Switching POVs

January 10, 2012December 25, 2011 ~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

#writetip. I find reading novels with multiple POVs entertaining and enjoyable. So what’s the trick to writing multiple POVs. As usual, this is only my opinion, so here’s what I think.

If you’re going to have multiple POVs in your novel, it’s important to let your reader know this early on in the story.

I could be jarring for a reader to get half way through a novel, and the POV is ripped from underneath their feet and a new character steps in.

Changing POVs in the first few chapters will warn the reader this is your style and hopefully they’ll enjoy your book more. They’ll expect different characters to have their say, to drive the novel, and to provide surprises. They won’t get so attached to one POV that they can’t bear the change and toss the novel aside.

Why Have A Literary Agent?

January 9, 2012December 25, 2011 ~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

#writetip I often get asked why I chose to work with a literary agent. I’m not going to talk about all the pros and cons as there a many articles/blogs on this subject.

What I want to talk about are two benefits that aren’t usually shared.

Benefit Number One: As soon as I signed with an agent my friends and family understood I was serious about making a career out of writing, that it wasn’t just a hobby. The support I received increased tremendously. This came in the form of: being left alone when I wanted to write, not offending anyone when I turned down an invitation, so I could write, having experts willing to spend time answering my questions, increasing the number of people willing to read my work and critique it.

Benefit Number Two: When my friends and family treated me like an author, I behaved more like one. I took myself seriously. I gave myself the time to write, the time to improve my writing, the time to research. Having an agent is a boost to the ever fragile ego and motivates me to keep working hard.

Margaret Hart of the HSW Literary Agent took me on as a first time author, and for that I must thank her.

Catamaran or Monohull

January 6, 2012February 5, 2012 ~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment

#sailing. Mattina, our Lagoon 380 S2, is sailing along the Bahamas Banks with Different Drummer, a Bristol 47.

Sailing in the flat water on a windy day is exhilarating on either boat. We are sailing from Norman’s Cay to Pipe Cay. One of those “once in a lifetime” days that we seem to be getting a lot of.

This has been a windy season in the Bahamas. The wind has been kind and come from the East, and we’ve had more days than usual where we can sail the banks under full sail.

We’ve sailed from the Bahamas to Aruba and back with Different Drummer. For that trip we were on a Niagara 42 sloop.

Whatever you sail, the opportunity is there for an adventure.

Humber School For Writers Correspondence Course

January 5, 2012January 9, 2012 ~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

#writetip The Humber School For Writers correspondence course for 2012 is now underway.

The students have sent their submissions to their mentors and the mentors are getting geared up to read them and send their comments back.

I attended the correspondence course in 2008 and had Joan Barfoot as my mentor.

The opportunity to have a professional read and comment on my work was irresistible.

The lessons I learned have stayed with me and I think made my writing better. If you are new to writing and want your work to be critiqued this might be a way for you to get it. Check it out at HSW.

Getting The Most Out Of Your Readers

January 4, 2012December 25, 2011 ~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

#writetip Here are some of things to think about when having others read your drafts.

What you give your reader might depend on where you are in the process.

Early on, say after the first draft but well before you send it to an agent/publisher, you might want to give your reader smaller sections. This can be several scenes or a chapter.The value: Your reader can give you quick feedback on style, grammar, problems with story line, vacant scene, etc. You can then use this information to update the next section before sending it to them. Each section should be better than the last making you create a strong second draft.

When you think you have something you might send to an agent/publisher, this is the time to have a new reader (not the same person that read your early draft) to read your novel cover to cover.

The value: Your reader can comment on larger story issues, flow, pacing, believability, loose ends, etc.

Finally, don’t forget the phase of having someone other than yourself proofread. Here is where you need someone with attention to detail.

This works for me and I’m sure there are many ways to get the same result. I just can’t imagine sending out a manuscript without the help of others.

Happy New Year

January 1, 2012December 25, 2011 ~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

May all your New Year’s resolutions be achieved!

Dogs and Dingys

December 30, 2011December 25, 2011 ~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

#sailing Sometimes your pup needs to need to be tied and sometimes not. Cali is in the foreground, Farley in the back.

When you forget to bring a leash, it’s perfectly acceptable to use the dingy anchor.

Normally Farley isn’t tied, but we’re at Emerald Rock in the Bahamas. The island is covered with little animals that I think they are tree rats – but what do I know.

The wheaten terriers were bread as ratters, so Farley thought he was supposed to chase these little critters. So. . . poor guy actually had to be leashed.

Kindle As A Learning Aid

December 29, 2011October 4, 2013 ~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

#writetip If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know I use a Kindle to help me write my novel.

Here’s my latest use. I read “How to Write” books. Normally I’d highlight a hard copy and then later browse through the book looking for what I found interesting. I might even copy a tip into my journal. It was all so time consuming.

I’ve discovered the highlight function on my Kindle. Now when I’m reading at “How to Write” book, I do an electronic highlight. Then when I’ve read the book the highlighted notes are all stored in one place.

You can open the highlights and only read that.

In the end, you get the nitty gritty of the book, minus all the filler that goes around the tips. Way faster than my older method.

Windsurfing and Kiting At Compass Cay

December 28, 2011December 25, 2011 ~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

#sailing Our friend, Wayne, is on the kite board. Matt, my husband, is on the windsurfer. Both are having an exciting ride in the shallows between Compass Cay and Pipe Cay, Bahamas.