WRITING - POINT OF VIEW, Part 3

 

Story-telling may have changed over the years but not Windsor Castle, which has clung to the English countryside for 900 years.

 

 

Photo by Susan Coventry

 

 

 ~ * ~

 

WRITING - POINT OF VIEW, Part 3

Author Point of View

 It has occurred to me that I should talk about Author Point of View before getting into Third Person. When I joined the Romance Writers of America way back when, one of the first "rules" I learned—in fact, the most important rule was "Show, don't Tell"! Every would-be author had to learn the meaning of this and conform. Or else! This, despite the fact that a great many of the most admired Regency Romances of that era began with Author POV. For example, the description of a great country estate, a quick sketch of the history of a noble family, a characterization of a matriarch or elderly curmudgeon whose attitude affects the main characters in the book, and so on ad infinitum. 

So what does it mean?—"Show, don't tell."  (I wish I had a dollar for every time I tried to answer this on a contest I judged for RWA!)

WARNING:  Although I am going to tell you the meaning, that does NOT indicate I agree with a strict interpretation of this so-called "Rule." 

"Telling a Story" 

Think back to the days of ancient storytellers, those who kept both history and fanciful tales alive before written language existed. To the traveling bards and minstrels in later ages who did the same at a time when only a minuscule few could read and books (almost exclusively religious works) were painstakingly written by hand. "Telling" was the only means available to keep both vital information and entertaining stories alive. As the era of printing presses emerged, making books more readily available, and more people learned to read, books other than religious works began to appear. And something called "Dialogue" was born. Not the author "telling" us what someone said, but actual words coming out of characters' mouths as they said them. The presentation of "thoughts," however, still tended to be from the Author POV. Readers were told what the character was thinking instead of the author allowing us inside the character's head and letting he/she "show" us what they are thinking. As late as the mid-20th century—though Dialogue was definitely popular—fiction novels still tended toward the author "telling" readers the story.

So, it's not really surprising that as the end of the 20h c. neared, a revolution occurred, particularly in Romance novels. Suddenly, the most important approach to writing was "Show!"

The idea of "Show" is to get inside the heads of the two main characters and, while maintaining Third Person ("he" and "she"), let them SHOW readers the story through their thoughts and actions. Authors were warned away from using the verb "was," (see * below)— to the point of total fright and confusion. I recall judging a contest in which the newbie author simply left out "was" without replacing it with any other verb. Sigh. I did my best to explain to her that deleting "was" was not the solution to the challenge of "Show, don't Tell."

[*As in, "It was a dark and stormy night." "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times."]

[Another famous Author POV opening line, added after hearing it used in a sermon on Sunday morning! "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."]

"Showing a Story" 

 "Show, don't tell" means getting inside the Hero's and Heroine's heads and presenting the story through their eyes. They give readers insight into their actions from their personal point of view. (Not the author telling how the Hero and Heroine feel or act.)

"Showing" led to some interesting disagreements. Harlequin went with the concept that all thoughts should be in italics. Most other publishers decreed that only "direct thoughts" (Merciful Heavens! Devil take it!) should be italicized. Small matters aside, editors wanted manuscripts with a Personal viewpoint, not manuscripts with the Author sticking in his/her two cents along the way.

Why "Show"?

It's more Personal, more easily grabs at readers' hearts. It's more Active, holding a reader's attention. Readers feel they know these characters, instead of standing back and being "told" who and what they are.

SUMMARY.

I like the concept of "Show." BUT like any other "rule," it can be carried too far. I see nothing wrong with a paragraph here and there from the Author's POV, such as often seen in the mother of Regency novels, Jane Austen, or the mid-20th c. Regency revivals of Georgette Heyer. It is possible to tell a story from the Hero's and Heroine's Point of View while allowing the Author to sneak in a word here and there. 

WARNING:  Before writing Word One, READ a good number of books from the publisher you're targeting, so you know if they require strict "Show" or are more tolerant. If you already have a publisher, ask your editor before you decide to go rogue and do something different. 

Indie Authors, happily, you can do as you please! My personal feelings? From the moment I first sat down to write, I bent the "rules." Partly, because I didn't know they existed; partly, because I don't believe in absolutes. What is Creativity if we don't tweak a rule here and there? But be careful! As the old saying goes, "Don't bite off your nose to spite your face." If following the rules means selling your manuscript . . .  (See next paragraph.)

At an RWA conference way back when, I attended a talk by the editor of Signet's Regency line, who announced she was looking for manuscripts. I listened, gritted my teeth, and told myself, "Okay, you can do that." I abandoned my Regency Historicals (which had been e-published only) and wrote what became The Courtesan's Letters, the first of six Regency Romances for Signet (Penguin Putnam). [Even though they changed the title to the innocuous (and inaccurate) The Indifferent Earl, because the Marketing Department thought "courtesan" wouldn't play well in the Heartland. Sigh.]

Next week:  Point of View, Part 4 - Third Person 

 ~ * ~

Though featured fairly recently, what other book could I use to accompany this particular blog but the book I wrote while disciplining myself to "follow the rules"?

 

Miss Abigail Todd, the very proper headmistress of an academy for young ladies in Boston, arrives in England to settle her grandmother’s estate, only to discover that her ancestor was la grande Clarisse, the most notorious courtesan of her day. And, to her even greater horror, she herself is the perfect image of her grandmother. Clarisse has left a series of letters detailing commissions Abby must carry out in order to obtain her inheritance (an amount far greater than anticipated). In order to do this, she must accept the assistance of Jared, Earl of Langley, grandson of the man who was Clarisse’s devoted lover for forty years. Has Clarisse created these letters because of love, nostalgia, mischief, vengeance . . . or is she perhaps more interested in matchmaking? The most likely answer: all of the above.

Author’s Note: The Courtesan’s Letters is suitable reading for Ages 14 & up. Under the Signet title of The Indifferent Earl, it was nominated for a RITA award by the Romance Writers of America and was awarded “Regency Romance of the Year” by Romantic Times magazine.


Reviews:

"This story flows like fine champagne, full of sparkle, zest and energy."
Teresa Roebuck, Romantic Times

"The dialogue sparkles, the plot evolves at a brisk pace, and a diverse cast of secondary characters adds depth and texture to this well-written tale."
Susan Lantz, Romance Reviews Today

"I was completely and utterly seduced by this book. . . . The plot is exquisite, a sparklingly innovative, perfectly executed piece of craftsmanship. . . . It is books like this that restore our faith in the Regency genre. . . ."
Celia Merenyi, A Romance Review

~ * ~

For a link to Blair's website, click here. 

For Blair's Facebook Author Page, click here.*

 

For recent blogs, scroll down. For Archives, see the menu on the right.

 

Thanks for stopping by,

Grace (Blair Bancroft) 

 

 

WRITING - Point of View, Pt 2 / Cover Reveal

 

Doom and gloom still prevails on Facebook (not unjustified), so I did a quick run-through of My Pictures and came up with a potpourri of pics from the past. Firstly, one I missed in my tale of bell-ringing—a view of two of the bells in Harkness Tower, taken by my daughter on our visit in July of 2019.

 

 

Below, the extremely handy pic I found online, and which I used in two books set in Bath; most recently, The Abandoned Daughter.

 

Sydney Garden Maze

 One of my favorite typos (not mine, thank goodness):

 

 A truly funny pic to brighten your day . . . (Be sure you read every word.)

 ~ * ~

 

 WRITING - POINT OF VIEW, Part 2 

FIRST PERSON

Some years ago, I recall an author declaring she "hated" books written in the First Person (books written solely from the main character's point of view, usually female). Since I loved the classic First Person Gothics of Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt, and other Gothic authors of the 50s and 60s, I felt challenged to understand this negative attitude about First Person. My conclusion:  it stems primarily from not being allowed to see into the Hero's head. Yet in classic Gothic novels the whole point is to make the heroine feel vulnerable. That she is alone against the world. The reader suffers as the heroine suffers, suspense building as she feels threatened yet hasn't a clue from where or whom danger stalks. Or if it's all in her head. So, let's just say, "To each his/her own," and move on to the varieties of First Person.

Grace note for anyone who might have missed this in school:  "First Person" means the story is told using "I" and "We." "Third Person" means the story is told using, "He and she."  Third Person stories may be told from just one point of view, multiple points of view, and/or the author's point of view.

 

1.  Straight First Person. The heroine tells the tale. The reader knows only what she sees, what she hears, what she reads, what she thinks. NO OTHER POINT OF VIEW ALLOWED.

2.  First Person - Variant 1.  After a chapter (or two or three) written by the Heroine in her POV, the next chapter is headed with the Hero's name and the story continues in his POV. Which, however, is expressed in THIRD Person. (In more recent years some authors may have written the Hero's POV in First Person, but I have not personally seen it.) The majority of the book in this variant, however, remains in the Heroine's POV.

3.  First Person - Variant 2.  I find this a "fun" approach to First Person POV. Anne Cleeland uses this variant throughout her Doyle and Acton Scotland Yard series. In the first books the hero's brief comments were expressed in three or four lines in small type (centered) at the top of each chapter. As the series progressed, however, Ms Cleeland snuck in a few "ringers" - comments from characters other than the Hero of the series - challenging readers to figure out who is saying what to whom! 

Grace note:  if anyone knows of a different approach to First Person POV, I would love to hear about it. 

~ * ~

This week's featured book - the cover reveal and rough draft of the blurb for my Work in Progress, which was supposed to be another Gothic paranormal and somehow turned into a Regency Romance/Adventure (with ghosts), written in Multiple POVs! 

When the uncle of a six-year-old marquess threatens to take him from his widowed mother, as well as urging her to marry his rakish son, Victoire, Marchioness of Brynthorpe, hires a war-weary band of ex-soldiers as bodyguards. The resulting clash reverberates from Wiltshire to London as Captain Fox, the Stone Soldier, turns out to be far more than his military rank implies.

Violent conflict, an unexpected and rocky romance, close-held secrets—all to the tune of comments and advice from five resident phantoms. Yet even when our hero and heroine see sunny skies at last, one more stumbling block rears its ugly head. 

Grace note:  I grew very fond of the wounded major in my last book, The Abandoned Daughter. The Stone Soldier is my attempt at redemption for a lost soul.

~ * ~

For a link to Blair's website, click here. 

For Blair's Facebook Author Page, click here.*

 

For recent blogs, scroll down. For Archives, see the menu on the right.

 

Thanks for stopping by,

Grace (Blair Bancroft) 

Writing - Point of View, Pt 1

 At last, something besides Doom & Gloom among the Facebooks pics. Enjoy!

 

A gem from Facebook

 Then again . . .

 

 

 

~ * ~

 

 A Diversion into the Wonderful World

 of Change Ringing

 

Harkness Tower, Yale University

Just as I was planning my POV blog, a member of my choir recommended a book to our Choir Director, bringing back a rush of old memories, which I simply had to share. [The book—The Nine Tailors*, one of Dorothy Sayer's many mysteries featuring Lord Peter Wimsey] My poor old brain perked up, and I remembered, "I have a copy of that book!" When I got home, I searched my book shelves, and there it was. Published in 1934, the well-worn copy was gifted to my husband in 1966, and signed by Paul Taylor when we hosted him in June 1969 when he came across the pond for the dedication of new Taylor bells for Harkness Tower at Yale.

[*not to be mistaken for nine men diligently sewing menswear!]

The meaning of the title is confusing. I, familiar with England's Taylor Bell Foundry, always thought it was Ms. Sayers' altered spelling of the fictional church's nine bells (all by Taylor, I assumed). I am told, however, that the title refers to the name of "death" bell in the church steeple that was rung nine times when someone died. BUT if you consider that Ms Sayers likely named her fictional bell after the Taylor Bell Foundry [owned and operated by the Taylor family—in which John and Paul are favored names—and which has been making bells - and only bells - since the mid-18th century . . .

To get back to why I have a copy of The Nine Tailors autographed by Paul Taylor of the Taylor Bell Foundry . . .  My husband learned Change Ringing while stationed in Bath, England, during WWII. And later, while an undergraduate at Yale, he talked his way into becoming the first undergraduate bell-ringer, going on to found the Yale Guild of Carilloneurs, which still functions to this day. Playing the ten bells in Harkness Tower, however, differed from English bell-ringing since the Harkness bells were played on a "keyboard" consisting of ten giant wooden handles, making it possible for one person to play all ten bells, instead of having to have one person on each rope to play the same number of bells in England.

After graduation, my husband founded Yale's Audiovisual Center and was still at Yale when an elderly lady in Hartford declared she wished to dedicate her considerable fortune to buying more bells for Harkness Tower. So, naturally, my husband was made the liaison between the donor and the university. To make a long story short, after everyone involved at Yale picked their jaws up from the floor, Miss Crofut's gift added up to buying FORTY-FOUR* more bells, making Harkness Tower one of the largest carillons in the world. About ten years ago, Susie and I took the grandgirls to Branford College (home of Harkness Tower). The then head of the Guild took Susie and the girls up the long flight of stone steps to the "keyboard," showed the girls their grandfather's picture hanging on the wall, and even allowed each one to play a note. A fabulous experience. 

[*I suspect this may have been the largest order in Taylor history.]

WARNING: The Nine Tailors is chockfull of bell-ringers' gobbledygook. How Dorothy Sayers managed it, I can't even imagine. But it's a truly unique murder mystery and highly recommended to all those with inquiring minds. It is also an excellent example of a book told almost exclusively in dialogue, much of it in the vernacular of the "Fens." [FYI, the Fens is a marshy area in eastern England, made habitable only by a complex series of canals (much like a good deal of Florida).]

~ * ~

Now, at long last . . .

WRITING - POINT OF VIEW, Part 1

When I began writing in the mid-90s, I knew nothing about the so-called "Rules of Writing." I was very familiar with the "art" of writing, as I started typing my mother's romance magazine manuscripts my freshman year in high school. And yes, I was a voracious reader, but rules? What rules?

Decades later, when I got my third child off to college and finally sat down and to give writing a try, I simply plunged in and got it done. To the tune of a 140,000-word book spanning the final seven years of the Napoleonic Wars. Although the book centered around a young woman who was only fourteen when the book began, I used a number of other Points of View—which turned out to be a no-no. 

I joined Romance Writers of America and discovered beginning Romance authors of that time were supposed to submit to Harlequin Mills & Boone—manuscripts with simplicity of language and very strict rules for Point of View. Oops!  Incredibly, I did get an offer from one of New York's most prestigious publishing houses—if only I would make my heroine older. And, stupid, stubborn, idiot me, I refused. (Still shaking my head over that one.)The book in question is The Sometime Bride, currently available on Kindle and other e-publishing sites. (See below for cover and blurb.)

I attended RWA conferences and gradually picked up the "rules." (Not that I always agreed with them.) I also submitted manuscripts to RWA contests, and one day, out of blue, came an offer for my Tarleton's Wife to be one of the first books published by an e-publisher. Yes, that's right—an electronic, not paper book. (Evidently, the editor had been one of my RWA contest judges.) You should have heard the shocked sounds when I received an award at the next RWA convention and announced Tarleton's Wife would be e-published! And yes, one of the reviewers mentioned my "slippery" points of view, even though she gave the book high praise.

So . . . has anything changed in the last thirty years? From what I can find out, not much.  Harlequin Mills & Boone have eased up a hair—details in Part 2. The major publishers are still more flexible about POV, and a few new wrinkles have been added here and there. (Anne Cleeland's Doyle and Acton series is a good example.) At the moment I believe I've stretched the limits of how lengthy a blog should be, so tune in next week for the various ways you can present Point of View in your books. (And yes, Virginia, even First Person has variants.)

~ * ~ 

Featured Book:

A very young bride finds herself married to an enigmatic British spy "for her safety." And is plunged into a seven-year, highly personal view of the Peninsular War—ending, after years of blind devotion, in discovering a betrayal of her trust so immense she can only wonder: Is she the sometime bride of a man who never existed? A discarded mistress? Or a beloved wife whose only rival is her husband's expediency in a time of war?

Author's Note: In addition to being a saga of young lovers caught up in a war, The Sometime Bride is the history of the Peninsular War, Britain's fight against Napoleon in Portugal and Spain. The story moves from France's invasion of Portugal and British troops being driven into the sea at La Coruña to the return of British troops under General Sir Arthur Wellesley, the fortified lines at Torres Vedras, and the gradual push of French troops across Spain and back to France. Plus the chaotic times in Paris after Napoleon's surrender and the Emperor's triumph as he gathers up his old troops, only to be stopped in one of the most famous and bloody battles in history—Waterloo.

Reviews:

Reviewers Choice Award. "Sometimes a reviewer gets a book so powerful, it's hard to know where to begin to tell about it. The Sometime Bride is such a book. . . . Bride passes every criterion for a successful book that I was given as a reviewer. Ms Bancroft weaves a most unusual love story in among the threads of history that cover eight years. . . . I highly recommend both Tarleton's Wife and The Sometime Bride as companion books. They are totally independent, but together give a vastly enlightening and entertaining view of the period through use of wonderful characters and page-turner plots—definite keepers, both." Jane Bowers, Romance Communications

"The writing talent displayed by the author is wonderful . . . Ms. Bancroft's detail for historical events is phenomenal. . . ."
April Redmon, Romantic Times

Five Stars. "Set against the bloody Napoleonic wars, The Sometime Bride is ambitious, engrossing and absolutely wonderful."
Rickey R. Mallory, Affaire de Coeur

Five Stars. "The Sometime Bride by Blair Bancroft is a riveting and well-written story. . . . The tension between the hero and heroine sizzles. . . ." Janet Lane Walters, Scribes World
 

~ * ~

For a link to Blair's website, click here. 

For Blair's Facebook Author Page, click here.*

 

For recent blogs, scroll down. For Archives, see the menu on the right.

 

Thanks for stopping by,

Grace (Blair Bancroft) 

 

      

Save-our-Democray Snippets to Share

 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

 

 Next blog, May 17.  Writing - Update on Point of View

 --------------------------------

Big Night at the family's bar in Sanford, Florida. Lots of costumes expected.

 Susie is selling new homes in Titusville (on the Space Coast). Each day she prowls the construction site looking for fossils or interesting rocks. Below, one of her latest haul of calcite rocks - right out from under the bulldozers.

 

~ * ~

 
I've been reading a steampunk series this week, which reminded me:  "I wrote one of the those!" (Perhaps Steampunk/Alternative History might be more accurate.) Definitely a shocker to my Regency fans, but I thoroughly enjoyed my one and only venture into a unique version of the years almost directly after George IV.

 

Miss Araminta Galsworthy encounters a number of surprises at the home of her new guardian, an inventor like her father. In addition to a host of strange machines and attacks by people who think her guardian's invention, the airship Aurora, is the work of the devil, she is expected to play hostess to a bevy of guests, all of whom seem to be engaged in treason. And, oh yes, she is expected to marry her guardian. Immediately.

Minta struggles to adjust to a new husband, new enemies, and new friends—one a princess who must rise above her rivals for the throne of England. When the day of revolution arrives, Minta plays a vital role, but comes perilously close to losing her chance to live a life where she, not the airship Aurora, is the center of her husband's life. 

~ * ~

 

SNIPPETS TO SHARE 

In the past few months I have been posting bits and pieces to Facebook whose theme might be called, "Save Our Democracy!" This week I am sharing them to my blog, plus some new ones that have not yet been posted. You are invited to share any and all with as many people as you can, as we are in a fight to save Democracy, the basic principle upon which our country was founded. You are also urged to make up snippets of your own and post them where you will. 

Although I am a writer, "short and sharp" has never been my strong suit, so I'm sure many of you can do infinitely better, hopefully flooding Social Media with the message that the United States of America will not whimper into obscurity but stand up and fight against the overwhelming odds of megalomania, powerful oligarchs, a cowardly Congress, and our personal fears of being stepped on by giants. Think of yourself tossing tea bales into Boston Harbor. Think of yourself as a Minuteman at Concord and Lexington, issuing the cry against injustice. Crossing a Delaware River in the depths of a winter night . . .

A bit much? Then join the Battle of Words. Let the Internet world know what you think. A few choice words, et voilà, you've joined the battle against Dictatorship. A BATTLE WE MUST WIN BEFORE IT SWEEPS US ALL AWAY and Democracy is down the rabbit hole, lost forever. The citizens of the U S of A along with it.

Below please find a few snippets to share and to inspire you to create your own form of protest.

Grace Note:  "Newest Snippets" added just before posting.

 Newest Snippets:

WANTED

a Wyatt Earp to clean out Doge City 

Shut the windows, close the doors.

Boycott the Emperor's Birthday Parade.  

1.  Government by Executive Order is Dictatorship.

2.  Whatever happened to "Government of the People, by the People, for the People"?

3.  Trump plays with immigrants' lives, the lives of federal workers. We're next.

4.  Trump 2.0.  Worst mistake Americans ever made.

5.  Judicial - empowered the Beast

     Legislative - gone belly-up

     Executive - gone WILD  

 

6.  Embrace your enemies. Kick your friends in the teeth.

     Way to go, DJT!

 

7.  Megalomania Rampant

     Democracy Quivering

     Come on, Knights of Freedom

     Stand up and fight!

 

8.  Kudos to Harvard and Amazon for fighting back.

 

Question:  Can the Supreme Court reverse its ruling on Executive Power? (I bet a majority now wish it could.)

 

Watch out, Aryan Nation. In the end, they'll come for you too. Y'll ain't "couth" enough for the oligarchs who plan to rule the world.

 

~ * ~ 

 

For a link to Blair's website, click here. 

For Blair's Facebook Author Page, click here.*

 

For recent blogs, scroll down. For Archives, see the menu on the right.

 

Thanks for stopping by,

Grace (Blair Bancroft)