Alan O’Hashi, Whole Brain Thinker best chance blog 2026, Craft

Writing First-Person POV Stories: Tips for Authenticity

By Jennifer Braddock – Editor

In first-person storytelling, dialogue is never neutral. It’s a recounting of memories and is shaped by the narrator’s memory and interpretation of the exchange. For example:

“We’ll see your Papa soon,” Mama said, not looking up from her knitting.

She always had that unemotional tone when she was nervous. I was just a kid when he was arrested by the FBI. I didn’t know what was happening.

Dialogue becomes an opportunity to show character, subtext, and tension, not just deliver facts.

Use these techniques to strengthen first-person dialogue:

  • Narrator’s observations: “You’re going like that?” she asked. I looked down at my shirt. Plain gray. A coffee stain near the hem.
  • Internal thoughts between lines: “No reason,” she said. Her smile didn’t match her eyes.
  • Nonverbal cues: She tapped her nails on the table. I braced for a question I didn’t want to answer.

Weak vs. Strong First-Person Dialogue Example

Weak:

“I don’t want to go,” I said.
“Why not?” she asked.
“Because I don’t feel like it,” I said.
“Fine. Stay here,” she said.

Strong:

“I don’t want to go,” I said, not meeting her eyes.

“Why not?” she asked, arms folded like a parent catching a lie.

“I just… don’t feel like it,” I shrugged.

“Fine. Stay here.” Her mouth tightened.

She didn’t slam the door, but she might as well have.

The second version shows emotion, body language, and subtext from the narrator’s perspective. This lets the reader experience the tension instead of simply reading about it.

How Can a First-Person Narrator Know About Events They Didn’t Witness?

One common question about first-person writing is: How do I show something the narrator didn’t see? Here are five ways to handle this while staying true to first-person limits:

  • Dialogue: Another character tells the narrator what happened. “My mom told me he didn’t even cry at the funeral,” she said.
  • Discovery: The narrator reads a letter, watches a video, or finds an object. I unfolded the note. Just six words: “I tried. You never saw me.”
  • Rumors or Secondhand Info: Let the narrator hear it from someone else. Everyone said Mark was the last to see her. No one knew what they talked about.
  • Dreams or Flashbacks (used carefully): These work when grounded in the narrator’s memory or subconscious. They should not be used as a lazy plot device.
  • Imaginative speculation (with voice): The narrator may guess what happened, or misremember it entirely. This can lead to compelling, unreliable narration.

Final Thoughts

First-person writing is more than choosing a point of view. It’s choosing a relationship with the reader. When done right, it feels like confession, conversation, and story all at once.

It’s the voice that says:
“Let me tell you what really happened…”

Action to Experiment

Try rewriting a scene from your work-in-progress in first person. What does the character notice that a distant narrator wouldn’t? What do they leave out? How do they color the truth? Your character already has a story to tell. Let them tell it.

Do you have questions or comments? Ask Besty Bot about the writing craft and how to publish your book with Best Chance Media!

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📚 Writers – Is First Person Right for Your Story?
“I opened the door and everything changed.”

That’s the power of first-person POV: raw, intimate, and immediate. But how do you show what your narrator didn’t see? How do you balance showing and telling?

🎯 This week’s post breaks it down:

  • The show vs. tell sweet spot
  • Writing real, revealing dialogue
  • How to handle scenes the narrator missed
  • Reviews of two standout first-person novels

✍️ Whether you’re revising or just starting out, first person might be the voice your story needs. AmWriting #WritingTips #FirstPersonPOV #ShowDontTell #WritersOfInstagram #WritingAdvice #FictionWriters #WritingCommunity #StorytellingTips #POVMatters #DialogueWriting https://bestchancemedia.org/2026/02/19/dialogue-in-first-person-showing-through-whats-said-and-left-unsaid/

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Alan O’Hashi, Whole Brain Thinker best chance blog 2025, Craft, Uncategorized

Show, Don’t Tell: Unlocking Emotional Depth

By Jennifer Braddock – Editor

You’ve probably heard the advice “show, don’t tell” tossed around in every writing workshop, critique group, or how-to book. If you’re a newer writer, that phrase can feel like a riddle.

  • What does it really mean?
  • They sound like the same thing!
  • When is telling actually okay?

Let’s break it down.

What is “Telling”?

Telling is the act of summarizing a scene, emotion, or action. It’s straightforward and often quick. Think of it like giving the audience a news report.

Telling example:

Maria was nervous about the audition. She didn’t think she was good enough.

The reader gets the information, but there’s no emotional immersion. You’re told what Maria feels, but you don’t feel it alongside her.

What is “Showing”?

Showing brings the reader into the scene with sensory details, action, dialogue, and subtext. It lets readers experience the story.

Showing example:

Brenda clutched the script so tightly her knuckles turned white. She mouthed the lines again, her voice barely a whisper. When the casting assistant called her name, her feet stayed rooted to the floor for half a beat longer than necessary.

You aren’t told she’s nervous, you see it in her actions. Showing invites the reader to infer emotion and meaning through behavior and atmosphere.

So… Is Telling Bad?

No! Telling has its place, especially when you need to move through time quickly, summarize minor events, or create narrative distance. It becomes a problem when it replaces emotional depth or undermines key moments.

Here’s the trick:
Use telling for transitions. Use showing for transformation.

Blending the Two

Good storytelling is a balance of showing and telling. Imagine your manuscript like a film. You don’t need to zoom in on every moment in high-def slow motion. When your character’s heart is breaking, let us feel it. When the villain turns, show us the glint in their eye. When your protagonist is growing, show us the stretch marks of that change.

Let’s Compare – A Scene, Told and Shown

Told:

Jesse was heartbroken when Elena left him. He missed her terribly.

Shown:

Jesse stood in the darkened kitchen, the coffee pot still half-full from the morning she left. He picked up her favorite mug and ran his thumb along the chip at the rim. The silence in the apartment buzzed louder than the refrigerator.

The first version is faster, but emotionally distant. The second immerses you in Jesse’s world. It lets you feel the weight of his grief without ever using the word “heartbroken.”

Your Turn – Take Action

The next time you revise a scene, ask yourself:

  • Am I showing emotion, or just labeling it?
  • Can I replace a summary sentence with a sensory detail, action, or snippet of dialogue?
  • Where does telling help with pacing, and where does it steal emotional resonance?

Writing isn’t about choosing one over the other. It’s about mastering both.

Your challenge:
Take one paragraph from your current draft. Identify where you’re telling. Then rewrite it to show. Feel the difference. See how your story comes alive.

You’ve got this. Your readers don’t want to be told how your character feels, they want to feel it with them.

Final Word

Showing is where your story breathes. Telling is how it moves. Together, they give your narrative rhythm, shape, and soul. Mastering the difference is what turns decent prose into unforgettable fiction.

Now go show us something we can’t forget.

Do you have questions or comments? Ask Besty Bot about the writing craft and how to publish your book with Best Chance Media!

Show, don’t tell” is great advice—but what does it really mean? And when is telling okay? Learn how to balance both, with examples and a challenge to improve your next scene.

https://bestchancemedia.org/2025/02/12/show-dont-tell-unlocking-emotional-depth/
#ShowDontTell #WritingTips #AmWriting #WritersLife

Alan O’Hashi, Whole Brain Thinker best chance blog 2026, Craft

Third-Person Omniscient POV: The Day the Fence Took Everything

A reflection on truth, memory, and the power of third-person omniscient narration

By Jennifer Braddock – Editor

Ever wanted to play god without the responsibility of smiting anyone? Welcome to third-person omniscient, where you know everything, see everything, and judge nothing. This is the narrative voice that floats above your characters. Before you put on your all-seeing narrator hat, let’s discuss the what, why, and how.

Third-Person Omniscient Traits and Boundaries

Why tell this story through the eyes of many? Because stories like the one about Camp Arroyo aren’t just about individuals. They’re about a system. A society. A truth that implicates everyone.

From this point of view, the narrator is not a character in the story. Instead, they’re an all-knowing presence who can dip into any character’s thoughts, emotions, memories, or future dreams, and offer commentary.

  • You know everyone’s thoughts, but don’t share them all at once. Pick your spots. Otherwise, it’s emotional whiplash.
  • The narrator has a tone. Even if it’s not a character, the voice telling the story has a personality: wry, wise, ironic, or lyrical.
  • You can zoom in and out, but do so smoothly. Think of it like directing a movie: wide shots for scene-setting, close-ups for emotion.
  • Avoid ‘head-hopping’ mid-paragraph. Just because you can see into every head doesn’t mean you should jump between them too fast.

I’ll illustrate these points using an example from a historical fiction book I’m writing, titled Vengeance at Stone Creek.

Camp Arroyo, Colorado, was one of ten wartime incarceration centers for Japanese Americans. It baked under the sun as it had every afternoon.

Children played. Mothers folded laundry. A sentry cleaned his rifle in the guard tower.

And then: the shots.

Tak Fujiyama was seven years old when he saw his friend Seito San collapse into the dust.

Everyone saw. No one stopped it. Sumiko, his mother, was already sprinting towards the commotion. The kitchen crew froze mid-prep, couldn’t scream. The guard, Pfc. Joe Darrow said nothing. He brushed the shell casings off the tower floor as if he were brushing crumbs from a table.

That moment changed everyone.

What About Dialogue?

In third-person omniscient, dialogue works the same way as other third-person perspectives:

“I’ll get you!” Tak screamed at Private Darrow, dusting the snow off his oversize Army coat. He hadn’t heard gunshots before and was shaken up by the whole ordeal
Darrow didn’t answer. He was wondering if he’d lose rank after the shooting incident.

The narrator, meanwhile, knew what Tak and Darrow were thinking.

You can also add asides or commentary that no character would know, which gives the narrator that wise, slightly smug quality:

Sumiko was exhausted from running from the barracks. She wasn’t quite sure what had happened. She walked closer and was overwhelmed with what she saw.

The Show-Don’t-Tell Balance

Third-person omniscient gives you ultimate show/tell control. Want to show emotion? Zoom into a character’s thoughts. Want to tell us something about the world? Zoom out and narrate. Just make sure the shifts feel intentional, not chaotic.

This is the storyteller voice of classic literature (think Dickens or Tolstoy) and some modern epics. It’s panoramic, wise, and capable of zooming in or out at will.

Third-person omniscient narration gives readers access to collective memory. It allows us to hear not just what happens, but what’s felt. All at once, the story pulls back the curtain on silence, shame, complicity, and courage.

Tak’s disbelief lives beside Darrow’s detachment. Sumiko’s heartbreak collides with her son’s helplessness. Even the wind plays a role, carrying the sound across camp like a cruel messenger.

This perspective doesn’t dilute the pain, it amplifies it. When the reader knows what everyone knows, and still nothing stops the tragedy, the horror is total.

Truth Wrapped in Fiction

Tak’s story is fictional, but the bullets, the towers, and the silence are real. More than 120,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes during World War II. Most had committed no crime. Many were children, and some, like those at Camp Arroyo, never came home.

By using third-person omniscient narration, Vengeance at Stone Creek invites readers not to choose sides. Readers can see the whole landscape. They can sit in the shoes of the witness, the victim, the perpetrator, and the bystander.

Because when history repeats itself, it’s often because too many people looked away.

Your Role in the Story

You weren’t in the guard tower.
You weren’t holding the rifle.
You are here now, reading, remembering, deciding what comes next. The story isn’t just told from Tak’s point of view. That’s the point.

Third-person omniscient lets the reader see the entire moment. It reveals how trauma spreads across a scene like a shock wave. It goes from Seito San falling to Sumiko running and the cook dropping a spoon. It gives the reader access to the full spectrum of awareness, emotion, and silence.

First-person limits us to one set of eyes. Third-person limited creates a one mind boundary. Omniscient opens the sky.

It asks us not only to see, but to understand what was done, what was allowed, and what was ignored.

For Writers: A Call to Experiment

Are you a writer? Try writing a scene using third-person omniscient.
Let us feel not just the protagonist’s heart, but the room’s temperature.
Let us see the villain’s hesitation.
Let us watch a neighbor look away.
Give us the whole truth, not just a character’s version of it.

Third Person Omniscient isn’t just a Point of View. Its lens, conscience, and chorus. Use it wisely. Some stories don’t belong to one person.
They belong to all of us.

Do you have questions or comments? Ask Besty Bot about the writing craft and how to publish your book with Best Chance Media!

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📚 Ever wished your story could show everything at once?
That’s the magic of third-person omniscient. You’re not just in one character’s head. You’re in everyone’s.
– The mother screaming.
– The soldier pretending not to care.
– The cook frozen mid-stir.
– The wind carrying truth through the Japanese internment camp.

In one shot, the whole world reacts, and you, the writer, see it all. 🖊️ Try it: Rewrite a key scene from your story using third-person omniscient.
– Feel the shift in power.
– See what your characters can’t hide.

#WritingTips #ThirdPersonOmniscient #NarrativeVoice #WritersOfInstagram #HistoricalFiction #PointOfView #WriteWithDepth #StorytellingCraft #FictionWriters #AmWriting https://bestchancemedia.org/2026/02/05/the-day-the-fence-took-everything/

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Alan O’Hashi, Whole Brain Thinker best chance blog 2026

Vengeance! at Stone Creek: The Executive Order That Never Ended

Some novels entertain. Some educate. A rare few refuse to let the reader off the hook.

Vengeance! at Stone Creek is one of those books.

Set in the long shadow of World War II–era Japanese incarceration, the novel explores what happens after injustice has been legalized and filed away.

Rather than retelling history, it integrates unanswered questions and the uncomfortable truth, deferring accountability indefinitely.

Alan O’Hashi writes with restraint and precision. The tension comes from moral pressure and the question history prefers not to ask: What is owed when the harm was sanctioned by law?

When a soldier fires his rifle from a guard tower inside Camp Arroyo, a Japanese American incarceration camp near Stone Creek, Colorado, the sound echoes far beyond the barbed wire. 

What happens next is buried under military procedure, fear, and silence. Official reports flatten the truth. Witnesses are discouraged from speaking. Inside the Camp, grief is expected to be swallowed quietly.

Tak Fujiyama is a child when the shots are fired, but the moment marks him for life. Incarcerated alongside his family without trial, Tak learns early that innocence offers no protection and that the law does not always serve justice.

As the War grinds forward, Camp Arroyo becomes its own harsh world of dust storms, guard towers, loyalty questionnaires, and the daily humiliation of being labeled an enemy by the country of his birth. The violence at Stone Creek is never properly addressed, and Tak is left to grow up carrying an unanswered wound.

After the War ends, America moves on quickly.

The WRA dismantled the camps, archived files, and released families with bus tickets. Tak learns that forgetting is the price of belonging. He builds a life beyond the Camp, but memory proves stubborn. The injustice refuses to fade, shaping his relationships, his sense of self, and his understanding of right and wrong.

Years later, unanswered questions draw Tak back to Stone Creek. His past resurfaces through testimony, suppressed records, and the memories of those who survived the Camp’s violence. Tak confronts what was taken from him and others and reckons with a difficult truth. Vengeance feels like the only remaining form of balance.

Vengeance! at Stone Creek is a powerful work of historical fiction that explores the lasting psychological and moral consequences of wartime incarceration. Through Tak’s journey, the novel examines loyalty under pressure, the burden placed on survivors to remain silent, and the generational cost of unresolved trauma. My story illuminates a rarely told chapter of American history, where citizenship failed to protect and the rule of law bent under fear and prejudice.

At its heart, this is a book about memory, who controls it, who benefits from forgetting, and what happens when those harmed refuse to let the truth disappear. Vengeance! at Stone Creek asks hard questions about accountability and justice, and about what remains when a nation chooses expedience. It is a sobering, deeply human novel about the price of silence and the long shadow cast by injustice.

This novel is for readers who loved Snow Falling on Cedars, No-No Boy, or There There, but it stands firmly on its own. It’s spare, deliberate, and quietly furious. The kind of book that sparks hand-selling conversations. The kind readers come back to talk about.

Vengeance! at Stone Creek drops February 19th. Buy a signed copy.

Alan O’Hashi, Whole Brain Thinker best chance blog 2026, Books, Uncategorized

Vengeance! at Stone Creek: A Novel of Injustice

Some novels entertain. Some educate. A rare few refuse to let the reader off the hook.

Vengeance! at Stone Creek is one of those books.

Set in the long shadow of World War II–era Japanese incarceration, the novel explores what happens after injustice has been legalized and filed away.

Rather than retelling history, it integrates unanswered questions and the uncomfortable truth, deferring accountability indefinitely.

Alan O’Hashi writes with restraint and precision. The tension comes from moral pressure and the question history prefers not to ask: What is owed when the harm was sanctioned by law?

When a soldier fires his rifle from a guard tower inside Camp Arroyo, a Japanese American incarceration camp near Stone Creek, Colorado, the sound echoes far beyond the barbed wire. 

What happens next is buried under military procedure, fear, and silence. Official reports flatten the truth. Witnesses are discouraged from speaking. Inside the Camp, grief is expected to be swallowed quietly.

Tak Fujiyama is a child when the shots are fired, but the moment marks him for life. Incarcerated alongside his family without trial, Tak learns early that innocence offers no protection and that the law does not always serve justice.

As the War grinds forward, Camp Arroyo becomes its own harsh world of dust storms, guard towers, loyalty questionnaires, and the daily humiliation of being labeled an enemy by the country of his birth. The violence at Stone Creek is never properly addressed, and Tak is left to grow up carrying an unanswered wound.

After the War ends, America moves on quickly.

The WRA dismantled the camps, archived files, and released families with bus tickets. Tak learns that forgetting is the price of belonging. He builds a life beyond the Camp, but memory proves stubborn. The injustice refuses to fade, shaping his relationships, his sense of self, and his understanding of right and wrong.

Years later, unanswered questions draw Tak back to Stone Creek. His past resurfaces through testimony, suppressed records, and the memories of those who survived the Camp’s violence. Tak confronts what was taken from him and others and reckons with a difficult truth. Vengeance feels like the only remaining form of balance.

Vengeance! at Stone Creek is a powerful work of historical fiction that explores the lasting psychological and moral consequences of wartime incarceration. Through Tak’s journey, the novel examines loyalty under pressure, the burden placed on survivors to remain silent, and the generational cost of unresolved trauma. My story illuminates a rarely told chapter of American history, where citizenship failed to protect and the rule of law bent under fear and prejudice.

At its heart, this is a book about memory, who controls it, who benefits from forgetting, and what happens when those harmed refuse to let the truth disappear. Vengeance! at Stone Creek asks hard questions about accountability and justice, and about what remains when a nation chooses expedience. It is a sobering, deeply human novel about the price of silence and the long shadow cast by injustice.

This novel is for readers who loved Snow Falling on Cedars, No-No Boy, or There There, but it stands firmly on its own. It’s spare, deliberate, and quietly furious. The kind of book that sparks hand-selling conversations. The kind readers come back to talk about.

Why indie bookstores should carry it:

Because this is exactly the kind of book your customers expect from you. The stories they won’t discover through algorithms or celebrity lists. This story rewards thoughtful readers by inviting dialogue.

Vengeance! at Stone Creek is available this February. Recommend it. Put it in the hands of readers who want comfort and the truth. Order from Ingram iPage, 979-8-9894213-1-2, Retail Price $19.95 USD.

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Alan O’Hashi, Whole Brain Thinker best chance blog 2025, Craft

Mastering Third-Person Limited POV in Fiction

You’re not in their head, but you’re definitely looking over their shoulder.

By Jennifer Braddock – Editor

If First Person POV is “I saw the ghost,” Omniscient is “Everyone saw the ghost.” They all had strong opinions about it. Third-Person Limited is “She saw the ghost,” and regretted reading the Latin inscription aloud.

This point of view allows you to explore one character’s experience deeply. You don’t need to commit to writing as if you are them. It’s flexible, intimate, and very popular in modern fiction, especially YA, thrillers, and literary fiction.

Definition:

Third Person Limited tells the story from an outside narrator’s perspective. It uses third-person pronouns (he, she, they). However, it is limited to the thoughts, perceptions, and knowledge of one character at a time. You’re the camera, but the lens is glued to their shoulder. The POV is best for:

  • Character-driven stories
  • Genre fiction (fantasy, romance, mystery)
  • Readers who want emotional immersion without full-on “I” narration

What Makes It Work:

  • Focused insight into a single character’s thoughts and feelings.
  • Suspense through selective revelation. Readers only know what the character knows.
  • Empathy without total immersion. You can still write in your voice while exploring theirs.
  • Flexibility to shift to other characters in different chapters or scenes. You must stay consistent within a scene.

Golden Rule of Limited:

Stick with your character’s brain. No head-hopping allowed. If you’re in Olivia’s POV, you can’t say what Jack is thinking. You can only state what Olivia guesses he’s thinking. She might be wrong, and that can be fun to play with.

  • Bad: Jack looked angry. He wanted to tell her everything, but couldn’t. (How would Olivia know that?)
  • Better: Jack looked angry. Olivia wondered if he wanted to tell her something, but his jaw stayed tight. (Much better, we’re in her head, not his.) Internal thoughts are often italicized or made clear with free indirect style: Why was he lying? He didn’t even flinch.

Already writing in First Person and want more flexibility? Third Person Limited lets you but zoom out just enough to expand the world a little. It’s like switching from GoPro to a handheld Digital Single Lens Reflex camera.

Next time, we’ll get godlike with Third Person Omniscient. We will explore what happens when the narrator knows everything. This includes the stuff the characters don’t want revealed.

Do you have questions or comments? Ask Besty Bot about the writing craft and how to publish your book with Best Chance Media!

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🧠 Third Person Limited = in their mind, not in their mouth. A great POV when you want depth without diary entries. #POVWriting #WritersCommunity #ThirdPersonLimited https://bestchancemedia.org/2026/01/29/mastering-third-person-limited-pov-in-fiction/

Alan O’Hashi, Whole Brain Thinker best chance blog 2025, Craft

Vanity Publisher Red Flags You Must Know

By Jennifer Braddock – Editor

You finished your manuscript, and now you’re dreaming of holding your book in your hands. You are just starting to explore publishing. Suddenly, a “publisher” offers you a deal. It sounds too good to be true.

Spoiler alert: it probably is.

The Vanity Press Trap:
Vanity presses prey on your vanity, excitement, and lack of experience. They promise to publish your book for a fee. Traditional publishers pay you and invest in your book’s success. In contrast, vanity presses make their money from you, not for you.

The Typical Vanity Scheme:

  • They flatter your work: “Your book is exactly what we’re looking for!” even if they haven’t read it.
  • They ask for upfront money: Watch out for editing, design, marketing, and distribution discount packages.
  • They overcharge: Don’t fall for their one-stop shop approach for services you could get cheaper elsewhere (e.g., $4,500 for a cover design you could get for $450).
  • They upsell relentlessly: Pay-as-you-go pricing promises things like “Hollywood film options,” “bestseller campaigns,” or “celebrity endorsements.”
  • They retain your rights: Number one criterion for any publishing contract? Retain your book rights. Be sure any rights you cede revert back to you after the contract expires.

Watch for Red Flags:

  • Vague promises or guaranteed success
  • High-pressure sales tactics
  • Unclear or hidden fees
  • They’re listed on Writer Beware, ALLi’s Watchdog Desk, or Predators & Editors

What to Do Instead:

  • Research publishers and agents: Use reputable databases like QueryTracker or Manuscript Wish List.
  • Join writing communities: Get real feedback from other authors who’ve been phished by unscrupulous vanity presses.
  • Consider hybrid publishing carefully: Some are legitimate, but vet them as you would a contractor or a surgeon.
  • Self-publish on your own terms: You keep creative control, and with platforms like IngramSpark or Amazon KDP, you don’t have to go broke.
  • Read contracts: Be careful and pay attention to the details. Hire someone who knows about contracts. Best Chance Media offers some legal tips to get you started with the basics.

Closing Thought and Call to Action:

Thinking of publishing? Do you have a contract or offer you want to vet? Start a conversation with Best Chance Bot. Let’s make sure your dream book doesn’t turn into a costly lesson.

Do you have questions or comments? Ask Besty Bot about the writing craft and how to publish your book with Best Chance Media!

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💸 New writers: If a “publisher” wants you to pay them, it’s not a deal, it’s a SCAM.
Don’t let flattery cost you thousands. Learn how to spot vanity press red flags and protect your work. #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #IndieAuthors #WritersBeware #SelfPublishing #VanityPress #WriterTips #PublishingScams #AuthorLife #ScamAlert #KnowYourWorth 👇
https://bestchancemedia.org/2025/01/23/avoiding-the-vanity-trap-how-new-writers-can-steer-clear-of-publishing-scams/

Alan O’Hashi, Whole Brain Thinker Craft

Mastering Narrative: Choosing Your Point of View

By Jennifer Braddock – Editor

Have you ever been on a road trip where the front seat passenger grabs the wheel? Someone else keeps changing the music. Meanwhile, your pal in the back seat won’t stop criticizing your every turn.

That’s what it feels like when a story hops from one Point of View (POV) to another without a license. Before you take your reader on a narrative joyride, let’s make sure you know who’s driving.

Here’s a breakdown of the most commercially successful, tried-and-true storytelling POV vehicles that publishers and readers love most.

First Person (I, me, my)

Definition: The narrator is the main character, telling the story directly to the reader.
Example: The Catcher in the Rye
Why It Sells: Instant intimacy. We feel like we’re inside the narrator’s brain.
Rules of the Road:

  • Stay in one character’s head per scene, preferably for the entire book.
  • Filter everything through their thoughts, senses, and voice.
  • Avoid describing things your narrator couldn’t possibly know (e.g., what someone else is thinking).
    Bonus Tip: Voice is everything. Even the way they describe the weather should tell us something about them.

Third Person Limited (he, she, they, filtered through one character)

Definition: The narrator is not a character but sticks closely to one of the character’s internal world per scene.
Example: The Da Vinci Code
Why It Sells: It gives the closeness of the first person. It also provides the flexibility to explore scenes your protagonist might not witness.
Rules of the Road:

  • Each scene sticks with one character’s experiences.
  • Use their language and emotional filter when describing the world.
  • Don’t head-hop. Sudden shifts in perspective confuse readers and break trust.

Third Person Omniscient (he, she, they from a godlike narrator’s POV)

Definition: The narrator knows everything and can go into any character’s thoughts, switch locations, and even comment on the story.
Example: Pride and Prejudice
Why It Sells (when done well): Epic scale, sweeping story lines, and a sense of authority.
Rules of the Road:

  • The narrator can dip in and out of minds, but does so with intention and clarity.
  • Don’t confuse omniscience with chaos. Thought transitions should be smooth and purposeful.
  • Voice matters: your narrator should have their own tone or personality.

Second Person (you, your)

Example: Choose Your Own Adventure books
Why It Sells (rarely): When it works, it’s immersive and experimental. When it doesn’t, it’s weird.
Rules of the Road:

  • Be clear who “you” is: the reader, a character, or an implied role.
  • Works best in short doses or highly stylized narratives.
  • Most traditional publishers don’t go for second person unless it’s very well done.

POV Tips

  • Be consistent. Don’t switch POVs mid-paragraph (or mid-sentence unless you’re very good).
  • Establish POV early. Don’t make your reader guess who’s talking or thinking.
  • Change scenes to change heads. If your story uses multiple POVs, give each character their own scene or chapter.
  • Don’t be a mind reader. If your POV character doesn’t know something, neither should the reader.

Choosing a point of view isn’t just about grammar. It’s about control. Like a magician’s sleight of hand, your POV determines what the reader sees, hears, and feels. Before you commit to first, third, or that odd duck known as second person, think carefully. Ask yourself: Whose head am I entering?

Next up: A deeper dive into each POV. We will provide examples and discuss pros and cons. You’ll learn how to know which one is right for your story.

Do you have questions or comments? Ask Besty Bot about the writing craft and how to publish your book with Best Chance Media!

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🧠 Whose head are we in, anyway? First person, third person limited, omniscient, second person (wait, what?). Your story’s point of view can make or break the reader’s experience. 🚫 No more accidental head-hopping! Learn the most commercially successful POVs and how to wield them like a pro. ✍️ Your narrator’s waiting. Choose wisely. #WhoseHeadAreWeIn
#WritingTips #POVMatters #AmWritingFiction #WritersOfInstagram #StorytellingSkills #HeadHopHorrors #WritingCraft #IndieAuthorTips 🔗 https://bestchancemedia.org/2026/01/15/mastering-narrative-choosing-your-point-of-view/

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Alan O’Hashi, Whole Brain Thinker best chance blog 2025, Craft

How to Safeguard Your Manuscript from Theft

By Jennifer Braddock – Editor

Every new writer has that one fear: What if someone steals my story? You’ve poured your soul into your manuscript.

The idea of someone swiping it and cashing in is the stuff of literary nightmares.

Take a breath. The good news? You have more protections than you think, and they’re easier to access than you realize.

Ways Writers Can Protect Their Work:

  • Copyright Automatically Applies: The moment you put your story into a fixed form, like typing it in a document, saved in the cloud, or printed out, it’s automatically protected by copyright law. You own it, even if you haven’t registered it.
  • Register with the U.S. Copyright Office: While copyright is automatic, registration adds teeth. It gives you the right to sue for statutory damages and attorney’s fees if someone actually does steal your work. It’s cheap insurance, about $45 to $65 to register online at copyright.gov.
  • Keep Good Records
    Save dated drafts, emails to critique partners, and notes to yourself. Metadata and timestamps can be useful evidence of originality and creation dates.
  • Use Trusted Sharing Platforms
    If you’re sharing with beta readers or critique groups, choose platforms with built-in version tracking. Google Docs or Dropbox are good options. If you’re really concerned, ask your readers to sign a simple non-disclosure agreement (NDA). This isn’t common in most writing circles.

Myths to Avoid:

  • Poor Person’s Copyright: Mailing your manuscript to yourself is outdated and largely useless in court.
  • Someone Will Steal It Just Because You Shared It: In reality, theft of unpublished stories is incredibly rare. It’s good to have confidence that you have a great story. Most professionals have enough ideas and are too busy creating their own work to bother with stealing yours.
  • Your story deserves to be heard and not hoarded: Equip yourself with the facts, take a few simple steps, and then speak up boldly. After all, the bigger risk isn’t theft, it’s never letting anyone read your work at all out of fear.

Your Call to Action:

Ready to protect your writing and publish with confidence? Share this post with your writing group and check out our guide to registering your first copyright step-by-step.

Do you have questions or comments? Ask Besty Bot about the writing craft and how to publish your book with Best Chance Media!

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💡Worried about your story getting stolen? Learn how to protect your work, what counts as first publication, and why fear shouldn’t stop you from sharing. #WritingTips #Copyright #AmWriting #IndieAuthors #WritersCommunity https://bestchancemedia.org/2025/01/09/how-to-safeguard-your-manuscript-from-theft/

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Alan O’Hashi, Whole Brain Thinker Craft

Stop Waiting for Perfection: Embrace Messiness

By Jennifer Braddock, Editor

Rooted in Zen principles, yet crafted for modern lives, the book invites readers to loosen their grip on flawless outcomes.

It encourages rediscovering the value of process, presence, and incremental growth. It’s a book about creativity and also about sanity.

This book doesn’t ask readers to overhaul their lives all at once. It asks them to make small, intentional shifts. There’s a practice known as kaizen, which is continuous improvement without self-judgment. The Zen of Creative Imperfection speaks to that moment with clarity and calm.

If my keyboard charged me a dollar every time I backspaced, I could’ve funded my own book tour by now. I’ve rewritten this sentence nine times already.

Guess what? It’s still not perfect, but here it is. I hit “submit” anyway.

It’s the beginning of a new year, and what can you do to keep on your writing journey? Did you put off your creative projects because you were too busy?

You might think your first draft should read like a Pulitzer winner. I get it. We want to be the genius who shows brilliance from the start. It’s like Mozart composing symphonies without a single missed note.

We’re not Mozart. We’re more like that raccoon with the cotton candy. He tried to wash it and watched it dissolve in sad confusion. That’s our writing process when perfection gets in the way.

The pursuit of perfection is a fancy form of fear. Fear of judgment. Fear of being “found out.” Fear that if you reveal your typos, rough metaphors, and imperfect logic, people will see who you really are.

Spoiler alert: they already do.

Your obsession with perfection isn’t making your work better. It’s making it slower. That sparkling first sentence? It can’t carry the whole novel. That brilliant first paragraph? It will get cut in draft three anyway. Meanwhile, the story that wants to be told is stuck in limbo while you try to polish your outline’s fingernails.

What Zen Says: Zen doesn’t care about your perfect first draft.

Zen says: “Before enlightenment, harvest rice, carry water. After enlightenment, harvest rice, carry water.”
Translation for writers: Before writing a bestseller, write messy. After your best seller, still write messy.

Perfection is an illusion. Imperfection is reality. Zen embraces impermanence, the incomplete, the irregular. Ever seen a raked Zen garden? It’s full of swirls and randomness. That’s your draft.

Doubt is natural. Perfection is optional. Progress is sacred.

There’s no need to sit in silence on a mountain top: What if your writing isn’t perfect? Neither are your socks, and you still wear those. Let go of perfection. Let go of doubt.

Adopt a little Zen and just keep writing. Finish the page. Finish the chapter. Finish the dang thing. Then bow to your draft and whisper:

“Thank you for being gloriously, usefully, and beautifully imperfect.”

Do you have questions or comments? Ask Besty Bot about the writing craft and how to publish your book with Best Chance Media!

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Zen says, “Let go.” Your inner critic says, “Rewrite that sentence for the 19th time.” Guess who’s slowing you down? Perfectionism is just fear in a fancy outfit. Want to actually finish your book? Embrace the mess. Your first draft isn’t meant to be perfect—it’s meant to exist. 🧘‍♀️ Breathe. Write. Let go. #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #FirstDrafts #Perfectionism #WritersLife #ZenWriting #CreativeProcess #LetItBeMessy #WriteAnyway #FinishTheBook https://bestchancemedia.org/2026/01/01/perfection-slows-you-down-and-everyone-knows-youre-not-perfect-anyway/

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