Head-hopping and crisis reading

Man Ray’s 1924 portrait of Kiki de Montparnasse.

Ah, the joys of an unprecedented global pandemic.

COVID-19 officially reached my town a few days ago, and the library where I work responded by temporarily shutting its doors on Tuesday. Now I, like so much of the world, am practicing social distancing and self-quarantining as a means of keeping both myself and others healthy.

In addition to the requisite stocking up on canned/dried foods, pet supplies, and, yes, toilet paper, I also prepared for the long isolation by picking up some extra books from both the library and local indie bookstore. I wanted things that felt fresh but would also tick off some boxes for my 2020 Reading Challenge. As a result, I’m currently reading authors who are largely new to me, even though some of them are quite famous within their genres.

Before I go on, I should admit that I’m probably a particularly difficult reader right now. Whether I’m turning pages at home or listening to an audiobook during a walk around my neighborhood, the story I’m consuming is always, on some level, in competition with the stir-craziness and anxiety constantly floating around the edges of my consciousness. So I’m trying extra hard to not make too many judgements about the authors or books I’m currently reading, and definitely won’t be naming names for any complaints I may have.

That being said, there is one issue that’s come up enough I felt I had to write a post about it, since it’s also something that can plague all writers. And that issue is head-hopping.

For those unfamiliar with the term, head-hopping just means jumping between characters’ perspectives within a single scene and usually applies to stories written in third person. Although there are still writers who will defend it as a stylistic choice, most industry professionals don’t agree. Many agents will even use the appearance of head-hopping as a means of identifying writers who are not yet ready to go professional.

Honestly, I’ve found that as reader I don’t always mind head-hopping, at least when it appears sparingly and in scenes with very few, well-differentiated characters. As an editor, however, I always point out head-hopping when I come across it—usually with a note about the degree to which it impedes my ability to follow a scene—because I know it can be a huge turn-off to industry professionals and many readers. In fact, I often encourage writers to start a new chapter when they switch perspectives, just to be as consistent and clear as possible.

So it’s been a surprise this week to come across not just one but several instances of head-hopping in a recent, well-regarded book by a best-selling author.

Far from being benign and easily understood, the hopping in this case truly is a hinderance to reader comprehension in part because the novel and its various scenes have MANY characters whose voices are not always radically different. Head-hopping in these instances, then, makes it difficult to determine whose perspective I’m reading and the story overall harder to follow. The fact that both the author and their editor either missed this or made the conscious decision to not take the time to change it is a little mind-boggling.

This kind of double-standard between what most writers are told they can do and what superstar authors actually do drives many a writer crazy. It can also lead new authors to believe they should be able to get away with the same mistakes as their heroes. And it is frustrating.

However, when I come across these issues in a published book by an otherwise solid writer, I always end up feeling bad for the author. Why? Because I know what I’m seeing is probably the product of industry-required speed over care. Once popular, an author and their editorial team can be under tremendous pressure to churn out new stories quickly, not giving them enough time to perfect their work before it hits shelves. And invested series readers will be willing to overlook a lot if it means getting more of their favorite characters faster. But once a book is published, that’s it. Authors then have to live with the errors of their novels and the way those errors may reflect back on them.

So my advice is this:

Always strive for perfection and clarity in your own work, but be gentle in your judgements of others.

Avoid head-hopping.

And, above all, do what you need to do to stay healthy, safe, and sane during this weird and difficult time.

Current mood. Photo by Alejandro Salazar.

Become a better writer by being a better citizen

Photo by Daiga Ellaby.

For my money, the best writers are not only good at the craft of writing, but are exceptionally curious, clearsighted, and empathetic people. Without those traits, an author will almost always fail to build a realistically complex and interesting world or write convincing, varied characters. Fortunately, most people possess at least some curiosity and empathy, but these attributes are easily and too often eclipsed by our contradictory same-seeking tendencies. This post is therefore about nurturing those searching, thoughtful aspects of ourselves even when our environment might encourage us to suppress them.

Photo by Johannes Plenio.

Although the tendency to gravitate towards people who are like ourselves is probably as old as humanity itself, we do seem to live in a period where our very environment—particularly our virtual environment—actively encourages our same-seeking instincts in a way that also leads to greater isolation from those with different abilities; political, religious, or social backgrounds; and gender, sexual, or racial identities, thus both aggravating and over-emphasizing these divisions. The irony here is that, if you live in a place with basic internet access (and, if you’re reading this, you probably do), there has also never been a time when it is easier to find, listen to, and interact with people of nearly every demographic, from many parts of the world.

To take advantage of those resources, though, we have to first recognize that there is a wide and varied landscape we don’t see, actively consider what information and perspectives we aren’t being exposed to, and then make the choice to go look for them. It doesn’t sound hard because, on one level, it really isn’t. But for many, passivity in the face of information feels normal and natural. In fact, we are all susceptible to trusting misleading information when it comes from a trusted source or fits neatly within our already held world-views. And looking beyond what’s presented to us takes time, time that most people don’t believe they have, and some people probably don’t.

But if you’re an author—particularly one seeking to write multiple books or anything that ventures outside your own experience—no excuse matters. Seeking a deeper understanding of the world is part of your job. You actually need to do what all of us should do.

Photo by Trevor Cole.

Tips on how to start

• If you haven’t already, start by seeking own-voices perspectives rather than relying on third-party evaluations. There are plenty of smart people writing or vlogging about their experiences out there, many of whom can put their thoughts in historical or sociological contexts, so do a Google search and go find them. Once you actually start looking and spending time with more varied media, you will find your recommendations from places like YouTube and Amazon become more varied as well.

• Watch and read media (TV, movies, books, etc.) that weren’t explicitly made for you.

• Check the funding or context of what you consume. Is a particular vlogger presenting his own, independent ideas, or is he operating under the umbrella of a larger entity? Does that entity have a particular bias? Another quick Google search can usually help with this. [Be especially wary of groups that use vaguely patriotic or otherwise positively emotive words, as well as those that attach the word “college” or “university” to their names when they are not actual, accredited colleges or universities. I’m looking at you, Prager U.]

• Question your own reactions to what you encounter.

It should go without saying, but always be respectful of whatever space you enter, especially when that space was not intended for you. You don’t have to agree with or accept everything you see or hear, but if you are consuming good-faith media (ie, stories put forward honestly, without hidden agenda), then it is your responsibility to meet the people creating that media in the same good faith.

Photo by Aaron Burden.

Of course, there is no substitute for physically getting out of your comfort zone and spending real-world time with people who, in one way or another, aren’t like you. Not to interview them, or force awkward conversations and ask unwanted questions (try to find those answers elsewhere, from those who are already making answers available through their writings or videos). But just to be a person, reminding yourself of others’ humanity while reminding them of yours.

Photo by Jakob Owens.

On a final note, I’m going to be taking a break from Notes from an Editor. The rest of my year will be full with starting a new job, NaNoWriMo, holidays, and family health, and I need to cut back somewhere. I do intend to keep up with Visual Writer during this period, and expect to return to Notes from an Editor in January.

In the meantime, I wish you all a happy Halloween, Thanksgiving (for those in the US), and winter holidays!

Photo by Jeremy Thomas.

What I mean when I say…

The following is a far-from-exhaustive list of common writing-related terms and abbreviations that either have or likely will appear on this site. They are grouped by category and arranged in a process-oriented, chronological, and conceptual order. For instance, terms related to drafting come before those related to revising, and general terms (like genre or editor) are defined before more specific terms (like sub-genre or copy editor), regardless of alphabetical order. I’ll probably tinker with and add to the list over time.

Photo by Ahmad Ossayli.

Genres and marketing categories

genre (literary)—an artistic category with defined parameters for content and, sometimes, form. Both fiction and non-fiction can be divided into genres. The following are examples of major fiction genres:

contemporary—fiction set in the time it is written.

fantasy—fiction in which magic plays an intrinsic role in the plot and world-building; typically set in the past or containing cultural elements derived from the past.

historical—realistic fiction set in a recognizable culture and period from the past; may include actual historical figures.

horror—fiction designed to scare, disturb, disgust, or cause dread.

literary fiction—character-driven books or stories with a strong emphasis on the quality of the writing.

mystery—fiction with a plot that revolves around a crime or situation that needs to be figured out by the protagonist and reader.

romance—fiction in which the plot revolves around a romantic relationship and ends happily.

sci-fi, science fiction—fiction in which the hard and/or social sciences play an intrinsic role in the plot and world-building; typically set in the future.

subgenre, sub-genre—a specific descriptive genre category that can be included under another, more general genre label. Examples: cosmic horror, cozy mystery, sweet romance, dystopian science fiction.

marketing categories—age-based groupings defined by publishers and booksellers to target specific audiences. Books are typically described by referring to both their marketing category and genre, such as adult mystery or YA fantasy. Many respected sources treat marketing categories as genres; I believe it is clearer and more useful to separate them.

MG, middle grade—marketing category targeting readers aged 8–12 and typically featuring protagonists in their pre-teens and early teens. The Harry Potter books are middle grade fantasy.

YA, young adult—marketing category for books targeted primarily at teen readers, starting with ages 12 or 14 and going up to 18 or early 20s. YA stories feature protagonists in their mid- to late-teens, address the concerns of people in their teens, and use the voice of that targeted age range.

NA, New Adult—this is/was a marketing category for books aimed at people in their early twenties, usually with more explicit sex or violence than that found in YA. However, the classification never fully caught on and, as of the writing of this post, New Adult appears to have dissolved as a category for traditional publishing.

Adult—marketing category dedicated to books written for people over 18. Although most commonly about people over 20, the main protagonists can also be children or teenagers if the perspective is really that of an adult. For instance, My Brilliant Friend, which is written as the reminiscences of an older woman after her childhood friend goes missing, is adult literary fiction that primarily follows two child protagonists. 

Preparation and drafting

ms, manuscript—an unpublished text, usually a book.

Word—Microsoft’s word-processing program; the industry standard.

Pages—Apple’s free word-processing program, similar to Microsoft Word.

Scrivener—word-processing and content management software specifically designed for those writing books.

pantser—someone who drafts without a plan or preparatory materials.

plotter—someone who plans before drafting, usually by outlining the plot and creating other world- and character-building materials.

worldbuilding, world-building—the creation of a new, fictional world or imaginative supplement to the already existing world.

Revising

CP, critique partner—a person with whom one exchanges in-process writing to both receive and provide feedback.

betas, beta readers—unpaid readers who provide general feedback on an unpublished manuscript. More about beta readers here.

editor (freelance)—an independent professional hired by writers to provide extensive, concrete feedback and make corrections to completed, pre-published manuscripts.

editor (traditional publishing)—employee of a publishing house in charge of accepting and revising manuscripts for publication. Editors in traditional publishing are responsible for and have final say over a book’s content.

copy editor—professional who provides the final edits for a manuscript, focusing on the minute details of spelling, punctuation, grammar, and formatting.

Querying and Publishing

literary agent—person who represents an author and serves as an intermediary between the author and publishers or other relevant parties, such as movie studios or theatrical producers. Literary agents are responsible for finding an editor and associated publisher for their client’s work, will negotiate the publishing contract, and may offer manuscript suggestions/edits with an eye to making the prospective book as marketable as possible.

to query—the act of seeking representation for a specific work, usually by emailing a letter and additional related materials.

query (letter)—a cover letter including a brief description of the book (title, word count, genre, marketing category), the main protagonist, and the basic problem driving the plot, usually written as the body of an email. Query letters may also contain brief descriptions of the writers’ relevant qualifications and an explanation for why they are contacting the specific agents to whom the letters are addressed.

pitch (book)—a brief conversation between a writer and agent or editor, in which the writer attempts to interest the agent/editor in her work by providing a short description of the book and its main hook. The content of a pitch is similar to that of a query letter, albeit often in a shorter form.

self publishing—when authors take on the responsibility of editing, publishing, and marketing their own books.

independent publishing—another name for self publishing.

indie author—a self-published author.

traditional publishing—when a publishing house buys the rights to a book in order to edit, publish, and distribute an author’s work.

indie press, independent press—an independently owned publishing house.

ARC—advanced reading copy; provided by publishers or indie authors to reviewers before a book is released.

Community

platform (author’s, personal, writer’s)—the public presentation of oneself as an author to foster greater visibility for oneself and one’s work. A writer’s platform typically includes a personal website or blog, as well as presence on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instragram, or YouTube. Guest writing on other websites or periodicals, joining relevant organizations, public speaking, and participating in media interviews can also be part of a writer’s platform.

critique group—writers who meet regularly to share and review each others’ work.

writing group—authors who meet regularly to write together and/or discuss writing-related matters.

residency (writing)—a live-in program or retreat lasting a predefined period of time in which a single writer or group of writers focus on creating and refining their craft, usually with the support and input of other participants.

BookTube—nickname for the community of people on YouTube with channels dedicated to books and writing advice.

NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month—annual creative writing challenge in which authors all over the world attempt to write 50,000 words (the minimum number of words for a novel) during the month of November. The online event was created and is organized by a non-profit organization of the same name.

Camp NaNoWriMo—an online event held twice a year in which writers sign up for virtual “cabins” with other writers. Unlike regular NaNoWriMo, writers set their own word- or time-based goals for the month.

Reading

DNF—did not finish

TBR—to be read

POV—point of view

MC—main character

Photo by Lacie Slezak.