@cjtruwriter.bsky.socialOne of the best things you can do for your craft as a writer is read. Read outside your genre. Read outside what comforts you. Challenge your biases. Challenge your taste. Ask questions. See what is/isn't working. Learn from it all and then put it to practice.
Use characters to guide not just what the reader sees, but what they feel and understand. Ask: are observations loaded or are characters sleepwalking through a scene? Are they interpreting the facts or parroting them? Are they shrugging off the big emotional beats in the story or experiencing them?
The POV character is also a vessel of information controlling what the reader knows and when they know it. The flow of information controls if a locked drawer is just a that or if in ten chapters it holds a key. Your characters play a role in what is being noticed, glossed over, etc.
Your POV character isn’t neutral. They carry biases, opinions, misbeliefs, thoughts, interpretations.The characters and worlds in your stories come alive b/c the reader experiences them filtered through your POV character. e.g., a room to one might be a prison to another.
POV characters are there to do more than observe: what they see, smell, hear, etc. If we limit POV characters to only sensory experiences, we rob the reader of a chance to connect to them. You’re not just showing readers a world, you’re showing them how *this* character uniquely interacts with it.
As a Fiction Editor, something I comment a lot is that your POV character isn’t just the reader’s eyes, they’re a vessel of information. So let's talk about it #WritingCommunity —🧵
Editing tip—before the catalyst hits, you need the calm before the weird. Readers should see your character’s flawed norm. Not just their routine, but how they navigate their world, what they believe, etc. Let the reader settle in *before* you pull the rug out. #WritingCommunity
Would love to connect with any authors writing horror, thrillers, or spec fiction. In fact, the weirder the better my friends 🍄🟫🍂🤎
If you are looking for an indie fantasy that's queer normative, has some romantic tension, and features a demon with a penchant for pastries, please consider my debut, DARKNESS CALLS SOFLTY ❤️❤️
a.co/d/c3nVmHv or at Grimsby Books
I appreciate that so much!
Thank you!! 🥹
Hi #WritingCommunity I have 3 developmental editing spots left for 2025. I’d love some more sci-fi, horror, or thrillers. If that’s you and you’re interested in working together, I’d love to hear from you! 🍂🖤👀
Writing is hard. Editing is hard. Publishing is hard. But it doesn’t have to be lonely. Midnight margaritas anyone? 🧂🌾🪻
#writingcommunity #writesky
Just a reminder for authors interested in booking with me, my calendar is almost full for editing in 2025. If you'd like to work together, please reach out for a sample edit so we can secure your spot.💜
#WriteSky #BookSky
Use these characters to guide not just what the reader sees, but what they feel and understand. If you're stuck, ask yourself: are the observations loaded or are the characters sleepwalking through the scene? Are they interpreting the facts or parroting them? Are they participating in their own POV?
They're also vessels of information, they control what the reader knows and when they know it. A locked drawer could be nothing or it holds a key revealed 10 chapters later. Your POV character determines what is noticed, what is glossed over, when/why the reveals happen, and what the payoff is.
Your POV character also isn’t neutral. They bring biases, opinions, misbeliefs, thoughts, and interpretations. The characters and the worlds in your stories come alive because the reader experiences them filtered through your POV character. e.g., a room to one might be a prison to another.
It's easy to think that your POV character is purely there to observe: what they see, smell, hear, etc. But this robs the reader of a chance to connect. You’re not just showing readers a world, you’re showing them how *this* character uniquely interacts with it, what stands out to them, and why.
As a Fiction Editor, I'm always sharing with authors that your POV character isn’t just the reader’s eyes, they’re a vessel of information. So let's talk about it—🧵
#WriterSky #BookSky
Sometimes I just want to hole up in a mossy cottage surrounded by woodland creatures to keep me company while I edit books.
Random editing tip—when pacing your novel, think about “tension and release.” High-stakes moments should be followed by quieter scenes that let your characters (and readers) breathe—or, let them suffer, but let that be a deliberate choice and not a pacing flaw! #WriterSky #BookSky
In light of the dumpster fire of a world we have right now, I'll be offering free query reviews for the remainder of 2024—Black, Indigenous, POC, Queer and Disabled authors only. If you're interested, please send me an email introducing yourself and your story. #WritingCommunity #BookSky
I’m just an editor looking for writers, hoping they’ll find this post 👀 #WritingCommunity
“This body of mine is not big enough to contain the scale of emotion coursing through me. How could I feel a rage like this, and not be able to tear the sky open and scorch the earth?”
— Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
I thought I'd introduce myself:
I’m Melissa—a queer and neurodivergent Fiction Editor living in 🇨🇦 I spent over three years working at Penguin Random House and now freelance edit full-time doing the thing I love most: reading!
Also, this is my dog.
#WritingCommunity