Progress and Viewpoint...

Just a quick post today.

The minimum wordage target seems to be working for me; Tuesday I added 518 words to the first draft of Chapter 4 and sorted out my propriety issue, which I discussed in an earlier post.

I prefer to write my longer length stories in third person viewpoint. Usually the story is being told from both my hero and heroine's perspective- the she/he; but there are chapters where it will start with one and then at an appropriate point resume with the other after a break.

For me, which method I use in the chapter is about the situation my character/s are in, or if it's interaction between my hero and heroine, what is happening between them, or their thoughts and reactions to that moment- an ideal time for internal conflicts to emerge.

Occasionally I do slot in a scene from a key secondary character's viewpoint, but only when there's no other way to get an important element or information over to the reader.

But I do make it clear that the viewpoint has changed within a scene/chapter by using line breaks.

I was reading an e-book preview of an historical romance a few days ago, by an author that I hadn't read before. It was fine and then suddenly the viewpoint switched in the next paragraph from hero to heroine and I was immediately pulled out of the story.

The head-hop may have been missed in the editing process, or perhaps it was just an issue with the formatting of the e-book and there should have been a break to show the change of viewpoint within the scene. It may even have been intended to be written that way...

Some writers have successfully incorporated head-hopping (as the scene progresses without a break) in their books- I've read a few Mills and Boons where this has been done without jarring; but it isn't something I like to see, or read.

Perhaps some readers wouldn't notice or be bothered by it, but sudden viewpoint switches do seem to jump out at writers...

Well I better get on, I have a few more words to add to my weekly total...

Snow Pictures for Research...

Woke up today to find last night's light snow had actually left a couple of centimetres around the place, so I decided to take some pictures before it thawed or got trampled.



Overnight snowfall

There's a stillness with undisturbed snow. You could imagine yourself in any time period at moments like that, as the everyday sounds are muffled and don't intrude on your awareness.




All's Quiet in the Garden

I suppose I really should be taking advantage of this snowy scene
to get on with the Christmas story that was intruding last
week.

I'll probably write out the couple of scenes that have developed
over the weekend with the snow getting my thoughts working.

I will be putting my weekly total on my blog somewhere, plus a
running total.

Visiting Blackbirds

We've been putting a variety of food out to cater to the
assorted birds, big and small that have been landing in the garden.

The two Blackbirds are regulars from early morning to late dusk.


So I'm off to get on with my Monday chores so I have time to start
on this week's word count.

Safe travels if you are out and about.