Head hopping allegedly occurs when a writer begins a scene from the point-of-view of one character, only to "hop" to the point-of-view of another character. Most English and creative writing instructors would condemn such "hopping." I'm not so sure. When it comes to the concept of head-hopping, I have a cartoonist's advantage. Working in multiple … Continue reading Head Hopping: Good? Bad? Something Else?
Tag: fiction
What Have You Killed Today?
As a mystery novelist, I tend to be cavalier about murder—most authors are. The typical fiction writer thinks nothing of crafting a scene of mayhem. Death comes easy. Books on writing and writers’ workshops traditionally refer to eliminating fictional characters, wonky plot-lines, or even unruly sentences as “killing your darlings.” As media consumers, we’ve viewed … Continue reading What Have You Killed Today?
Googly-Eyes and the Writing Life
Once upon a time, I taught cartooning and storybook illustration to elementary school children. At our first class meeting, I came prepared with a variety of fruits, vegetables, and inanimate objects like a stapler, a bottle, and a cup. I lined these objects up on a raised box and invited the children to tell me … Continue reading Googly-Eyes and the Writing Life
d.p. BENJAMIN 