When I was an intern at Ice Cube Press, I attended some events with my boss. At every event, the same questions always came up: “Can I send my manuscript to you?” “I sent you a query. Have you read it yet?” (Awkward!) “My book is XYZ. Is that something your press will publish?” “I […]| Editor's Quill
Back in February, I attended the Minnesota Writing Workshop in St. Paul. One of the presentations was a panel of agents and editors reading the beginning of manuscripts and commenting what they liked and didn’t like. As I listened in, I picked up 5 tips for writing the first chapter. 1. It Shouldn’t Be Boring […]| Editor's Quill
Back when I was an intern at Ice Cube Press, I sometimes attended events and classes with my boss. A few years ago, Steve was teaching a writing course every Monday night in another city an hour away. I came along for one class. During the drive back home, I revealed to him that I […]| Editor's Quill
We’ve heard the saying before: a strong voice is a must. But a common problem writers complain about is that their writing is dry and boring. Many factors play a role in voice, but there are two that have the most impact. One is word choice, the other sentence structure. Yes, other issues can hurt […]| Editor's Quill
There are two ways to look at third person limited. 1. A “narrator” narrates the story, using “he”, “she”, and “they” pronouns, but this narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of only one character, usually the protagonist. This narrator follows the main character throughout the story and stays in this character’s perspective. 2. The […]| Editor's Quill
Third Person Omniscient Definition: A “narrator” narrates the story, using “he”, “she”, and “they” pronouns. This narrator knows everything, including events prior to and after the story and all the feelings, emotions, and opinions of every character. Omniscient means “knows all”, so this narrator knows everything. It’s as though the narrator is a God-like being. […]| Editor's Quill
Third Person Objective Definition: A “narrator” narrates the story, using “he”, “she”, “it”, and “they” pronouns. This “narrator” can only narrate the characters’ external actions—anything they express or do. Some people just call this third person. It’s also called third person dramatic. Out of the three third person point of views, third person objective […]| Editor's Quill
Second Person POV Definition: This narration addresses the reader as the protagonist, using “you” and “you all” pronouns. Second person is rarely, almost never, used in literature. Most readers feel it’s unnatural and pulls them out of the story. There are a few second person books such as Choose Your Own Adventure and Bright Lights, […]| Editor's Quill
First Person POV Definition: The main character narrates the story, using “I” and “we” pronouns. Just about every writer knows what first person point of view is, and if you’re an avid reader, then you have read many books in this POV. First person allows the protagonist to speak directly to the reader. The reader […]| Editor's Quill
Understanding point of view is crucial to novel writing. I have found that POV issues are the most common problem in the manuscripts and submissions I read. POV issues are not an easy fix– a…| Editor's Quill
