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Boy POV? Really?

Okay, so I promised you I'd let you know about my next project, but then I gave up and went into hiding for a few days. But now I'm back and ... I seem to actually be writing after a solid week of staring at an open, blank document.

With Game On (ha, I still wanna say "my WIP") complete and out with my CPs, it's time for me to begin something new. Scary stuff, as I can't actually remember the last time I started a brand new story. Game On was written ... I guess six years ago. Wow.

Anyway, after the A-Z challenge, I noticed that people had made some very encouraging comments about the minor characters from Game On. Most notably, Jesse Shaw, the eighteen-year-old soccer player who was just trying to find his place in the team. I had an idea to write a story about Jesse - which would mean writing WAY out of my comfort zone. I have never written boy POV before, and I haven't written YA since I was a YA myself!

I have some boy POV words on my page, and they look strange. I think that's mainly because I'm not used to it, but also because I might not have quite managed to find Jesse's voice yet. I see awesome people like Jolene Perry and Nyrae Dawn getting male voice down to perfection and I wonder if I might just be deluding myself into thinking I can do it too. Maybe sticking to what I know is for the best? But then, if I don't challenge myself, how can I improve?

This is turning a bit rambly lol, but my point is, I am going to give this boy POV thing a try.  It might be a disaster, or it might be awesome. Either way, I'm up for the challenge!

Comments

  1. I think you're not giving yourself enough credit. From what I've seen (mostly on the A-Z) your male voice is fine. I think once you get use to writing something new, and a new POV, your knock it out of the water!!

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    1. Thanks chick! New stuff just makes me nervous lol!

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  2. You can do it! Starting a new project is always scary, though it's kind of great too. From what I remember of Jesse's POV in the A-Z challenge, it sounded very natural.

    Good luck!

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    1. Thanks! I am excited to try something different, but a little afraid of announcing it in case I suck lol!

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  3. I'm writing boy POV right now too, and I'm constantly asking all the guys in my life... uh, would a dude say this? Haha!

    After a bit I had to just stop freaking out about it and write. :)

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    1. I think not freaking is the answer. Second guessing ourselves is not going to get the work done!

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  4. The first novel I ever wrote was dual POV from both a girl and boy. It was daunting because it was the first time I had done dual and a boy POV! In the end though I actually prefer the writing I did from the boy POV. It felt uncomfortable to begin with, but then I got to know him more and his voice came out so easily.
    I would say just stick with it, it often takes a while to get to know the characters voice. If it doesn't work out then it doesn't work out, at least you tried.
    Good luck with the writing :)

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    1. Thanks, Laura! I will definitely stick with it, and hopefully I will find that it starts to feel more natural when I get into it. :D

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  5. You can do it! If I managed a woman's point of view, you can do a guy's.

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  6. Either way it will be awesome because you'll be learning and having fun. Good luck!

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  7. My first YA, I did dual pov too, boy/girl. Now year and a half later, I'm going back to it. I loved writing the boy's pov. I've only had one person read it and she thought his voice was okay, so we'll see what others think when they read it.

    At least you're trying something new. That's great.

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  8. I say go for it & see what comes of it! And of course you can always find a nice volunteer boy to read it for you & give you feedback. I like writing from guys' POVs, though I do it fairly rarely. One of my favourite boy characters is a bit of a ladies' man.

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    1. I definitely need to find some boys to help me out!

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  9. My last completed manuscript was my first one from a boy POV, and it did take me awhile to pin the voice down. And by "awhile" I mean "three drafts." Nobody says you have to nail it in the first attempt! Just keep writing as long as you've got a story to tell!

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    1. Thanks! I think it's going to take me a while to to find the voice too, but I'm sure it's in there somewhere!

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  10. I love writing a male POV, though I don't do it nearly as often as I do female POVs. My most-recently completed manuscript is from a male POV, and was a lot closer to third-person limited than I usually get (I'm third-person omniscient most of the time). Part of the experience of being a writer is getting to write from POVs outside of our comfort zone, like the opposite sex, another religion, and someone in a different culture and era.

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    1. That's very true - it's good to challenge ourselves sometimes!

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  11. Sounds like a great challenge. I haven't tried a boy PoV but my MC in my sole WIP is an older male. It was not easy but absolutely worth it.

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    1. Cool! I am looking forward to the challenge!

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  12. Writing male POV is definitely hard. I found my best, most authentic moments came from understatements.

    Most notably, "Yeah."

    Why the heck do guys use that word so often, anyway?

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    1. Haha! You're right, they do use that a lot!

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  13. I agree with McKenzie - boy POV is all about the understatement. And not saying much, and not showing emotions. A boy can be talking to his friend about football, leaning against his locker, and his mind can be whizzing: there's Jess, does she like me, she sits near me in history, doesn't she? oh drat, i haven't done the homework, because i was busy making out with Jess's best friend, and then coach had a go at me for skipping practice. Can't he just accept that i don't want to play football any more? but if i do, what will my dad and my mates say? And what will i do at college? Ooh, Jess's skirt is really short today. is she smiling at me, or my friend....
    And then he's just nodding and occasionally saying 'yeah' to his friend.
    You get the picture.

    I think boy POV is great, so I'm biased, but I think from your Jesse POV you'll do a brilliant job.

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    1. Thank you! I am so used to writing as a female, trying to alter the way I think is going to be really hard. But I am looking forward to it!

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  14. I feel your pain. I'm trying to write from the POV of an old lady at the moment, and find myself thinking "is that what an old lady would say?"

    I'm sure you'll be fine, though, and you can look to those examples you mentioned to keep you on track :)

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    1. Ooh, that sounds equally as challenging as boy POV! Good luck with it!

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  15. I find starting a new book difficult, no matter whose POV it's from. It takes me a while to get into the new character. I'd keep with it and see how it goes.

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  16. Your diary posts prove you can nail any voice you want. Maybe writing something a little longer is more daunting, but it's the same process. I hope it goes well :-)

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  17. Wow - the timing of the POV guest post at my place was really perfect! I hope you got some tip that'll help you move forward. I'll bet once you get on a roll you'll be so in his head you'll forget what girls think like, haha.

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  18. I think you can do it. You did wonderfully with your diary posts during the Challenge. I'm actually having the same problem as you. I started a new project and the protagonist is male. He's very masculine and gruff. I write strong women, but it's not the same as writing a man.

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