Mary Stewart's Madam, Will You Talk?
In this episode of Tart Words, Linda and Suzanne are discussing Mary Stewart’s book Madam, Will You Talk?, and how she uses POV (Point of View) and Backstory in this twisted tale of murder, betrayal, and love.
It was first published in 1955 by Hodder & Stoughton and is now available in ebook editions.
Takeaway for writers:
Madam, Will You Talk? is written in first person POV. When you read the story, do you like the immediacy that first person brings, or do you prefer books written in a different POV? Think about how different this would be in third person POV.
Mary Stewart feeds the reader backstory in teaspoonfuls as the reader needs to know the information. When you read the story, do you find it easy to keep track of the characters and the story arcs?
Exercises for writers:
POV – If you’re feeling stuck in your story, try changing the POV for several paragraphs or a page and see if that makes a difference. You may find the story works better in a different POV.
Backstory – Think about what the reader needs to know at this point in order to understand the story world. If the backstory you’ve put in isn’t needed right now, take it out; be ruthless.