Category: Writing

Over on Romancing the Blog, they’re talking about point of view, which is kind of like shouting fire in a crowded theater. I never understood the prejudice against first person point of view in stories. As one Noodler gal astutely noted: it’s simply one way to tell a story, not the Antichrist.

Still, it gets people fired up.

I love first person point of view. I also like close third, omniscient third, big sweeping sagas where everyone gets a say, even the flea in the errand boy’s pocket.

In other words, I love stories. And I agree with the sentiment that some stories demand to be told a certain way. I’m not certain why it took me so long to try writing in first. Oh, I did a few short stories. And I wrote all my character sketches in first. And, of course, the last three books I wrote, I wrote in close third, but from only one perspective.

Someone hand me a clue.

I love quirky, “unconventional” first person narration. I like made up words. I like it when the narrator turns to the reader and says, “Reader, I married him.”

And talk about unconventional: two writers, one first person point of view. This “shouldn’t” work. But it does. Of course, we’re the Borg. Oddly enough, Seven of Nine came up in our conversation the other day. (And not Hottie McHottie, prom, or eyeliner.)

So I’m thinking: if you have to be the Borg, that’s the Borg to be. No?

This should make that author photo so much easier.

Chekhov called it the gun on the wall. Bill Johnson, in his writing craft book, A Story is a Promise, called it just that. When you hang a gun on the wall in Act I, you promise that it will go off sometime before Act III. (And you know, even when I see a literal gun on the wall in a play, and they post that little sign out front: Act III contains simulated gunfire and smoke, I always flinch when its fired.)

Darcy sent me a little scenelet today that I think reinforces one of the promises we made. Actually, I think it opens it up even more. It’s terrific. One of the neat things about this process is getting little presents like that in my inbox.

We’ve also pondered how to show off our guns on the wall. Darcy and I both like subtle. But we’ve discovered that one (or two) person’s subtle is another’s what the hell are you talking about?

So we ponder. We want it organic, natural to the story, not some sort of neon: LOOK HERE! GUN ON WALL! I emailed Darcy the eloquent: Some readers really need a lot of “stuff.” I know we don’t need a lot of “stuff,” but for readers who do, they really need it.

I should write my own craft book. I can call it: Writing Stuff.

Anyway, I think we’ll have our stuff together in the next few weeks. Then maybe I’ll update the blog a bit more (I say that, but watch, I’ll be back tomorrow).

Until then, watch out for guns on the wall–and keep all your stuff together.

My (very) short story, TP-ing Casa de Clooney is up on The Long and the Short of It review site as their Thrifty Thursday short story (it will be on that page for a week, then archived).

This is the story that made the honorable mention list in the Women on Writing Flash Fiction contest, the one where they sent me that gi-normous box of stuff as a prize (all consolation gifts should be so grand).

So, thanks to Marianne, Judy, and Michele for giving it a home.

Two of the chief ways an essayist can prove interesting are, first, by telling readers things they already know in their hearts but have never been able to formulate for themselves; and, second, by telling them things they do not know and perhaps have never even imagined.

~ Joseph Epstein

The writing class I’m taking has that writing quote of the day feature, and this one keeps popping up. Every time I see it, I think. You know, that works for fiction, too.