Author Topic: Point of view shifts (Read 2897 times)

Darwinist · « **on:** February 12, 2012, 12:48:40 AM »

My new story has two main characters. The idea is that it could become a series, and that eventually the series will take them from being roommates/friends to enemies. With the competing POV, you get an insight into where things come together and where they fall apart. To keep it from being difficult to follow, I wrote the "hero" of the story in first person and the eventual villain (not in this book, but down the road) in third person. I know its a bad analogy, but consider the Harry Potter novels where Potter had first person and Weasley had third. You are able to establish the wow factor from Harry's view and then background info he never would have known via info dumps in Weasley's third POV. You also get to see how other people view Harry, and the possibility of an unreliable narrator contrasting from either persons POV.

My question is: in a full length novel, how often can you switch these perspectives without blowing the gimmick or losing the reader? I've seen other YA novels like this, mostly Rick Riordan, where he switches every two chapters. What's everyone's opinion on this?

LizW65 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 12, 2012, 01:54:17 AM »

My novel uses pretty much the same device. Two protagonists. One, the female, is the main "voice" of the story and first person narrator; her chapters are numbered. The male protagonist has occasional POV chapters in third person (maybe 20 percent of the text) which instead of numbers, have a date and time, and are quite different in style.

Aminar · « **Reply #2 on:** February 12, 2012, 03:18:38 AM »

Umm... Not to start an argument, but none of the Harry Potter books were first person... At all. Maybe a few dream sequences...

That said, do what you need to to tell the story.

Darwinist · « **Reply #3 on:** February 12, 2012, 05:46:10 PM »

As I said, a terrible analogy. I don't know that any of the Potter series is first person. I'm pretty sure all of it is in third. I was just pointing out how it could be used in the way I am imagining it. Still, terrible analogy, I agree.

My main concern is that by switching it up often as I am, every other chapter sometimes but usually 2-3 chapters from the main (first person) POV and then a foray into the other (third person POV of second protag) for one chapter to mix it up, that I might be putting people off. Most of you have a much large reading library than I do, so I thought I'd check what your opinion of this might be.

Aminar · « **Reply #4 on:** February 12, 2012, 10:38:57 PM »

Ah. I see. I didn't catch that it was a hypothetical.

meg_evonne · « **Reply #5 on:** February 13, 2012, 04:51:38 AM »

It sounds like you need 3rd across the board and just zoom into whoever's shoulder you want to see the world from.

arianne · « **Reply #6 on:** February 13, 2012, 02:54:26 PM »

If you want to mix it up, it would be a good idea to make the changes constant, I think. So like every third chapter would be in third person, and the readers soon come to expect that and may even be looking forward to seeing how "Ron" reacts to such and such that "Harry" said or did.

It all depends on how seamless you make the story go together, though...

The Deposed King · « **Reply #7 on:** February 14, 2012, 09:45:33 AM »

I'd say stay mostly with your main character and only foray into other characters as you need.

That said, I'm probably not the most skilled at such POV shifting. So take my advice with a grain of salt. On the other side I used two secondary characters in my first book to give different perspectives. Mostly the one and sometimes the other. But honestly, I'd write like two or three chapters (say 5k a chapter) with my main guy and then only a a 2k chapter with the sideliner. Not to say things didn't very but as a general rule of thumb.

I will say as a reader I don't like POV shifting. That said if you can do it right you will turn on a lot of readers. Probably just not me

The Deposed King

cenwolfgirl · « **Reply #8 on:** February 14, 2012, 05:03:32 PM »

I point of vew shift in my story (well stories there is now two)
I have to to show serten events and give information to the read that serten caricters (like my main charictor) can not have yet or she is not near where the event is happening but most of the time i stick to her point of vew

i will say it must fit with the story otherwise you can get very confused as to what is going on witch is proberly why some people don't like it

Haru · « **Reply #9 on:** February 14, 2012, 08:48:17 PM »

I've seen something similar done in "Lycidas" by a german author called Christoph Marzi. I am not sure if it is translated yet, or if they are planning to, but if you have the chance, read it, it is great.

Anyhow, one interesting thing is, that the pov character is the mentor of the main character, so you are looking at the main character from a third person view, but the story is told from the first person view of the mentor. Sort of the opposite of what you are doing, but it kind of does the same. you are focused on the main character, but since you see her from the mentors pov, you get the comments and interpretation of her actions as the mentor sees it.

cenwolfgirl · « **Reply #10 on:** February 14, 2012, 09:24:44 PM »

cool
another group of books all in tired person but they chang vew points
is
or at least some of them are the starwars books e.g. dark force rising by timothy zahn
okay thats geeky but i have the book at hand the rest of that trilagy dose it as well (this is because there is more than one main carictor and serten events happen in diffrent places)

The Deposed King · « **Reply #11 on:** February 14, 2012, 11:06:27 PM »

I will just say. Maybe sure you aren't POV shifting in the middle of a chapter or in the middle of the action. I got lots of nasty comments when I was doing this back in 04-06 for a story I was writing. Keep it as clean as you can. Even if you miss some of the good stuff. You can always have your yoda reflect on how the character's continued flaws harken back to the battle you just missed out on.

That said do it anyway you want. People who actually read it will be much more relevent to whatever it is you're writing.

The Deposed King

cenwolfgirl · « **Reply #12 on:** February 15, 2012, 09:07:28 AM »

thats a good sugetion