Writing Fiction: Session 11 - Point of View

Before you write, it's important to choose the right point of view for your story. Point of view (POV) makes a huge difference in how you will tell your story and how your audience receives it.

Who is telling your story? Once you figure that out, that's your point of view. For example, the story of a murder would be very different through the eyes of a witness than it would be through the eyes of the murderer, and very different through the eyes of the detective.

In point of view, you not only have to decide who will tell the story, but how they will tell the story. For example, there are first, second and third person orientations. There are as many different variations of point of view as your imagination can conjure up. Here are some of the most common:

1. First Person - Singular. In first person point of view, the writer has one of the characters narrate the story and tell it in terms of "I did" or "I saw" orientation. The trick of first person is that the narrator must see or at least know what has happened in order to tell it to you. Therefore, the writer must leave out the parts of the story the narrator would not logically know. The writer (narrator) only can convey what he thinks and feels about the events. A fun part of writing in the first person is that the writer writes in the voice of the character. The writer can make this humorous, sarcastic, or whatever tone he feels works best for that narrator.

2. Multiple First Persons. In some novels, the writer will write different chapters with a different character as the narrator for each. In multiple first persons points of view the readers get a broader version of what's going on beyond the scenes. In many cases, it makes a more interesting read as the reader must decide which of the narrators to believe if there is a conflict in the telling of the story.

3. Third Person - Singular. When telling your story through a third person singular point of view, the narrator is not a character. He tells the story s as what "he did" or "she did" when talking of the characters. If using the third person with singular vision, the narrator has access to one mind. As the writer you need to decide which character to show the story through.

4. Third Person - Multiple. The narrator continues to write in the third person in the third person multiple, but can switch among numerous characters with telling the story from different angles. Make sure your story requires all this insight as it is difficult to execute this method without causing confusion.

5. Omniscient - Third Person. This point of view is often called "god's eye" point of view. The narrator in this case knows everything. The good side of this is that you can provide the reader with inside information that the characters don't know. However, the trouble with it is that the writer almost becomes a part of the story and it's harder for the readers to fully immerse themselves in the story. Suspension of disbelief is important when reading fiction. It's difficult for the reader to do this with the narrator telling them the inside scoop.

The important thing to remember about point of view is that you must always keep faithful to the point of view you choose to use. You will confuse the readers and your writing will be considered immature if you pop in and out of your point of view during your story. Once you commit to a point of view, stay consistent with it and the story will come to life.

Writing Fiction: Session 7 - Setting

When preparing to write a novel, it's a toss-up whether to develop your setting or develop your plot first. I think you'll find yourself working on both at once. However, it's helpful to sketch out your setting and your plot in separate piles so you can keep track of the details.

First, let's talk about setting. Before you write your novel, you must choose and define your setting or settings. If this is your first book, I recommend that you keep your settings as simple as possible.

How many?

Some books take place in one room. Others use multiple locations. Because you have so much detail to keep straight just with telling your story, don't complicate your life by having your story jump from one location to the next every few pages. Remember, the more settings you have, the more details you'll have to manage. So, when plotting your novel, determine how many settings you'll use.

Details, details...

Next, you need to determine the amount of detail to include about each setting. This depends on the tone and pace of your novel, and it may vary within the novel. Is the detail needed? Is the detail part of the tone and the rhythm of your novel? We've all read those sweeping historical novels where part of the pleasure of reading them is luxuriating in the description of the rolling hills and the deep forests leading up to the grand plantation house.

In fast-paced novels, where the emphasis is on the action, you wouldn't want to slow down the action by describing the details of the surroundings. The villain, while he is fleeing the scene of the crime, won't have time to stop to contemplate the flowers in bloom along the side of the road. Your reader won't want that interruption either.

So, keep the pace of your book in mind. Only you, the author, can determine for your reader how much detail you want and how much detail will best serve the pace of your book.

Gathering and storing important setting information.

There are unlimited ways to gather and record the information about your settings that you'll need later while you're writing your novel. Here are a few:

• Make a list of your settings as you develop your plot. Put the name of each setting on a piece of paper or note card (one card per setting). Jot down notes about the settings as they occur to you.
• If a particular setting is indoors, draw a diagram of it similar to a blueprint of the room. Within the room, mark the doors and windows. And, draw rectangles, circles, squares, etc. to represent furniture.
• Make a list of the items within the room and their significance to your story. Be as detailed as your novel requires.
• Draw diagrams of other locations when necessary. For example, a diagram might serve you well if your characters go on an outdoor picnic in a secluded picnic area. John leads Brenda along a winding path. Draw a diagram of where John is leading Brenda and note that he turned right at the tree stump, so your readers will gasp when Brenda is running for her life and turns toward the cliff rather than toward safety. Details are important.

Maps and pictures.

If you're writing about a real city, obtain current maps of the area. This will ensure you'll accurately name the streets and describe the city locations. If your city is fictional, draw a map of it and name the streets, parks, downtown area, etc, so you'll be consistent as you describe the setting.

Another way to gather information is by taking pictures of pertinent landmarks, houses, furnishings, etc. With a digital camera, this is easy to do and inexpensive. You'll be able to ensure accuracy in your descriptions when you have pictures to refer to while you're writing.

Backstory.

Yes, we did talk about backstory in Session 6, but it's important to mention it again. Make notes, as detailed as you need, about the backstory for each setting before you start writing. If you're writing about a real location, get the pertinent history straight in your mind before writing. And, remember, you may be using an actual location, but not all your readers will be privy to the details. So make notes to work in salient details to bring your settings to life.

Writing Fiction: Session 6 - Backstory

Before writing your novel, write or develop a detailed backstory. It's one of the keys to making fiction believable.

What is a backstory? Simply, it's the story of what has happened to your characters before they reach the first page of your novel and how all those past events of their lives have affected them. Without a backstory, you plop your characters into the current moment of your story as if that's the first day of their lives.

In the previous session, you wrote resumes for your characters. These list the schooling, work history, and achievements of each one. This information is vital, but it only gives you the framework.

The backstory for each character will fill in the details. A good way to write the backstory is to write a tell-all biography about each of your characters. Concentrate not only on what has happened to them but how they reacted and handled or mishandled the events of their lives. For example, does the character always withdraw from confrontation or does he/she charge through life with an attitude? Why?

You want readers to discover the depth of your characters from events in the book. By knowing the backstory, you'll be able to weave just enough of their history into the story, so your readers will come to understand their motives and anticipate their actions and reactions.

Don't look on devising the backstory for your characters as a chore. You needn't waste your best writing on this task. In fact, it's okay to devise your backstory in list form.

For example:

Let's say Don is one of your main characters. His backstory might contain some of these items:

• He was born in Samson, Michigan.


• His mother died when he was 7. His father was devastated and ignored Don's needs.


• Don felt he never measured up to his father's expectations; consequently, he learned to tiptoe around his father, so he wouldn't hear how worthless he was.


• Don took out his aggression on others by playing tricks on weaker kids throughout grade school.


• He received average grades in school.


• He didn't make the sports teams in high school.


• He rarely dated; he was rejected by Sally Simpson in high school in front of others on the bus and didn't recover quickly from that.


• He had a natural talent for piano... liked blues the best and would lose himself in music, playing for hours when his father wasn't home.


• He began to date in college and that opened a whole new world to him ... etc.

I imagine you can see where I'm going here. Basically, you make a list of significant past events and the character's reaction to those events. Having a detailed backstory solidly in mind will allow you to get to know your characters as if you grew up with them. When you know the details of each character's backstory, they will begin to take on a life of their own as you write.

In our lives, we all act or react in any given situation based on our history and how our past reactions worked for us. Your characters will do the same. They'll react based on the backstory (or in spite of the backstory if the character is trying to overcome the way he/she has operated in the past). Based on this, I imagine you can see how valuable a backsotry will be to your novel.

It may sound like a lot of work to develop a backstory for each character. However, you won't need the same amount of detail for all of your characters. Obviously, you need the most detail for significant characters. Minor characters may need only a paragraph or two.

A backstory is not only about your characters. In some stories you'll need a backstory about your setting, too. This will especially be the case when you set your novel in a fictional town. In order to maintina consistency, you need to develop the past events of your fictional town and how the people of the town reacted to them.

If your setting is a real town, your backstory is the history of the town. You'll want to have a working knowledge of that town. Your readers will be able to tell when you haven't done your homework. And... they will let you know when you get something wrong.

So, get started on developing backstories for your characters and setting. You'll be thankful you did.

Writing Fiction: Session 4 - Determining Themes

Themes/Motifs


We often think of the theme of a piece of fiction as a statement of the story idea. That's not necessarily what we're looking at here. Developing a theme or themes when writing fiction is not the same as developing an elevator speech to succinctly tell someone about your novel. Rather, a theme is what underlies your story idea. For example, your idea may be to tell the story of the relationship of a father and his son. The theme that runs through the story is not that the father and son have a relationship. It's the guilt or forgiveness or whatever emotion or underlying human quality drives that relationship. These aspects of the relationship -- these themes -- illuminate the meaning of it and add depth.


Some authors use opposing themes to enhance their writing. We'll see a good example of this if we examine the themes running through the movie It Could Happen to You with Nicholas Cage, Bridget Fonda, and Rosie Perez. The story is about a husband and wife who win the lottery. His (Nicholas Cage's) theme is generosity. He gives a waitress (Bridget Fonda) a 2 million dollar tip. His wife's (Rosie Perez's) theme is greed. She sues to get all of the money for herself. These themes, together, drive the story. Individually, each theme dictates the actions of the characters.


As a writer, the themes you develop will act much the same as your car's GPS system. They'll keep you on track and show you just where to go with your story. In addition to keeping you on track, the themes will help you determine what is important to your story and what can be left out.

So, before you write your novel, think about what themes you want to express through your story idea. For example, don't write a story about insecurity. Instead, write a story about a character who is insecure. If you create characters who care and who express aspects of the human condition, themes will evolve naturally. Watch for them and capitalize on them.


Once you develop a theme or themes, every aspect of your story will be formed by them. You characters, their actions and reactions, and your plot will be moved forward by your themes. Consequently, your readers will be moved by your story because it will show the depth of the human condition.

Writing Fiction: Session 2 - Novel Ideas

Before you begin to write your novel, you must dream up a winning story idea. Once in a while, writers pull ideas for their novels out of thin air. Rather than waiting for the fiction-writing muse to strike, give her a nudge.

To start the brainstorming process, think about the types of novels you enjoy the most. When you go to the bookstore, do you gravitate to the mystery section, the sci-fi section, adventure, romance, historical saga, horror, westerns, fantasy, or general fiction? Most often fiction writers have the easiest time writing in the genre they read and enjoy.

Once you narrow down a category or two, pick three or four novels by your favorite fiction authors of that genre. Take the time to read them slowly -- cover-to-cover. As you read, dissect them ... feel the rhythm of the story, note the balance of narration and dialogue, internalize the pacing. Can you find some commonalities among the novels in your genre? If so, make note of them for future use.

Reading several novels in this analytical way should clear a path for your book idea. Keep a notepad handy and jot down all the ideas (no mater how foolish) that come to mind. Put the list aside and keep reading. If you let those ideas for ferment for a while, one or more will eventually rise up to claim your interest to an extent that you won't be able to leave it alone.

That's your start. Fiction writers tell me, and I know from personal experience, that once an idea takes hold, it'll start to grow on its own. Don't rush this process in preparing to write your novel. Waiting for the right idea will make the writing process so much easier.

Writing Fiction: Session 1 - Introduction to Writing Fiction

Writing fiction is a little harder to define than non-fiction writing, but many of the steps to preparing to write overlap. For example, at some point:

• you'll want to develop an outline;
• you'll have to do some research;
• you'll want to keep track of people for an acknowledgements section; and
• you'll need to develop a note-taking system to keep your information in an orderly manner.

Before you do any of that and before you start writing fiction, you'll need to learn a bit about fiction and some of the ins and outs of writing it. Writing fiction, whether a short story, a novella, or a full length novel, is the art of telling lies. The longer the piece, the more lies you tell.

In order to gain and keep the attention of an audience, you'll need to put enough detail into your fiction writing to make your story believable without slowing it down. Plus when writing fiction, you need characters that ring true, pacing that keeps the story moving, and dialogue that brings your reader right into the conversation and into the story.

We'll work on each of these areas and more in the sessions to come on writing fiction. For now, start dreaming up your story.