Monday, June 25, 2012

Persevering with point of view!

These past few weeks have been quite tumultuous in my writing journey, as I have tried to edit two manuscripts at once – my first non-fiction work, entitled Soul Friend: the story of a shared spiritual journey, and my sixth novel, The Inheritance. With my non-fiction book, my new publisher wanted a few things changed – and rightly so. While it took some time to do, it was nevertheless reasonably straightforward. However, it was another matter altogether with my sixth novel. You see, I had decided I would try something new. I would have two main characters and would write from both points of view, according to what fitted best. But I would also write from the points of view of several minor characters, where necessary. In other words, I was venturing into ‘multiple point of view’ territory.

Now being a rookie at such things, I was bound to make mistakes. With my first two novels, I had stuck to omniscient point of view. In fact, back then, I didn’t even know what that term meant! I simply wrote in the same style in which many of the older books I loved were written. Over my next three novels, I gradually refined my style and wrote from the point of view of my main protagonist, although I’m sure I often strayed into omniscient point of view out of habit. But now, in trying to be clever, it soon became clear, from my publisher’s comments, that I had skipped from one point of view to another far too often. Sometimes this was intentional – I felt it worked that way. But mostly, I have to admit, it was unintentional – I had happily hopped into someone else’s head for a few lines, before proceeding to hop to another one – and then to another again! It was as if all my characters were joining in the conversation, each with their own little agendas.
So ... now I had quite a rewrite on my hands. I sighed – I did not need such a large job at that point. However, once I had begun, I soon discovered how much I was learning. In fact, it became an interesting challenge to see how the various scenes could in many cases happen just as easily from the point of view of one of the main characters and not one of those minor characters who kept wanting to get in on the act!

Now I am on the other side of that rewrite – and I hope I have succeeded in vastly improving my manuscript. But all this has served to show me yet again that there is always so much more to learn in this writing business – so many new things to come to grips with and new ways to refine our writing style. Will I ever ‘arrive’ as an author? I don’t know. But I do know I’m going to keep on trying. I want to write the best fiction – and non-fiction – I can for God. As Paul writes in Philippians 3:13, I want to forget what is behind and strain towards what is ahead. I may never write that best seller, but I sure know I can improve from where I am now.
Somehow I don’t think God has finished with me yet, moulding me into the author I am meant to be. How about you? Is that how you feel too?

Jo-Anne Berthelsen grew up in Brisbane and holds an Arts degree from Queensland University. She has also studied Education and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher and editor, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne loves communicating through both the written and spoken word and currently has five published novels – ‘Heléna’, ‘All the Days of My Life’, ‘Laura’, ‘Jenna’ and ‘Heléna’s Legacy’.  She is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and three grandchildren. For more information, please visit her website, www.jo-anneberthelsen.com.

14 comments:

  1. Hi Jo-Anne! Multiple points of view is challenging, agreed, but I feel it's far more interesting to know what's going on inside each character's head. Oh, if only we could be that way in real life...ummm maybe not. We may be shocked if we found out what that person was really thinking about us!!!

    As far as The Lord still working on me, Oh my, I still have many things to learn and re-learn. Thank the dear Lord He's not finished with me yet!

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    1. Hmm - I think I agree, Rita, it's best to not know what others are thinking at all times! Better to let God provide the 'omniscient point of view'!! God bless.

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  2. Hi Jo,
    thanks for the post. I found that very encouraging as I write as the omniscient narrator as I love the classics with all the twisting and turning of plot lines and the complexities and depths of the characters that can be created from this writing style. I think there are a lot of us out there who enjoy a good Jane Austen or Charles Dickens.

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    1. Yes, I can sure appreciate where you are coming from, Jennifer. It's funny, isn't it, how much we all love the classics and how long they have survived, yet we are often told not to write like that now. What is going on??!!

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  3. Head-hopping within one scene is very easy to do, isn't it? POV rules have been set in place where there used to be more leniency. Still, I enjoy the fun of considering, "Now, whose POV would it be best to tell this scene from?"
    Exciting news about your two books.

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    1. Thanks, Paula. I have just realised with your comment about my two new books that I need to enjoy the excitement of this and not let thinking about how I am going to promote them dim this too much! Still I know we have to get out there and do our best. And yes, that's a good question to ask ourselves re who best would express a particular scene.

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  4. Thanks for sharing. I've only written one book, but with several mentors who repeatedly pointed out 'POV'. But I love the result of all that work! Isn't it good to be still growing and learning. I'm so looking forward to two new books, Jo-Anne.

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    1. Thanks so much, Jo - that's encouraging that you are looking forward to my new books. And yes, it never ceases to amaze me how much there is still to learn - about so many things, really! God bless.

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  5. Well, I can only say I have enjoyed all your novels I've had a chance to read so far, Jo-Anne. I still shudder at all the "head-hopping" in my first ever attempt at a novel. And even now after all these years continue to learn more about the different aspects of novel writing with every effort. Trying to choose whose POV would be best in a scene is often difficult. The "rule of thumb" I've been shown is to decide which character has the MOST to lose or gain in that particular scene. I still often find that very hard to decide!

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  6. That's a good way of approaching trying to decide whose POV would be best to use, Mary - I'll have to remember that in any future novel I might attempt! And thanks for your comment about my previous novels - although I shudder like you, Mary, about my early writing style! Still, amazingly I find people still want to buy those early novels when I take my books anywhere. It's a hard decision to make as to whether to keep on selling them or not.

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  7. This is a topic we have been dealing with in our monthly so thanks for your and the comments from others.I recently tried one in first person after initially starting in third.Interesting what a difference it made. After testing it out with a few others I went back to third but was able to adapt a couple of the first person bits, so it certainly wasn't wasted..

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    1. Always something to learn, isn't there, Dale? I haven't tried a novel in first person yet, although I've written short stories that way. Maybe next time?!

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  8. Jo-Anne, congrats on your upcoming book releases! I sometimes find if a scene isn't working that a rewrite in a different pov can be revealing and show me what I need to fix.

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    1. Thanks so much, Narelle. That's an interesting idea, to swap POV and thus show up the problems. Again, always something to learn!

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