Ruthy here: We've known Jackie Layton for years. She's been a friend, a Seekerville follower, a colleague and now a published author! It's fun to watch the folks we've worked with move on with their careers... and it's fun to meet new people, new aspiring authors but we never, ever want to forget the folks who've sailed off of Unpubbed Island and crossed to the Mainland of Publishing. Jackie, welcome aboard and thank you so much for being with us today!
It was at the 2017 ACFW conference in Grapevine, Texas when I first put serious thought into writing cozy mysteries. Until then I’d written romance and romantic suspense novels. At an appointment with an editor, the topic of cozy mysteries came up. It was like looking in a kaleidoscope when the pieces fall into place and form a beautiful picture. I broke out in chills.
It was at the 2017 ACFW conference in Grapevine, Texas when I first put serious thought into writing cozy mysteries. Until then I’d written romance and romantic suspense novels. At an appointment with an editor, the topic of cozy mysteries came up. It was like looking in a kaleidoscope when the pieces fall into place and form a beautiful picture. I broke out in chills.
There was
a learning curve ahead of me. First, I had to transition from the fast pace of
suspense to cozies. I’d also need to learn how to write in first person point
of view. Right away I began only reading books in first person to help me get
the feel for it.
If
you’ve ever considered writing in first person POV, I’d like to share a few
tips I learned. In first person the story is told by the protagonist or a
character on the fringe who can tell the protagonist’s story. For example, Sherlock
Holmes is told from Dr. Watson’s point of view.
Avoid
thinking verbs. Don’t use believe, decide, consider, see, forget, guess,
imagine, know, notice and remember. These take the reader out of deep POV.
Instead
of writing, “I believed Susan was lying.”
Try, “Susan’s
gaze dropped to the floor, and she twisted the ring around her finger.”
Using
deep POV and showing not telling is important for all fiction authors, but it
seems vital to stories set in 1st person POV. In first person, you
don’t have the luxury of jumping into the hero’s POV to learn what he is
feeling or thinking. It must be shown.
Showing
the setting also takes the reader deeper into the story. Instead of telling the
reader the moon is shining, show it to them. Bite the Dust is set on the
fictional island of Heyward Beach, South Carolina. If my main character Andi
Grace Scott is inland, the moonlight might filter through the Spanish moss
covering the ancient oak trees.
Many
times, Andi Grace is on the beach, and I want the reader to see the moon from
the island. “The moon beams danced on the incoming waves and sparkled like
diamonds in the night.”
A writer
also wants to avoid passive voice. For example, you wouldn’t write, “She
twisted her ankle while running on the beach.”
To make
this active, try:
“A
seagull flew overhead dancing on the breeze. I stumbled into a hole, and pain
seared up my leg. Somebody hadn’t read the signs telling visitors to fill the
holes left from building sand castles, and my poor ankle was paying the price.”
Go even
deeper. “I fell on the sand and grabbed my ankle. There are signs people. At
every beach entrance are messages to pick up your trash and fill in the holes
before leaving the beach.”
When
writing in deep POV, you’re writing as your character. Andi Grace Scott is the
main character in A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery series, and I needed to
learn her voice. Andi Grace is a southern girl who loves God and loves her
family. She’s a caretaker. She’s a fighter who sticks up for the underdog and pursues
justice. She’s a big sister which makes her kinda bossy. (I’m a big sister and
can identify with this trait.)
While
Andi Grace may be used to telling her siblings what to do, there’s a lot she
doesn’t know. I hope her flaws make her more likeable in her search for a
killer and in her everyday life.
Do you
enjoy reading stories told in first person POV? Have you written a story in
first person?
Bite
the Dust is the first book in A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery series. Dog-Gone
Dead is the second book and should release in the next couple of months.
Back Cover Copy for Bite
the Dust:
Secrets can be
deadly.
One steamy South Carolina morning, Low Country dog walker Andi Grace Scott discovers a client’s dead body. Police quickly decide she’s the prime suspect. Horrified, she knows she’ll have to turn detective if she’s going to convince them they’re barking up the wrong tree.
Proving her
innocence could be a tall order. The local police never solved the hit-and-run
that killed her parents; Andi Grace isn’t sure they’ll solve this crime
either…not when they have a convenient suspect—one caught with the possible
murder weapon in her hand. She’ll have to follow every clue and call in every
favor, even if that puts her in danger.
If you love strong
heroines, coastal small-town life, and dogs, you’ll love Bite the Dust.
Available on
Amazon: Bite the Dust
Barnes & Noble:
Bite the Dust
Ways to reach out to
Jackie:
Twitter:
@Joyfuljel
