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| I did'n wanna do it! |
But that is NOT acceptable for today's readers. Editors and publishers have told me that in no uncertain terms. So how to get around it?
I can't help myself, I write them in anyway. THEN I work out who is the most important POV in the scene and rewrite it according to that. This takes extra work, but it helps me to understand them better. I give each of the main characters and antagonists, their POV in turn. As to other characters who are needed, they simply shouldn't have their say from a POV. Even so, they can dialogue with a main character, so we do get to know what they're thinking...except when they're being sneaky.
Yes, I admit at first I didn't want to do it...but it works. I had to change my wicked ways and submit to the wisdom of the ages...well, you know what I mean. One important thing I have learned: assimilating my new objectives has caused me to stretch as a writer. And I think what really clinched it was when I read a book with multiple characters and I really didn't know whose story it was! It was well written and with beautiful description, but it left me confused.Another thing that we agonize over. When to use omniscient voice. Here's a sensible hint from writer Celeste Ng: the omniscient narrator's role is to provide a framework and crucial context and provide outside information as needed. (Me: Agreed, but only in small amounts, eg. fading out from a scene like in the movies etc.)
.Have any of you writers experienced subtle or overt things you've had to change in your work? Or was I the only stubborn writer out there?
Rita Stella Galieh is a historical romance writer of two published books who blogs weekly at http://inspirationalromance.blogspot.com Signed Sealed Delivered is now available on Amazon Kindle. She and her husband both script and record radio programs broadcast weekly on FM stations around Australia.
Rita, love the baby making faces. Pulled me right into your blog and I had to read.
ReplyDeleteTalking of making faces, I've just read the book Making Faces by Amy Harmon. Brilliant story and such beautiful writing. At first I thought: Aha, she's made point of view errors. Then I realised that the entire book was written from omnicient POV. I have to say that this POV is not my preference because you really lose that deep POV with individual characters. Nevertheless, it was a brilliant read.
Oh, when I first started writing I had no idea about POV and I was hopping in and out of heads like a bunny rabbit being chased by a fox (well maybe not that bad ... still I had much to learn).
It's a never ending learning curve for us, isn't it?
Talking about heads and learning, when Nancy Kimbal (my one critiquer) told me that my character in my novelette that's just been contracted with Pelican Book Group deserved some orange heads, my immediate reaction was: "I've never heard of this. Is this something else I need to learn?" Thankfully, I discovered it's actually a kind of hero awards she does on review books. She has a great blog - check it out: http://www.fictionherofeatures.com/
In fact, Nancy is currently giving away 3 ebook copies of Making Faces, so hurry on over there :)
Hi Marion, thanks for your great comment. An "orange head"? I must drop over and see what gives. And congratulations on your contracted book.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes writing will probably continue being a learning curve because rules seem to change. And like in any other business, we've just got to keep up.
Love your approach to the tricky issue of POV, Rita--and also your sense of humour in it all! I'm still very much learning in this whole area. With my sixth novel, 'The Inheritance', the publisher pointed out several places where I had changed POV unnecessarily and I had to fix them all before we proceeded any further. It was such a good learning curve for me and made my writing much cleaner and stronger, I think. So we're all learning, Rita!
ReplyDeleteI've been reading some authors from about fifty years ago, Jo, and I'm amazed at what you could get away with then. But I'm really thankful we have more stringent guidelines now. It helps to draw the reader in more.
DeleteHi Rita,
ReplyDeleteI was the same as you. (Many of us probably were.) I agree with you. We get used to it and it becomes fun to sit back, think of what must unfold in a scene, and decide whose POV it would be best coming from.
Exactly, Paula. When you understand POV you feel more in control of how you're writing. Not that awful "am I doing it right?" feeling.
DeleteRita, love this post and appreciate making yourself vulnerable. I'm like you. When there's a scene with a few characters, I find each of them shares their POV with me. And I've been caught out head hopping. One of many reasons why I love editors.
ReplyDeleteBut take heart - I expect you've heard of a wee bestseller called Game of Thrones. I've been told it's full of lots & lots & lots of POVs. I guess when a novel has a cult following, an author is given a little more licence. And interesting that Mr Martin's readers don't seem too bothered enough to stop buying it.
Oh Ian so true. Just for fun I've shared a little with friends who've asked how to go about writing a book and when I mention some of these things, their eyes glaze over. Honestly, if the stories are good, readers don't notice any of this.
DeleteHi Rita, I don't think we should rule out ever using omniscient or multiple points of view within a scene. The POV purist approach is the current preference. There will be writers who publish brilliant books that break all the purist POV rules we follow. The POV in these books will work because the authors understand the POV rules and intentionally break them for a good reason. This is very different to head hopping in a book written by an author who doesn't understand the power and significance of POV.
ReplyDeleteThat's right Narelle. I find there are times you need to do a little narration to tie up a scene or say what the characters aren't aware of.
DeleteIn some course I did with ACFW one of the teachers said it would be too awkward to have the characters explain a situation when a little narration could do it more succinctly.
I always love Victoria Holt's use of the omniscient point of view, where as a reader I knew to be very afraid for the heroine, but she was still unaware! I still would love to write one of those first person POV gothic romances and do that. Maybe one day. I don't like head hopping, though, but that's also something I was taught to run from.
ReplyDeleteI loved her stories too, Lisa. And don't you smile when you read how some of those well known authors ended a scene with "and little did she know what lay ahead of her"... I always thought that gave me a hint. But now that'd be a real no-no intrusion!
ReplyDeleteI'd also like to thank you all for your encouraging posts, because I thought I might be confessing too much!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Rita. I think we all have things we have to either learn or unlearn. The whole writing process is a learning curve as expectations and ideas change. Thanks for sharing your story.
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