There’s a lot of dust flying in the McKye household.
No,
I’m not cleaning, although I’ve done a bit of that, but I have been dusting off
some manuscripts. I about choked on some of the dust that accumulated since I
last opened them. I’m looking them over to see which are viable and which
aren’t.
I’ve
written some experimental stories and tried out different genres and POV. I’ve learn much about what works and what
doesn’t in my writing with those experiments. Alas, I
still suck at first person. Okay, maybe not suck at it, but I don’t
particularly like writing stories in first person, or reading it for that
matter. I know there are writers that adore first person and I’ve read a few
stories well enough executed to make me forget it’s in first person. My husband
loves to read and write in first person and does a good job. Personally, I
prefer third person. Hey, I’m nosy and I want to know what another is
thinking and what’s going on out of sight of the main character. I do, however,
use first person in working through a problem scene to create a sense of
immediacy. I write it in first person and then go back and write it in third.
Why
do I do that?
First person narrows the scene, increases the pace, gets rid of
excess/unnecessary verbiage, and helps me work out the kinks in a scene or with characters in the scene. When I use first person I focus on tenses such as the moment of
speaking or utterance (Yeah, it’s a real term in grammar. Much thanks to my
ninth grade teacher, retired army sarge, Mr. MacDonald for those lessons). Moment of utterance strips the scene to the
moment of action and with the use of immediate action verbs. It’s precise and
it doesn’t like adverbs. It’s the same with the time of completion—very
specific and spare. I actually learned to effectively use those tenses in
college and points of view switches when doing observational reports and case studies or for short stories
when I’d get stuck. For me, it’s a great tool.- How do you work on a scene that’s giving you fits?
- What tools do you like to use to make your writing better?
The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling.
Let me take a moment to also wish you all a happy and productive 2015!
