Search
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Publications
  • Bio
  • Contact
  • Sign in
Close
Menu
Search
Close
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Publications
  • Bio
  • Contact
  • Sign in
Menu

Ksenia Anske

June 13, 2015

7 ways to describe your protagonist in 1st person POV

by Ksenia Anske


Illustration by Eleanor Davis

Illustration by Eleanor Davis

Illustration by Eleanor Davis

Illustration by Eleanor Davis

Leo Zaccari asked: "What is the best way to describe your protagonist in 1st person POV?It always sounds forced and unnatural. What are some good ways to do it and make it sound natural?"

Excellent question. I think there are as many ways to do it as there are writers, and ultimately you will find your own way. I have accidentally stumbled on a couple tricks while writing my first book, and later I have seen other writers employing other tricks and stole those and tried them in my books as well.  

Read More

TAGS: 1st person POV, POV, question, answer, description, list


June 4, 2014

Switch character POV to write better dialogue

by Ksenia Anske


Photo by Phillip Schumacher

Photo by Phillip Schumacher

Photo by Phillip Schumacher

Photo by Phillip Schumacher

I'm reading Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky right now, and it's taking me a sweet sweet time. Because. I'm trying something new. Don't ask me where I picked up this idea, I actually don't remember. I started doing it at the end of writing the 2nd draft of IRKADURA (and today is the day I'm starting to write the 3rd draft! Ahhh!! AHHH!!! I'm so fucking scared!!!). Here is what it looks like (and it actually legitimately helped me write better dialogue, I swear, has been confirmed by a NY Times Bestselling author). Are you ready? When I read, at every line of dialogue, I pause and get inside that character's head, THEN I read the line. Like, literally, remember the movie Being John Malkovich? Yeah, like that. Or, think of it this way. Think like a movie director. Imagine the shots. So, switch between camera angles. Rotate the whole scene in your head in 3D. That's what it looks like to me. I become that character, for that one particular line of dialogue she or he (or IT?) says. Then, when the other character answers, I switch again. I get out of the first character's head and get inside the second character's head. It's hard. It takes me time to pause and force myself to do it, and to switch the scene view in my mind. I also do something else. If there are more characters, I pause and hop inside their heads too, just to see what they see, even if they don't do anything. It takes forever! But it's worth the effort! Here is why.

Read More

TAGS: character, POV, dialogue, writing, reading