Tag Archives: Vicki Beeby

#WritingWednesday with Vicki Beeby: Point of View.

Today’s #WritingWednesday tips come from historical fiction author Vicki Beeby as she talks about point of view. Thanks so much for stopping by Vicki, over to you …

Point of View

As someone who does only the most rudimentary planning before starting a novel, my first drafts are a big old mess and need several rounds of edits before they’re ready to send out. Once I’ve edited for consistency and character arcs, one of the aspects I examine more closely when on the polishing phase is viewpoint. In each scene I check that the writing is consistent with the character whose point of view (POV) the action is seen through. Below are the main things I look out for.

Think about the character whose eyes we’re seeing a scene through when writing a description. For example, one person might describe a car as old, sporty looking and white, another would say it was a Mark III Ford Capris 3.0S and someone else might say it looked like the car from the TV series The Professionals. They’re all descriptions of the same car, but different characters will perceive it differently. If they don’t know much about cars, they would probably use the first description; a car enthusiast the second. A younger person probably wouldn’t think of The Professionals, so the age of your character could also be a big factor in the associations they make when describing something. How you describe something depends upon your POV character’s perception, not your own.

Think about whose point of view you are in before describing emotion or sensation. The POV character will know probably how they are feeling, so you could just state if they are sad, cold, etc. However, you need to find another way to get emotion and physical feelings across for any character being observed by the POV character. Take this example: Jack walked into the pub and saw Kate standing by the bar. Kate was angry.We’re in Jack’s POV here, so how does he know Kate was angry? Rather than saying she was angry, I should have described what makes Jack come to that conclusion. She could be scowling, kicking the legs of her bar stool or perhaps he can hear what she’s saying that gives it away.

This is similar to the above point about emotion, but taking it a step further. How intuitive is your character? You can give the reader the clues about how a non-POV character feels, but does the POV character interpret them correctly? Again, that will depend on the character. Taking the example of Jack and Kate again, maybe Jack sees Kate slam her money down on the bar so hard it makes the drinks rattle. However, he’s so obtuse he doesn’t work out that she’s angry. Maybe he just thinks she’s a bit clumsy, even though the reader will have worked out Kate is fuming. How accurately a character interprets a situation depends upon their personality.

Don’t forget that imagery is also filtered through the POV character. For example the hero of my current WIP is a musician, so I’ve used musical imagery at times when writing from his viewpoint. It’s fine to describe him watching the heroine’s fingers tapping out arpeggios on the table top, whereas someone who wasn’t musical wouldn’t think that way. If a particular metaphor or simile isn’t right for the character thinking it, it has to go, however much you might like it.

I can’t write about point of view without mentioning head-hopping. If you’re not familiar with the term, it means skipping from one point of view to another in the same scene. While this isn’t necessarily wrong, you should always have a reason for doing so. When editing do check you haven’t unintentionally slipped into another viewpoint. The example with Jack and Kate in point 2 is an example of unintentional head-hopping. Always ask yourself whose eyes you are watching the scene through and check the point of view doesn’t suddenly switch unless you mean it to.

Thank you for the great tips, Vicki. xx


Don’t miss Vicki’s new release, Christmas with the Ops Room Girls:

When there’s so much to be afraid of, can May help bring festive cheer to the Ops Room?

After failing to help evacuee siblings whom she witnesses being separated, May wishes she’d had the confidence to speak up. When Jess suggests a pantomime to boost morale on the station, May is desperate to help – but is held back by her own insecurities.

With her low self-esteem also affecting her relationship with Squadron Leader Peter Travis, May is fed up with being her own worst enemy and decides to take charge of her destiny. But the past she ran from plus a crisis with one of the evacuees throw May into the midst of a drama that will test all of her newfound confidence.

May, Jess and Evie must work together once again to help each other through the challenges of war and of their own hearts.

This heartwarming WAAF saga is perfect for fans of Daisy Styles, Kate Thompson and Rosie Clarke.

Book Links: Amazon | Apple | Kobo

Discover more about Vicki and the Ops Room Girls series here.


About the author:

Vicki Beeby writes historical fiction about the friendships and loves of service women brought together by the Second World War.

Her first job was as a civil engineer on a sewage treatment project, so things could only improve from there. Since then, she has worked as a maths teacher and education consultant before turning freelance to give herself more time to write.

In her free time, when she can drag herself away from reading, she enjoys walking and travelling to far-off places by train. She lives in Shropshire in a house that doesn’t contain nearly enough bookshelves.

Discover more about Vicki Beeby (who also writes as Tora Williams) and her work here: Facebook | Twitter | Website | Apricot Plots


Chatting to Vicki Beeby on the release of The Ops Room Girls.

Congratulations on your three book deal with Canelo and the release of The Ops Room Girls! I love the cover and as it has just landed on my kindle, I’m looking forward to reading it.

Thanks, Carol, and thanks for giving me a spot on your blog!

To get us started, please tell us a little about your novel:

When working class Evie Bishop must seek a new future for herself, she is inspired to contribute to the war effort and joins the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force as an Ops Room plotter. Posted to a fighter station, Evie befriends two other WAAFs – shy, awkward May and flirty, glamorous Jess. The three girls band together to overcome challenges, navigate new romances and keep their pilots safe in the skies. But the German bombers seem to know more than they should about the base’s operations, and soon Evie, May and Jess are caught up in a world more dangerous than they ever imagined…

It sounds great. What was the inspiration behind the story?

I’ve always been a fan of old World War Two films, and often wondered what the women were doing in RAF films who could be seen in the background, placing blocks on a map. When I started researching for a novel about WAAFs, I remembered these women, and discovered that they were called ‘plotters’. Their role was to plot incoming enemy aircraft so that squadrons could be directed to intercept them. I immediately realised this was the perfect role for my maths-loving heroine, Evie, and so the story developed around Evie and her friends serving in an RAF fighter station during the Battle of Britain.

I do enjoy books about friendship and when I interviewed you previously, for VE Day, I was hooked when you mentioned the three women in your story. I’d love to know more about each of them:

I love books about friendship, too, and I’m having a great time writing about Evie, May and Jess who each have their own book in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force series.

Evie Bishop is a maths geek, quiet, serious and very independent. She’s also a rather driven character—she spent her childhood in pursuit of her dream of getting into Oxford and has never had any real friends. I really enjoyed writing about how she falls for a certain handsome pilot and blossoms under the friendships she makes in the WAAF. Which brings us to…

…May Lidford. She’s tall, awkward and shy. She joined the WAAF to escape her bullying father and was posted to the Motor Transport section. As a result of her downtrodden past, she suffers from a lack of backbone, and it’s going to take a lot of encouragement from Evie and Jess to get her to stand up for herself.

Finally, there’s Jess, who is very different from the other two. She was an actress before she joined the WAAF and is glamorous, confident and a complete flirt. While she says she joined up to meet pilots, she might have had other reasons, which will become apparent over the course of the series.

There’s a brief mention of romance in the blurb, how strong is the romance element? 

There’s romance for all three of my heroines, and I would say it’s a significant part of each book. However, your question has really made me think because I changed my mind about the prominence of the romance sub-plot during the progress of book one. I set out to focus far more on the romance, with May and Jess being only minor characters. However, I fell in love with the friendship as I wrote, and Jess and May took a more prominent role than originally intended. I would now say the friendship carries an equal weight with the romance storyline, if not stronger. I’d love to find out what readers think!

Writing about the past necessitates detailed research, have you discovered any surprises along the way?

It’s always the little details that I enjoy discovering. I was particularly amused to learn that the WAAFs were issued knickers as part of their uniform—enormous black (or navy—I’ve read conflicting reports) monstrosities with elastic at the legs as well as the waist. They were universally hated and called ‘blackouts’.

Oh goodness, they sound like my horrid high school PE shorts!

With the book out just yesterday (whoop whoop) I know it’s early days, but are there any early reviews you could share that have truly made you smile?

I’ve been blown away by the reviews on NetGalley and from other authors who were sent ARCs. One in particular that made me all emotional was from the author, Terri Nixon, this part in particular:

“I can’t say enough about the gorgeous writing – such a smooth, effortless style, allowing the reader to sink into the story of these girls and their frightening, but rewarding, new world. We live every moment with them, from the panic and uncertainty of a desperately important new job, to the crumbly, cinnamon-sweetness of a Chelsea bun, to the bone-trembling impact of an enemy shell.”

Wow, what a great review and here’s the blurb:

When Evie’s dreams come crashing down, she’s determined to still make something of herself in these trying times…

It is 1939 and working class Evie Bishop has received a scholarship to study mathematics at Oxford when tragedy turns her life upside down. Evie must seek a new future for herself and, inspired to contribute to the war effort, joins the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force as an Ops Room plotter.

Posted to a fighter station on the Sussex Coast, Evie befriends two other WAAFs – shy, awkward May and flirty, glamorous Jess. Faced with earning the approval of strict officers and finding their way in a male dominated world, the three girls band together to overcome challenges, navigate new romances and keep their pilots safe in the skies.

But the German bombers seem to know more than they should about the base’s operations, and soon Evie, May and Jess are caught up in a world more dangerous than they ever imagined…

And those all important links to buy: Amazon | Kobo | Google | Apple

Thank you so much for stopping by Vicki and I wish you every success with The Ops Room Girls and the rest in the series. xx


About the author:

Vicki Beeby writes historical fiction about the friendships and loves of service women brought together by the Second World War.

Her first job was as a civil engineer on a sewage treatment project, so things could only improve from there. Since then, she has worked as a maths teacher and education consultant before turning freelance to give herself more time to write.

In her free time, when she can drag herself away from reading, she enjoys walking and travelling to far-off places by train. She lives in Shropshire in a house that doesn’t contain nearly enough bookshelves.

Discover more about Vicki Beeby ( who also writes as Tora Williams) and her work here: Facebook | Twitter | Website | Apricot Plots


Join me next week when author Gina Hollands shares a Feel Good Friday read! xx