Following on from last week, I have some more creative writing fun for you! (To get the most out of this exercise, you really need to go back and do last week’s first…)
Writing fun one: Last week you were hiding in a cave. Now write a different story – but this time in the third person.
Writing fun two: The story you wrote about a donkey and his friend in the third person… this week, you get to write from the first person – you can be the donkey or the bird; the choice is yours…
So grab your pen and paper and have some fun! And don’t forget to send me your stories – always lovely to hear from you.
Writing should definitely be fun! If you have a gift for writing, it will at times flow out of you as if you were born to it, and make you smile. Of course, there will be days when you have to keep moving forward with grit and determination… but even then, when it’s over, you will look back on the experience as an enriching one. 🙂
Today I’d like to give you two writing prompts, just for fun… and to practice using the first and third person we’ve been looking at over the last couple of weeks!
So have a break from your work in progress, put down the sudoku, turn off the cricket and the tennis, and get yourself a pen and paper…
Writing prompt one (first person): You are hiding in a cave. Why are you there? Who are you hiding from?
Writing prompt two (third person): Your main character is a donkey, and his best friend is a bird. Write about an adventure they have together.
Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Please send your writing – I’d love to see your stories. 🙂
Last week we considered five reasons we might choose to write our novel in the first person narrative voice (I, we, us.) If you’d like to go back and take a look at the post, you can find it here.
In that post I mentioned that stories are usually narrated either in the first person (I, me, we) or the third person (he, she, it, they). Neither is right or wrong; they are just different. You can choose!
However, there are certain situations that make writing from either one or the other a better choice. This week, we consider five reasons you might choose to write in the third person (he, she, they):
Reason 1: Writing in the first person can be restrictive. For example, your protagonist won’t be able to see someone following them. Impossible, right? You may not want them to know someone is following them… but you might want your readers to know, to build suspense. Which could be tricky if writing in the first person! So third would be a good choice.
Reason 2: If you have action happening in more than one place at once, writing in the third person is an obvious choice. No one can be in two places at once! 🙂
Reason 3: You can be more objective when writing in the third person. You are not bound by what your protagonist is thinking and feeling. The third person perspective is wider, and gives you, as the writer, more freedom. Your narrator can see things from any perspective you choose. Which can be useful.
Reason 4: I mentioned last week that if your protagonist is very much like your readers, writing from his or her point of view in the first person will help you get your readers to engage with them at a deep emotional level. But if you expect to have a wider readership – if your protagonist is a young lad, for example, but you are writing for boys and girls, the third person might be a better fit. Girls might get fed up with the boy’s thoughts and feelings… or vice versa.
Reason 5: You might simply find you tell your story better in the third person, and that’s fine! The story is yours, after all. 🙂
OK, here’s a writing exercise for you, just for fun: Your main character is visiting a zoo with friends, and becomes a giraffe. Write a paragraph or two in the first person, then switch to the third. Which comes more naturally? Enjoy!
Janet
P.S. If you’re not completely clear about the difference between first and third person narrative, let me know, and I’ll make that the next blog post. 🙂
Stories are usually narrated either in the first person (I, me, we) or the third person (he, she, it, they). Neither is right or wrong; they are just different. The choice is yours!
In this creative writing tip, we’re going to take a look at five reasons you might choose to write your story in the first person.
Reason 1: Your protagonist may have a particularly interesting voice. For example, Harper Lee wrote to Kill a Mockingbird from the viewpoint of a child. Scout has a fascinating viewpoint to share with readers, which has a big impact on the way the story comes over.
Reason 2: If you are writing a diary-style story, writing in the first person is the obvious choice. Louise Rennison wrote the extremely successful Confessions of Georgia Nicolson in the first person – Georgia is a strong character with plenty of opinions and shocking revelations, which she freely shares with readers. Readers can feel as if they are privileged confidants, which is great!
Reason 3: Writing in the first person can bring us much closer to the thoughts and feelings of your main character. If your readers are likely to strongly identify with your protagonist (age, sex, interests, background and so on), you might choose to write from the first person. This will bring your readers so close, they could almost be that person.
Reason 4: If your story has one main character who dominates your story (an action hero who saves the world single-handedly, for example), you might like to write the novel from their point of view in the first person. This can be good fun, especially if readers can ‘see’ beyond what the protagonist actually says!
Reason 5: We are used to telling stories from our own point of view, so writing in the first person can be a good choice for beginners. If you have never written a novel before, but keep a diary, or enjoy writing letters, writing in the first person might be an excellent starting point.
Trust that helps! See you next week, when we’ll take a look at some reasons you might wish to write your novel in the third person. 🙂
Few authors make big money with their writing, but that doesn’t mean to say you can’t be successful. It depends how you define success.
Yesterday I went to Hillsong Kids in London (the 7-11s group), to talk to them about books. It was great! I got to talk to some of the children individually as well as give a talk to the whole group. Several of them buzzed around me after my talk, thrilled and amazed to find books with Christian characters just like them (and two asked me if I’d publish the books they are writing!).
If you can write a book that encourages a child in their faith, wouldn’t that be the most awesome thing? Your book may not ever be a best seller, but there is no KPI (Key Performance Indicator) to show touched lives. (Maybe one day in heaven all will be revealed!) Of course we want our stories to be big sellers, and of course, the more you sell, the more lives you can touch, but every single child is precious.
If only one child read your story, and it changed the course of their life, would it be a success? YES! A HUGE success!
So if you feel you are called to write stories to share the good news of Jesus, keep writing. Who knows what the Lord might do?
Can I make a suggestion though? To make sure your story is the best it can be, invest in books about writing, and/or a writing course (ours will be open for enrolment soon), to make sure you have all the basic story elements right. (Characters, voice, structure, dialogue and so on.) Then you can let your imagination fly!
Have a great week, and if you have any questions about the Write for a Reason course, please don’t hesitate to contact me,
Ever heard this phrase? Now, I’m a great believer in spontaneity, but there are times when I do love a good plan. For example, I make lists. If I don’t, I forget things – I just do. When I was a child I’d leave my swimming things hanging in the changing room, forget to take important forms back to school, forget it was spelling day, forget to pack my lunch… and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
Now I’m an adult I would still forget things if I didn’t make lists. I also plan things, or they’d never get done, and that includes my stories. So many times over the years I have started a story, then got part of the way through before losing the plot (sorry about the pun!). Overwhelm takes over when I’m not sure which way to go; enthusiasm and joy wanes, and I think of another exciting plot to begin! Ring any bells? Tell me I’m not the only one!
The stories I’ve finished, I’ve planned. Every one. So I’m a big believer in story plans. That’s why the course I’m working on right now incorporates writing a story plan (along with a lot of essential technical know-how). I hope you will join me! I’m not quite ready to open it up for sale yet, but will let you know when I do.
In the meantime, why not have a stab at summarising your current work in progress in a sentence or two? It will give you some clarity, so at least you’ll know the end as well as the beginning. 🙂
Have you already made a story plan? Do you like the idea? Let me know in the comments below. I look forward to hearing from you.
Mark, a writer-for-a-reason, recently requested input on developing a writing style/voice as an author. This topic can cause anxiety, and it’s something I don’t think I’ve ever covered, so this week I’m really pleased to give you seven quick tips:
Read widely and be inspired, but don’t try to write like anyone else
Be yourself! Be honest, write from your heart, write like YOU
Don’t try too hard – relax, enjoy your writing! 🙂
Be confident that you have a unique voice, because you do!
Get in the flow – practice freewriting as much as you can
Write with one ideal reader in mind, as if you were talking to just him/her
Write, write and write some more!
Follow these seven pointers, and your voice will develop, all on its own, over time.
I trust that has been helpful? Please leave any comments, or further ideas of your own, in the comments below – let’s encourage each other!
Thanks, Mark, for this great suggestion for the blog. Do you have an idea for a writing tip – something you struggle with, or is puzzling you? Don’t hesitate to get in touch.
In the meantime, blessings abundant on your day,
Janet Wilson from Dernier Publishing (Christian fiction for children and teens) and Write for a Reason
Janet
P.S. If you want to go to the next level with your writing, the online Write for a Reason writing course might be for you. I run this course for Christians who want to write novels for kids and teens – or anyone who’s interested! You can find more information here.
Whatever we do, we have to start small. Babies babble, then say a word or two, then gradually their vocabulary increases. We were all there once!
It’s the same for everything we do – we have to start small, learn how to do it, and persevere. There’s no other way to get anything done! You can’t just sit down and play the piano, without those first few faltering attempts and lots of practice. Writing is no different. It takes time, patience, a willingness to learn, lots of effort – and a small beginning. You have to take the first step, then the next step… then keep going.
Sometimes that first (or next!) step can be scary, but it’s the only way to move forward.
I asked some fellow writers from the Association of Christian Writers how they started writing: guess what? They all had a small beginning.
Author, writer and speaker Veronica Zundel wrote a book review for the Baptist Times, which led to a feature article… which led to a career in writing. Fiona Veitch Smith wrote a play for a competition at school – now she writes picture books for children, and crime fiction for adults. One lady started with a devotional for her college newspaper… another chap wrote his testimony for a school magazine… everyone’s route into writing is different, but you need a small beginning!
What’s your next step?
Join a writing group?
Decide what you are going to write?
Take a writing course?
Something else? 🙂
Take courage, my writer friends – if you feel you have a gift for writing, determine to take the next step… who knows what it might lead to? Don’t bury your talent!
Janet
P.S. The new online Write for a Reason course (for anyone who wants to write novels for children/young people) will run for ten weeks through the summer. If you’re interested, let me know! It would be a privilege to help you put your talent to work.
I was talking about Easter yesterday, with my husband. Although we celebrate Easter once a year, don’t we live in the reality of the death and resurrection of Jesus every day of our lives?
Where would we be without Easter? Where would we be without the good news? Where would we be if someone hadn’t told us?
You know where I’m going with this, don’t you… someone needs to hear your story. If you feel called to write, don’t put it off any longer. Make a start. The brand new Write for a Reason course starts soon. Let me know if I can help you. Or just write – you can do it!
