here in Phoenix. At the time I thought it a great idea. Kids and water in the summer. Me? I'd be in the Wave Pool or floating down the Lazy River. Right. We went on the hottest day of the year with the temps topping out at 119. Lazy River out unless I wanted to fry. Okay, so I'll go on a few rides. Tame rides. Unfortunately, my kids had other ideas. So what's a mom to do? Allow her kids to think she's a chicken? So, I let me talk them into the roller coaster ride. Yes, it is just like it sounds. My heart was pounding, mouth dry, hands clenched as the operator pushed the button that released the raft into the tube. Up, down, all around several times before the last drop into the end. Guess what? It was a blast. I did it again. We then did the Tornado. I called it the toilet bowl, same idea. We dropped down from the tube and slid up the other side, back and forth until dropping into the bottom. Another fun ride. (see the picture) So I conquered my fear of some (but not all) of the rides at the park and can't wait until next time.

The same applies for writing. Are you just going to sit and write and never submit to contests or publishing house? Guess what? You'll never sell that way. So get out of your comfort zone, write, revise and submit. Take a chance. You'll never know how much fun it is until you try it.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Valley of the Sun Writer's Contest



The prestigious #VOScontest Hot Prospect is open to all writers of romance
in most subgenres. Get your manuscript in front of editors and agents, or boost your
credibility at any stage of your writing career.

The Valley of the Sun writer's contest is now open to accept entries. If you final, you can add Award Winning Writer to your credentials. This contest is open to both published and unpublished writers, but the entry must be an unpublished portion of your manuscript which is not under contract.

http://valleyofthesunrw.com/hot-prospects-contest/

Friday, July 5, 2013

7/5 Author Spotlight, by Caris Roane

photo Caris Roane black borderHi, Everyone!  Today, I wanted to spotlight a fellow St. Martin's Press author, Cat Devon, who has two books out, back-to-back, for June and July! 

Meet:  Cat Devon!



DDD - Authors Covers - 3 Cat Devon - 1 BIO PIC'Cat Devon' is a pseudonym for an award-winning author. A former librarian and confessed bookaholic, she has a weakness for wickedly sexy vampires, imported dark chocolate and decadent cupcakes. She and her family live in the Chicago area.


* * *   * * *   * * *   



About SLEEPING WITH THE ENTITY!!!

DDD - Authors Covers - 3 Cat Devon - 3 THE ENTITY WITHINMeet Daniella Delaney. She’s all ready to open her shop, Heavenly Cupcakes, in one of Chicago’s sleepier districts. But she’s having a hard time convincing the local business association—namely Nick St. George—that she’s a good addition to the neighborhood. Daniella hopes that her famous red velvet cupcakes will be enough to melt any man’s heart. But Nick is no ordinary man. He’s got fangs.

As leader of the Vamptown clan, Nick has no intention of letting Daniella breathe new life into his old haunts. But something about her leaves Nick hungry…for more. He can’t control her mind like other humans, a trait that makes Daniella irresistible. Could it be that, for the first time in centuries, Nick has met his match? Love is always a force to be reckoned with. But can this vampire have his cake and eat it too?

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I hope you joined today's author spotlight!  Again, to read more about Cat and her books:  click here!

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Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000030_00040]

EMBRACE THE DARK:
      AMAZON    BARNES & NOBLE

Caris Roane is the author of six paranormal novels for St. Martin’s Press and several indie pubbed novellas.  Writing as Valerie King, she has published fifty novels and Novellas in Regency Romance.  Caris lives in Phoenix, Arizona, really doesn’t like scorpions, and has two cats, Gizzy and Sebastien.
(Photographer/artist – please note:  If any of the above photos belong to you, I would be happy to include your credit here as well as a link to your website!  Thanks, Caris Roane)

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Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Lemon Marshmallow Meringue Pie


Speaking of desserts. Well, we were anyway. Since we both have gigantic sweet teeth (plural since there are two of us) the subject comes up regularly when we're developing our stories. Chocolate is our usual choice. Chocolate, deep, rich, decadent…yumm, but sometimes we like a little variety. You know, the Spice of Life, that sort of thing? We stumbled across a recipe for a lemon pie that was scrumptious.  And the marshmallow topping is to die for. We absconded the recipe so if your creative side needs a jump start give this sweet treat a try. We promise you won't be disappointed.
 

Lemon {Marshmallow} Meringue Pie
Ingredients
1 refrigerated Pillsbury Pie Crust (baked)
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice + optional tsp lemon zest
For Meringue Topping
7 oz. jar marshmallowcream
1 cup thawed Cool Whip
Instructions:
     In a medium bowl, mix together the egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt.
     Over medium heat, whisk together the cornstarch, water, sugar, and butter until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat.
Pour half of the hot mixture into the egg yolk mixture and whisk well. immediately. Pour that mixture back into the sugar and water mixture and whisk well again.  Mixture should be smooth and thick. Scrape pie filling into the pre-baked pie crust.
     Scrape the marshmallow cream into a large bowl. microwave for about 30 seconds and stir. It should be a little melted, smooth, and easy to stir. use a hand mixer to beat in the cool whip. Continue to beat until very smooth.
     Spread the marshmallow mixture on top of the pie. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving. 
Serves 8 

If you're looking for a sweet book to read while eating your pie, check out our, Spoonful of Sugar, available at Amazon.com.

Or, if you're in the mood for suspense check out, Death Unseen, our paranormal mystery available on Amazon or The Wild Rose Press.

And if your weekend isn't warm enough we have a hot fantasy, Color of Dreams. We guarantee this book will heat up your imagination. Available at Breathless Press.

Happy 4th.

Tia Dani

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

The 3 Aspects of Point of View

Point of View for Puzzled Writers
by Connie Flynn

Some writers come into the business with an intuitive ability to manage their character's point of view. Never once do they have their characters describe  something behind them when they've never seen it before and thereby giving new meaning to the saying, 'she had eyes in the back of her head.'  But other writers struggle with the concept and frequently change heads in the middle of a scene or have one character read another's mind without any clue of this hidden psychic ability. So there are rules for writing point of view, but beyond that there are multiple parts of point – three of them to be exact. 

RULES – USE THEM OR LOSE THEM
.
Rules are subject to change. Writing techniques and style expectations change with the times, just like clothing and furniture and hot colors. There are some fundamentals, though, in every field. While creative fields are more fluid than many others, some expectations remain. Among them are the basics of managing story point of view, which will seem to consist of dozens of rules but is actually less complex than that. We're about to meet them. 

Three rules for rules:
1.    Never break a writing role until you understand and master it.
2.    Never blindly follow a rule that doesn't make sense to you.
3.    When you know the rules, break them when it serves your story, but do not rush to judgement.

WHAT IS POINT OF VIEW?

The first rule is that while a story can feature several point of view characters, one of them must have more influence over the storyline than the others. There are exceptions to the rule (as always) but it's best to follow it when you're starting out. Once you've decided the who, start asking question like these:
1.    Who is telling the story or scene?
2.    Where are/will they be standing physically?
3.    What are their pre-judgments?
4.    What is their goal?
5.    What do they want from it (motivation)?
6.    What do they value most?
7.    What are their concerns and priorities
8.    What do they always do under stress?
9.    What would they never do, no matter what?

When you get to the harder questions — pre-judgments, values, reaction to stress, etc., don't makes your character until a little angel. Examine they're dark side because this is where character growth comes from. You can also invent your own questions. You can never know too much about the soul of your character.  Just don’t dump it into your story all at once, just use it to predict what your character will do next.

POV IS A WRITER'S MOST IMPORTANT DECISION
1.    Every book has a dominant point of view and this person is called a focal character.  The story revolves around them and the better you know who this character is the better your book will be.

Point of view relies on the specific aspects. Anything else is simply a variation of one of these aspects.

ASPECT 1: CHARACTER PERSPECTIVE – Who Tells the Story?
In this context, the word narrative refers to the voice that is telling the story, rather than to the specific kind of writing that lacks dialogue.

1.   First person narrative (dominant pronoun is “I”) – all action is limited to what the narrator knows.
2.   Second person narrative (dominant pronoun is “you') – seldom used except in instruction booklets or experimental literary fiction.
3.   Third person narrative (dominant pronoun(s) “he/she”) – writer moves from character to to character and often gives multiple points of view.  Only one character has the dominant voice in any scene.
4.    Omniscient (dominant pronoun(s) “he/she”) — also considered third person, but the narrator moves fluidly through points of view at will.

ASPECT 2: CHARACTER KNOWLEDGE — What Can They Tell?

The choices are these:

        Limited means readers know only what the character knows.

1.    First person, always limited. Character can only know what they directly experience or are told, and what they told might be unreliable.
2.    Single point of view, limited.  The protagonist is the narrator and readers know only what the character knows. For that reason, I usually advise students to avoid this POV in favor of first person.
 3.  Multiple point of view, limited. Several points of view are used, but just one per scene (usually). This is currently the most popular choice.
4.  Omniscient, unlimited.  Third person viewpoint and in its extreme form the story is told as though the narrator has godlike qualities and is observing from above, dipping in and out of characters heads and even offering group perspectives.  It's the most versatile of the viewpoints, but can also be the most undisciplined with the writer somehow becoming the focal character.

ASPECT 3: DISTANCE AND DEPTH— Close, Distant, Shallow or Deep.
Also known as subjective and objective, it refers to how deeply we penetrate a character's psyche, thereby pulling reader in until they become the character, always a good thing.

It's often believed that first person can only be subjective and that third person is easier to write from the objective distance. That isn't the case.

1.    Distant or Shallow aka objective. The writer narrates from outside the story. Character emotions are often described as if from the outside, not necessarily  filtered through the characters.
2.    Deep aka subjective. The writer narrates and filters reactions through the character. Narration reads as though the character was speaking it or giving mental commentary.     
3.    The sliding scale.
    a)  First person can be objective or subjective. It's the degree of emotional and motivational intimacy that defines the voice.
    b) Third person can have single or multiple points of view. Individual characters can move from completely objective to highly subjective inside the same story.
    c) Writing that becomes completely objective becomes a variation of omniscient. This is called cinematic, where the story is written with the same objectivity as a film or play script and requires the considerable skill in 'showing not telling' to carry off.

NONE OF THIS REFERS TO THE WRITER'S VOICE
In current fiction, writers appear to subordinate their voice to their characters' voices and that is partly true. However, each writer does have a voice that crops up book after book. Generally it can be found in theme and subject matter, in choices of character types, even in the way you handle punctuation, paragraphing and chapter breaks. Every story choice you make reveals your unique style. 

On the other hand, character voice is simply that, the way the character speaks. It needs to be individual, and the more flexibly you, the writer, can switch voices, the more powerfully you will write. And that ability itself is part of a writer's voice. Ultimately, voice is something that develops over time and shows up as a writer's mastery of the art of making fiction gets stronger.
2008/2010 Constance K. Flynn

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About the Author:
Connie Flynn, bestselling, award-winning author of ten published novels and three published short stories, also teaches fiction writing at Mesa Community College. She has been reissuing her legacy books in the Amazon Kindle store and her online offerings are growing.  Busy polishing a recently completed new novel scheduled for mid-summer publication, she also had another new work in progress. She writes in several genres — paranormal romance, romantic comedy, action-adventure and contemporary fantasy. She also writes mystery and suspense as K.C. Flynn. Look for several new releases from Connie/K.C. in 2013.