 For Authors: May 25, 2016 Issue [#7654] |
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This week: A Few Writing Tips from Steven James Edited by: Vivian  
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I attended the OWFI (Oklahoma Writers Federation Inc.) conference May 12-14 at the Embassy Suites a few miles north of Will Rogers Air Port, in Oklahoma City. Steven James, one of my favorite authors, gave the keynote speech during the Friday night banquet and held a workshop. I also read his articles in Writer’s Digest magazine (he’s one of the contributing authors). In this issue, I will share some of what Steve shared with us at the conference and in his articles in the latest issues of Writer’s Digest.
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Sharing Writing Tips from Steven James
If you haven’t read any of Steven James’ books or articles, I recommend you do. If you have a chance to hear him speak, do so. Steve tells everyone that the story is important; they must begin with a story and go from there. The one thing where we differ is he uses Point of View rather than Perspective when he discusses changing the perspective of characters when using third person POV. However, I can forgive his switching terms because I can follow his points.
In the July/August 2016, Writer’s Digest, Steven James’ article, “Mapping the POV Minefineld,” covers nine problem areas, minefields, found when authors switch perspectives when writing in third person, which also apply when switching from third person to first person and back. Since multiple perspectives (POVs in his words) are used more and more often, helping keep readers on track is more important than ever. I recommend every writer read Steve’s article, but allow me to list the minefields he discusses: Freeze tag; Time warps; Amnesia; Mind reading; Stepford wives; Falling off the grid: Guess who?; The pendulum; and The bail and switch. Some names are almost self-explanatory, but to grasp the details and a better understand, I recommend everyone read the article. As Steve states, “Every time you flip to a few POV, reorient readers. Don’t leave them wondering.”
During Steve’s luncheon workshop at the OWFI conference, his topic concerned the need for good writing. With the ability for everyone to be published, too many books on the market are poorly written. Writers don’t want to go through the hard work required to prepare a well-written manuscript and take shortcuts, like self-publishing or digital, to have a book published. Properly preparing a manuscript requires much editing and many revisions. True, errors can be and are found in books released by the “big” publishers, but usually the basic story is sound. Today, although some excellent self-published or digital books are found, they are lost in the myriad of inadequate works available. True, breaking into the major publishing companies is difficult, even impossible, but many smaller houses give opportunity for writers willing to work for that book. However, be sure they also require intense editing.
We need to read, to study, and to learn how to produce a well-written manuscript. We can take writing classes, attend workshops and conferences, and read writing magazines and books. Only when we know can we apply that knowledge to improve our writing. |
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