For Beginners: How to Choose a Point of View

author kat stiles headshotGuest Post
by Kat Stiles

Point of View (POV) is one of the most important aspects to consider when writing a novel. I can’t count the number of times I’ve read a book and wished the author had chosen a different POV. Yet so many newer authors I’ve spoken with hardly give it a second thought. One of them even gave me a deer-in-the-headlights look. It was that look that prompted this article – a simple exploration of POV, from an author who rewrote an entire novel to get it in the correct POV. Continue reading “For Beginners: How to Choose a Point of View”

To Memoir or Not to Memoir

author writing memoir hand-325321_640Authors write memoirs for a variety of reasons. The question is – does the motivation really matter? Is it just enough to share your story, or does it have to have some kind of reasoning behind it?

One popular and, I think, good reason is to share anecdotes that are funny – to make readers smile or laugh. I have read and enjoyed a few of those. The issue with humour is it can be very difficult to write well. Someone can lead a life filled with amusing incidents but unless they are written with a good comic flare they will fall flat. I’m afraid mine would never fall into that category. My attempts at humour usually result in, “Er – what?” Continue reading “To Memoir or Not to Memoir”