Any Suggestions??

Hello World!!

I'm on a mission today. I've been sick for a week and I haven't typed a word. I plan on doing my part to catch up on the writing I've missed. 
However, I could use your help on another issue. In speaking with a local writer friend of mine, the subject was brought up that most first-time novelists choose to write in 1st person POV since it seems to be the easiest route for beginners. My novel, "Wallflower" is in 3rd person. Aside from a novella I wrote once, I haven't tried the 1st person angle. 
The dilemma that my writer friend and I came across is how does the writer of a 1st person work switch points of view when it is NOT the main protagonist in a scene? You can't stay on one single character throughout the book. So how do you switch?
I'm asking my readers to provide me with the title of a good book written in 1st person. I'd like to see how the pros do it. Any suggestions?

Contradictions

Greetings all!

My nose has been reapplied to that ever-abrasive grindstone. I spent the better part of today polishing chapters 4-6 of "Wallflower". I found the work both pleasant and frustrating. Since I know exactly where my weakness lies as a writer, I've gone to great lengths to educate myself and improve my shortcomings. I've attended a writer's conference, consulted with the masses on several writing community websites and bought an extremely insightful book on the subject - the subject being my descriptive prose. Each of my efforts have been mildly helpful, but I still find myself butting my head against the same brick wall.

I've heard from several different and unrelated sources that my writing is too general. "Immerse me in the situation." One writer told me. "I feel removed from the scene." Another said. The truth is that I knew I had a problem before I even met these people. 

Here's my quandary:10% of the population says "I need more description." 90% continue to tell me, "Write for yourself. Don't write for anyone else. Be true to YOU!"
Okay folks, I need your input on this one. Which is it? Immerse myself in description or march to my own drummer?

I'd love to raise my nose in the air and proclaim, "I am an individual! No one has a writing voice like mine. I shall not be squelched." But my logical mind says, "Hey lady, if you ever want to get a book deal, you need to conform to the demands of the suits."

Ah yes, the suits, the big wigs, the people who sign the checks. They want the next Edgar Allen Poe; the next Hemingway. They want a strong voice; profound prose that earns high praise in the NY Times, the sort of masterpiece that finds its way to Oprah's nightstand. 

This is not me. This is not my work. I do not claim to be profound, nor do I desire to become profound. I want to entertain the masses and tell delightful, intriguing stories. That is what I do. I am a commercial novelist.

That is also what JK Rowling is. Like it or not, I don't believe you're going to find anything remotely profound or life-altering in the pages of any Harry Potter novel, but if you listen closely, you'll hear the sound of Ms. Rowling laughing all the way to the bank.

The truth is folks, I write ordinary stories about ordinary people, FOR ordinary people. I can always "improve" my descriptive prose, but do I need to be downright poetic? So what's it going to be? Should I exhaust myself to learn an angle that could be valuable or should I write what I enjoy and possibly never get published? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

Killing Two Birds with One Essay

           What am I putting off right now? Excellent question! I’m putting off revising my novel. Perhaps it’s a bit of good old-fashioned procrastination, but mostly it’s a lack of “zing” on my part.

            Life has gotten to me lately and even though revising my book is a vital first priority, it is also the pink elephant in the room that I’d rather not acknowledge. My book is worthy of my time, don’t get me wrong, but I see it as my own Mount Everest; daunting and seemingly insurmountable. (Notice how the word insurmountable has the word “mount” in it, as in mountain? That can’t be a coincidence.)

            I digress. I started this little blurb as a writing exercise that I found on creativity-portal.com in an attempt to bring back my motivation and my imagination. As I looked at what I was typing, I realized that it would be a perfect entry for my currently neglected blog. Perhaps I could kill two birds with one essay and alleviate the guilt I carry for two separate offenses.

            Ahhhh, better already.

            I’m in chapter 4 of the revision stage of “Wallflower”. I must complete the necessary revisions before my book is fit for agent consumption. No pressure there, right?

            One scene at a time Jennifer. One scene at a time and pay no mind to the blinking cursor that’s mocking you.