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Angela Ackerman
Twitter @AngelaAckerman
Twitter @WriterThesaurus (LINKS ONLY Writing Tools & Resources)
Twitter @OneStop4Writers
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Becca Puglisi
Twitter @beccapuglisi
EMAIL (Writers Helping Writers®)
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Writers Helping Writers Facebook Page
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While I’m not finished with the first rough draft and never thought about another book after it, one popped up two weeks ago waking me at 5:00 am. It presented itself with a cast of five each with their own POV, the setting and the time (1990-2007) and what they are about. A few days later a sixth individual, part-timer, introduced herself and her M.O. Is it getting too crowded?
It is impossible to say without knowing more about your project, so my suggestion is to looks at books that are in the genre and see how many POV characters there are and WHY these characters are important enough to have POV scenes. It could be you need them all, or that you really have one main character and the other ones do not need to have a POV focus.
Hi, I had a question that’s been weighing on my mind a bit. I’m writing a story from many different PoVs and I was rotating chapters, but its become sloppy since they’ve come together.
I took smaller scenes from chapters to separate each PoV change into its own chapter. I made these small sections their own small chapters. But I feel like I’m making a mistake.
At the same time, I feel I can’t put them back into the other character PoV scene without a) changing the scene to the PoV of the current chapter (which is hard because some of my scenes have a lot of internal findings that are important to progressing the story) or b) making the chapters less about certain characters and more about the progression of the journey.
That being said, I feel that jumping multiple PoVs without a consistent pattern is awful looking. I guess what I want to know, does it really matter?
Does it matter if some characters have more chapters than others?
Does it matter how I jump PoVs so long as the story comes together?
Does it matter if I have multiple PoVs in a chapter?
Does it matter if a chapter is way shorter than the rest because I’ve taken a PoV out of a bigger chapter?
Hi Sierra,
These questions are hard to answer without reading your story and seeing how it all has come together so likely my biggest piece of advice would be to take this to your critique partners — get several people to read it and see what the overall feeling is: does it work or not?
Generally speaking:
Does it matter if some characters have more chapters than others?
No/Yes. As long as there is a thread of continuity overall and each scene is pushing the story forward, you should be fine.
Let me add the obvious to this though – your protagonist(s) need the most air time of course, and you need enough air time for all that readers can connect to them. You also shouldn’t have big craters where a character has a POV scene, and then nothing for half the book. If this is happening, ask yourself WHY you have that character’s POV at all.
Does it matter how I jump PoVs so long as the story comes together?
With POV, keep in mind the reader’s experience. If your POV jumps are disorientating, they will get frustrated and stop reading. If you have too many POV characters, they will find it difficult to connect deeply to each, and this can cause them to disengage.
Does it matter if I have multiple PoVs in a chapter?
Technically speaking, as long as you page break for each POV shift, you won’t break POV rules for 1st & 3rd person, but again, keep in mind your reader–are they going to be confused as to whose head they are in? Will they be disoriented going from person to person too quickly?
Does it matter if a chapter is way shorter than the rest because I’ve taken a PoV out of a bigger chapter?
As long as the pacing is strong (high action, an important event, etc.), a short chapter is fine.
Now, all this said, I recommend caution with a large POV cast. Have a very, VERY good reason to switch POV as dipping into the POV of many characters is not easy, can often dilute the power of a story, and makes it harder for readers to connect deeply with each character. You can have a large cast and stay in just the protagonist’s POV, or have a dual protagonist situation, etc. so, shifting into many POVs shouldn’t just be used as a shortcut to show information & inner thoughts that the main character is not privy too. Make sense?
I’m not saying to stay away from a larger cast of POV characters, it can be done and isn’t uncommon if you are writing an epic (such as The Wheel of Time Series.) Just be sure it is truly needed and the most effective way to show your story. This article might help: https://writershelpingwriters.net/2015/11/how-to-decide-how-many-pov-characters-our-book-needs/
There are some awesom ideas here thank you so much for the help also i was wondering if you have any other ideas for the haunted house other than what you have got im kinda struggling
Thank you so much, it would be great
Sorry i mean awesome
Hi there,
Our full entry for Haunted House can be found at our subscription site, One Stop for Writers: https://onestopforwriters.com/scene_settings I hope this helps!
Dear Sir Madam my request to read once please ,Hi thank for your reading my request call to you wanted volunteer help from you to make perfect my story script and manuscript to make film in holly wood.Future proceeds will going to help children with aids what my earning get from film studios.Today i am knocking your door you to open the door with smile and light of hope and love to help me free ? Definite god will give us rewards with good health wealth and happiness in our life and much more we don;t no.I think today you will help me free tomorrow when you need help some one will help you free definitely it will be happen you will get it.Request song to you.One day i am waiting for your one look my project. One day you will call me.One day i will sec you in my home.One day you will hear listen what i say i lay down i close my eyes at night i can sec your face on moon at night.One day i am gonna fly to holly wood i am still waiting for your free help and time that day will come or not i don;t no but i have hope? I have right to request and get chance and your free time do i ?Thank you.
Hi, Arshad. Unfortunately, Angela and I have no screenwriting experience, so we’re not in the best position to help with this. There are many screenwriting organizations and communities online where you can find advice on the process and meet others who might be able to swap scripts with you for mutual critiquing purposes when the time is right. Networking through those venues is probably your best bet. Best of luck with your project.
Hello!
I’m a big fan of your books, they’re truly one of the amazing and most efficent books i’ve used to help me in writing and i’m someone who has so many books as “Writer aid”. The material is just so detailed and thorough, the work you’ve done is truly exceptional. So i’m just here to tell you that i deeply appreciate the hard work, time and dedication you’ve put into these books and if anything, i’m a young writer in the process of writing my first book ever with your help!
Thank you, i wish you the best and i can’t wait to see what more books you will create.
Oh my gosh, what a kind note to leave us–thank you so much! You will totally finish this first book, and then another, and another…it will be a long line of books because you will persever! Keep at it, keep creating, and continue a life-long passion for learning and amazing things will happen. Have a lovely weekend, Nouf!
Greetings!
I’m hoping to find somebody to read my works, rate them and discuss with me some things concerning writing stuff. Have I come to the right place?
Thank you!
You can find many articles here yes, but as far as feedback on your writing, what you’re looking for is a critique group. We highly recommend The Critique Circle. https://www.critiquecircle.com/default.asp
Hello Angela and Becca.
Just wanted to share, I came across the Book Tour with John Grisham podcast and found it quite enlightening and entertainment. In short, Grisham is traveling around the country visiting independent bookstores and having live conversations with his author friends. I thought it may be a good source of entertainment, inspiration, and knowledge for your audience. It’s worth a listen.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/book-tour-with-john-grisham/id1244579552?mt=2
Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
Thanks,
Mara
Thanks for passing this along, Mara!
Angela and Becca,
I just received my copies of your thesaurus’ and I can’t be happier. You both have done an exceptional job at providing not only quality information, but also secondary content that I look forward to using in my work.
Thanks!
Anthony
Oh, I’m so happy to hear this, Anthony. We worked super hard on those books and it’s always good to hear that customer is satisfied. Enjoy them! I hope they help you a ton with your writing!
Hello Angela,
Do you have anything on writing with the senses. I thought that you had, but could not find it. And the point of view. That seems to be somthing I screw up constantly.
Thanks.
D. Owen Powell
aka Uncle Dave
Hi David,
Both of our Setting Thesaurus books (the Rural & Urban volumes) deal with this exact subject–both teaching how to write sensory and meaningful description and then providing entries that look at the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures for 225 locations. You can also get some good help from our One Stop For Writers Tutorials: https://onestopforwriters.com/tutorials (free registration) and our Lessons: https://onestopforwriters.com/lessons (subscribers only).
Too, check out these articles:
http://elizabethspanncraig.com/4500/5-senses/
http://www.jerryjenkins.com/point-of-view/
http://avajae.blogspot.ca/2016/05/how-to-write-deep-pov.html
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/505388389413838462/ (if you have pinterest–helpful Deep POV checklist)
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/505388389413838462/ (my pinterest board for POV)
https://www.pinterest.com/onestop4writers/setting-help/ (again pinterest board for setting description)
https://www.pinterest.com/onestop4writers/description-help-for-writers/ (pinterest board for articles on description)
I hope this helps a bit!
I bought one of your books (used) on Amazon, and it seems to be a publisher’s reject. The reason I’m informing you of this is so you’re aware that someone in your publishing “house” is selling reject-grade copies of the book “The Emotion Thesaurus”. The content is fantastic, and through it I have now found this amazing resource (your website), for which I am grateful. I took pictures of the book and it’s defects, and will be glad to send them to you if you wish.
I’m going to be requesting a refund from Amazon, so I have no complaint with the you or the material, but wanted you to be aware that some improperly cut books are being sold.
Awesome material. Definitely glad I stumbled across your book(s) and now your website.
Hi, Ron. Thanks so much for letting us know. Please do send us the pictures (jaddpublishing@gmail.com). We only have one printer, so whoever is ordering books and selling them (whether that be Amazon or a third-party affiliate) should be getting good copies. If defective copies are going out, I’d like to contact the printer about that. I’m so sorry that this purchase didn’t meet your satisfaction, but I’m glad that you found us. I’ll be looking forward to your email.
I wants to write but can not find any platform. Please help me
Hi there. Building a platform is a hard but necessary part of the job for successful authors. For information on how to build yours, check out the Categories list in our right-hand sidebar; we have quite a few posts on Platform and Social Networking. Also, I highly suggest Jane Friedman’s blog; just type Platform into the search bar and a ton of helpful posts come up. Best of luck to you!
Angela and Becca,
Thank you so much for your blog and for the great articles you post. I’m taking part in NaNoWriMo this year and your article, ‘NaNoWriMo Triage Center: Helping You Get To 50K’, has some great tips. I also had a question for you about it. I help out on a website called Kingdom Pen (kingdompen.org) which supports young Christian writers. During the month of November we are sending out daily emails with encouragement and tips for those participating in NaNoWriMo. Some of these newsletters will contain part of an article about writing, along with a link to the full article and website. I was wondering if you’d allow us to feature ‘NaNoWriMo Triage Center: Helping You Get To 50K’ in one of the NaNo emails. We’d copy the first paragraph or two to the email, then provide a link to this site for readers to follow to get the rest of the article if you are willing to let us do this.
Whatever you decide, thank you for your time and your great blog content!
Hi Hope, thanks so much for getting in touch. By all means, feel free to add our post/link to your newsletter. There are two others that may also help if you want to investigate them as well. Today’s post offers 5 Tips to help writers keep in the writing flow: https://writershelpingwriters.net/2016/10/5-nanowrimo-hacks-keep-words-flowing/ and our most recent WHW Newsletter has a TON of writing links for NaNoWriMo you may also wish to check out. https://writershelpingwriters.net/?wysija-page=1&controller=email&action=view&email_id=1071&wysijap=subscriptions
I hope this helps, and thank you for supporting young writers! 🙂
My friend entered my name in your most recent contest. She tells me my name was chosen but I’m not ceratin just hwo to send my first page to you? Please enlighten me?
Hi, Pat. I’m sorry; there was no email address given with your entry, so I could only try contacting you with the email address associated with your WordPress account, and my messages kept bouncing. I had no other way of getting in touch with you, so I replied to your comment asking for you to reply within 24 hours or I would have to pick an alternate. When I didn’t hear back from you, I had to move on to the next winner on the list. I’m very sorry it didn’t work out.
Angela and Becca,
I finally purchased your thesaurus group, and… Oh, my! Your intros should be mandatory reading for anybody who wants to be called a fiction writer. Throughout your books, you remind me of all the things I forgot to remember. That sounds funky, I know, but I mean you present material I once knew and even taught myself, but in my blindness put aside from my personal use. Thank you for excellent and engaging instruction. Love it and encouraging others to grab their own copies.
Michael, thank you so much for the kind note. And I know exactly what you mean–I think we stuff ourselves so full of knowledge some of it leaks out–I read articles all the time that remind me of something I’ve forgotten about. Very thrilled you’ll get good help from our books, and thank you as well for referring it to others. That keeps our lights on so to speak, and allows us the freedom to keep doing this thing we love: helping writers. 🙂
Dear Becca and Angela,
I really love the thesaurus trio, it is a god sent. I am recommending a fourth thesaurus: PHOBIAS. The Negative Trait Thesaurus has nothing on phobias nor how to portray characters with phobias as flaws in good fiction.
Just a thought.
Thank you both sincerely,
Jim
Thanks Jim–very happy you find out books so helpful! Thanks for the idea on phobias–it is on our growing thesaurus collection list! 🙂
hi.
i would like to know if you also help first time writers? reason for me asking this is because i slowly publishing my book, in small sections, onto a place called ‘wattpad’. if you do, my book is called ‘cystals of nature’. for i truly need help with my book.
thank you.
Hi, Patricia! Congrats on jumping into the writing gig. We don’t give individual feedback on books, per se. The closest help we offer in that area is a monthly contest called Critiques 4 U, where people can enter a contest to have their first page critiqued. Our September contest just closed yesterday, but the next one is coming around on October 27th. So if you’ve signed up to receive our blog updates via email (which you can do in the left-hand sidebar on the home page), you’ll receive a notification when that contest begins. Best of luck!
I want all these books. Can you tell me where I can get them…..Are they all in book form? If not when will they be
Thanks
Melinda
Hi, Melinda. The Negative Trait Thesaurus, The Positive Trait Thesaurus, and The Emotion Thesaurus are available for purchase in print and digital forms at all the major distributors. The links can be found on the bookstore page. Just click on the desirable link beside each book to go to its page at the various distributors. The other thesauri at our blog aren’t available in book for yet, but we’re working on some of them!
I love your website and I hold online classes and was wondering if I could use your site as a reference tool and of course I would give credit thanks
Absolutely Melinda, feel free to let people know about what we have here. I hope it helps your students!
Ladies,
I ‘stumbled’ onto your website via Pinterest. I am interested in writing and have found the inspiration from your website to take the plunge! Thank you for your humor and your willingness to help others like me who are interested in writing, but haven’t started yet. I hope to be published in a year or two. Any suggestions?
Rodney B.
Rodney, work as hard as you can to improve your craft. Read writing blogs, books, take classes, join a critique group and write your brains out! There are a lot of great posts on all of these things on this site, so have a poke around, and welcome to the community! Writers are the best sort of people, and there is a ton of information and help online when you look for it! 🙂
I love your helpful posts and am so happy I found this website!\
Thank you for posting about topics that help other writers like me, who occasionally become stuck on a scene that’s just not working!
Sincerely
Jennifer E. McFadden
I purchased the the Negative trait thesaurus from itunes on August 10. I can access the book. If you need more details from me , please let me know. Is it possible to just email me the book? This website is amazing. I learned of your website through a published author who was saying that this site was an amazing resource.
Regards,
Kiesha
HI Kiesha,
Do you mean you “can’t” access the book? If that is what you meant, I found this link…I hope it helps! http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3688
I have been searching for a PDF version for the Settings Thesaurus (I can’t describe places to save my life!) and can’t find one anywhere. Could it be because I am in New Zealand? Any suggestions gratefully received.
HI Karen,
Becca and I have not converted the Setting Thesaurus into a book yet, so there is no PDF. However, we are working on it now, and so if you would like to be added to our notification list once it’s ready, just let me know!
I absolutely love your Emotion Thesaurus. I keep it open while I write. It is a priceless tool that has been implemented into things I can’t do without. I also use your setting descriptions as well. Again, priceless. Have you thought of doing a Physical Thesaurus, or something to that nature? I would love to write better descriptions about body movements, facial expressions (tired of nods, winks, shrugs, sighs, etc.). That would be another priceless tool I would love to have. I know you have tons more projects on your to-do list and APPRECIATE the hard work both of you put into helping writers.
Thanks for the kind words, Sabrina. We are working on the book version of the Setting Thesaurus now, so that might make you happy——if you can wait until next spring :). We haven’t talked about a body movement thesaurus; the closest we’ve come is the Physical Attribute Thesaurus, which discusses different body parts. But, really, anything is possible ;). And input is always appreciated, so we’ll take this into consideration.
Hi, I gushed already elsewhere about how I love this site and how useful it is, so I won’t repeat myself. But I had a thought–what about lists, or thesaurus entries for eras, and years. For example we hear people say, “that’s so ’60’s.” I recently began a book that takes place in the 20’s and realized I don’t know what is particular to that decade that differentiates it from the 1930’s or 1950’s, etc. Then there are differences between victorian era, the edwardian. It would be wonderful to have the most iconic differences laid out in a straightforward easy to reference style too. Just a thought, youo know, if you still haven’t filled the 24 hours in your day. 🙂
Christina, this is an interesting idea that Angela and I have briefly discussed in the past. We’ve talked about different historical periods and how to represent them. It would involve a lot of research, though, and we’re constantly afraid that we’re going to make mistakes with the facts. But we haven’t laid this idea to rest; it’s definitely something that we might revisit in the future. Thanks for the awesome idea!
Hi Becca and Angela,
I recently took your Webinar in March 2014 and learned so much from it. I’ve been using your site and thesauri for ideas and have found a combination of two things. One, whether or not I become published, I’m meant to be a writer. It is what brings me true joy. Two, the book I had finished and was sitting on as it percolated, needs to be rewritten before I’m ready to submit it to other eyes. I have a sister who will read it for me but I want to get the book into the Critique Circle within the next month. I know that’s going to be the best way for me to learn.
Thank you for all of the work you have put into this site. It is most wondrous.
Tim
Tim, this is great news to hear. Once you know what you’re meant to do, it all becomes a little clearer, doesn’t it? Not easier, unfortunately. But clearer ;). I absolutely love Critique Circle. As I think we mentioned in the webinar, that’s where Angela and I met, so it already holds a dear place in my heart. But aside from that, it’s an awesome group of writers and an excellent format for finding other likeminded people to share your work with. Having other writers read and examine our work is so important for our growth as writers. I can’t wait to hear how your knowledge exponentially grows by taking that step. Best of luck!
Could you give me some insight on why your site won’t let me sign up for blog updates?
Thanks.
Devon, so sorry you are having troubles subscribing. Can you describe if you get an error message, or if you are just signing up and not getting any emails? I ran a search for this email used here and couldn’t find it as a subscriber, so I added it manually. Let me know if you get a notification tomorrow, (which is when our next post will come out). Should you not desire to be subscribed, or wish a different email to be subscribed, just let me know and I’ll make changes as needed.
Again, apologies–thank you for letting me know you were having an issue.
Angela
Recently, on your great web site you had an article on the four traits that are detrimental to characters. I cannot find the article. Please tell me how I can find it.
Thanks.
Jerry Cohen
Jerryscohen@hotmail.com
Hi Jerry,
Do you mean the 4 types of character flaws? If so, that’s here: https://writershelpingwriters.net/2013/11/the-four-types-of-character-flaws/
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Thank you for the WHW Amazing Race. I submitted my attempt at a query letter and didn’t have to wait long for a critique. My reviewer provided me with excellent suggestions and encouragement. I had been staring at the words I had written, knowing it needed to be tightened up, but not able to wrap my head around how to actually do it. Writing the novel was much easier. I feel as though I’ve been jump-started and almost have the letter where I feel confident sending it to an agent.
I discovered this site (The Bookcase Muse) about a year ago and have utilized the Emotional Thesaurus often, as well as enjoying the articles and information posted. You are providing a service that will make a difference for so many aspiring writers.
Thanks, thanks, thanks!!!!
Thanks Debbie–I’m so glad that you were able to get some good feedback. The Race was a lot of fun for all of us! 🙂
The Bookshelf Muse is an amazing resource. I’ve shared the link privately with my friends and on Facebook. I have been with your site forever, have seen your growth, and found your entries so helpful as a spring board that never fails to jump start my creativity when I get stuck. You are the yeast in the dough that keeps rising, and I wonder how high! I’m along for the ride, girls. Thanks again.
Bonnie, what a wonderful thing to say. We are thrilled we can help you on your journey–that’s what we’re all about. As writers, we walk the path together, always supporting, always helping, and when one succeeds, we all do. 🙂
Angela