POV in the Corner
On one of the author loops I am on, there's been some discussion of how many points of view to use. And when deciding who to tell a story, or how . . . writers can agonize. First person? Third? Omniscient? What are editors buying for that line? Can I pull off multiple POVs? Can I pull off first person?
Sometimes the voice just comes to you. I know Cassie Hayes's voice was so tough and strong and funny, and so (in some ways) like my own . . . that I couldn't possibly imagine writing Spanish Disco any other way. It was my first completed novel. I know Ava's voice in The Roofer was tough, but oh-so-weary, and again, I couldn't imagine writing it any other way--or allowing any other POVs to intrude on these two women as they told their very different stories.
What I have found, as an editor, is one thing as far as POV goes. POV must be chosen--or it can choose you--but before you get 100 pages into your book, you must examine your POV and make sure you can get not just the little details but the big picture through your POV. There is a lot of discussion in the film world of the 5 1/2 minute tracking shot in Atonement. Put "tracking shot" and "Atonement" into Google and see how many placements come up--USA Today, CNN, Baltimore Sun . . . everyone's talking about it. Because that sweeping, near-impossible-to-film shot sets the big picture of unbelievable defeat, chaos, and the grim reality of war. While Atonement is the story of three people . . . the backdrop is important as well. The shot sets it up.
I think you must consider the same thing in your book. When I KNOW a writer is in trouble? The sudden addition of a POV. And when I ask a writer why? Why this shift in tone? Why this new POV? The answer is ALWAYS the same.
"I wrote myself into a corner."
And then they had to write themselves out.
And they were in so deep, and couldn't see a way with the POV they were committed to. They needed this clue dropped in, this bit of information, they NEEDED this viewpoint, to tell their story. And their POV met a corner and found them all painted in.
But I think, no . . . you must write yourself out using dialogue, foreshadowing, mood, something. Don't just add a POV to make your job easier. The POV must be organic and central. It's not a quick fix. That tracking shot in Atonement was no easy cinematic feat--it was an audacious bit of filmmaking. We writers face the same challenges.
Write yourself out of the corner. Organically.
Thoughts?
29 comments:
I love playing with first and third POV! I love playing little games with first person, like seeing how long I can go without using "I," or trying to show another character's POV without switching from my first person POV character. And sometimes even seeing if I can tell the reader something that the first person POV character won't catch, you know?
I don't do it so much anymore, but I've switched from first to third at the 35,000 mark, and even switched back again. What's funny, is that if I write in third and then rewrite in first, the "I" stops being so intrusive. If I write in first and then rewrite it in third, then my third becomes much deeper.
(Okay, I have way too much enthusiasm for this topic, don't I? LOL.)
What an excellent post and excellent advice. I think you hit on the nail exactly why writing is so hard and frustrating sometimes. It is really hard - which is why when it is done right, it is such a joy to read.
I've never had a pov problem that way. I decide before I write the book what POVs I'll use, and I'm pretty consistant. (I have many problems, just not that one.)
My next book will be first person. I've never written a book in the first person before, and I'm excited just thinking about it. :)
Hi Spy:
I've switched--not that far in--but I do try things out at the beginning--trying on voices "for size" so to speak.
E
Hi ello:
I went in to a 4th-grade class to talk about being an author and I was discussing naming characters with them--all the ins and outs of why I named certain characters the way I did . . . the thought that went into it. And I realzied as I was tlaking to them that writing is so complicated and hard and times--all these things (like POV choice) that readers don't even "see" if it's done right.
E
Hi edie:
Oddly enough, because my first three books were chick lit, I had never tried thrid-person until a few books into my career.
E
I believe in the opening paragraph starting smack dab in the middle of things, and I believe in entering a scene late and leaving early. But, I think it's important for an author to always be aware of what's happening offstage; and, I think it important to have a fairly good idea of the ending before writing the first word.
Act III problems are almost invariably Act I problems. If you don't have a vision of the big picture at the outset, you're likely to paint yourself into a corner and then (if you're lazy or on a tight deadline) resort to things like magical new POV characters or deus ex machina.
If you do a bit of pre-producton, though, whether it be in the form of a full outline, a synopsis, or circles and arrows drawn on a cocktail napkin, and let the big picture present itself in your mind before beginning, you'll be more likely to know what POV(s) are needed, and less likely to be in a plot jam at the end.
When I switched POV from third to first I could really hear the protagonist's voice clearly. Her voice is not mine, so I assume I'm on the right track.
Hi Tena:
It's exciting when those voices come to us. :-)
We hear voices and get excited. Other people hear voices and . . . .
E
Jude:
Sounds like you have a clear vision of what you want your book to be.
E
Erica:
At least a set of fog lights, maybe. :)
I refuse to answer on the grounds...
NO NO NO! Must BE BETTER at honesty: Guilty as charged.
I have written myself into a corner numerous times and then lazily tried to back out of it by throwing in a new POV.
But I know better now. ;-)
The ending before writing the first word Jude!
*snort* I usually don't know the second word before writing the first word. :0
Hi Lainey:
I don't write from an outline, but I do use story arc/character arcs so I'm sure I can get to the end without having to shift POV from what I started with.
E
P.S. I walked four miles this a.m. in 15-degree weather. I am BEING BETTER. :-)
Lainey:
I should probably add that the ending in your outline or on your cocktail napkin certainly isn't written in stone. But, I do think it's useful to have an ending in mind before starting. It gives the story and the characters a path to follow, a direction.
Some writers go as far as writing the ending first, while they're still in the heat of passion over the story they want to tell.
There's also nothing wrong with seat-of-the-pants writing, if that's what works for you. But I think you're more likely to paint yourself into a corner that way, and usually the only way out is through multiple page-one rewrites. That's pretty much the way I wrote my first book, but now I'm thinking it's probably better to have a bit of a blueprint, take the time to figure out various plot elements and POVs up front.
Good Lord...I think you just helped me out of a sucky middle!
No shit!
Love you to pieces,
d
This is something that always worries me. I don't like to be in a zillion people's heads. Probably because when I read I want to stay with the main character. I generally don't care to follow some side character down his/her path for awhile and usually I skim that in books. I like to follow the main character. So I always write either in first person, or third person limited generally either to that one character or two tops.
But I feel like "third person limited" is an "immature way of writing." I don't really have any real basis for that other than, "it's simpler, so it must be less mature."
It feels like to "grow" as a writer I should write more viewpoint characters, but I don't want to. I want to stay with the main character.
The other problem I run into, when staying with the main character is getting bogged down in the minutiae of the main character's life and therefore having trouble with transitions. Not knowing when to just skip on to the next scene.
Hi Zoe:
I think we all love our characters so much it can be tough to decide when to cut details. In general, I take a cue from one of my writers' group friends . . . be ruthless. Every single word, page, and scene should have forward movement and be important to advancing your story.
E
Hey Zoe ... (and hi Erica).
I'm like you -- my last two books have been limited third-person POV, but I've never written in first person (at least not seriously). You know how you said it was a "immature way of writing"? I like to think of it as challenging. I think the limited third-person 1) forces you to "show not tell" all the secondary characters because you can't get in their heads and 2) it forces you to carefully plot because you only have access to this one character's head. It's like first person, but without the internal monologue ...
In one of my recent books, it's a tightly limited third-person POV, but the POV is actually a trick because it's not told from the main character's POV (although the reader thinks so until the very last chapter). The book is really narrated by an invisible narrator/historian who is piecing together the story through the "fly on the wall" approach and historical records. This means I can only rarely tell what a character is thinking (if, for instance, they later wrote it down somewhere), but it also means that my fly can buzz around and see different scenes, even if the main character isn't involved. I didn't do it often, but in a few cases, it was essential to set up the plot. In the last chapter, it switches to first-person and the narrator reveals himself ...
I admit, this has been a complicating factor during the writing (hat tip to Erica for talking me through this one). But it was challenging and, most important, I think it made me tell a better story.
Hey JVZ:
I am deep into your rewrite--and loving it.
And yes, you picked one of the hardest narrative structures I've ever seen tried.
And Zoe (and Jon) . . . funny, but I think of first-person as a snap to write in. Because then I get to "cheat" on what I don't know and don't have to do research. For example, in a thriller/murder plot, if I am first-person--and say I'm NOT the cop, and am instead an amateur sleuth--then I don't have to worry that I am getting all the cop details and procedural stuff down. I actually purposely choose first-person a lot of the time so I DON'T run into research-oriented headaches.
E
Another insightful post, as always. I will add, though, that it all depends on what you can get away with. Leon Uris introduced and switched POVs so often in mid-scene that he is a textbook example of how not to do it. Yet he enjoyed squatter's rights on top of the NYT bestseller list for five decades.
Jon,
Hey, thanks for that! I'd never looked at it that way, but it is true. I guess every POV has it's own set of challenges and instead of worrying that my chosen POV is "immature" I should focus on writing it in a mature way.
hehehe Erica, I love first person too. My problem with first person is not putting too much "me" into the character.
Stephen:
Like everything . . .
It's all in the execution. I think, like JOn said, if you plan what you are going to do . . . great. If you add POVs because you screwed up and have no other way to introduce key information your character needs, that's another.
I forgot about ol' Leon.
zoe:
Exactly. No POV is without its own tricks and problems.
E
Hmm. I think of limited third person and first person as the MOST mature ways to write fiction. I mean, what's left? You rarely see omniscient in published books these days, and second person...maybe a paragraph here and there.
Stephen:
Larry McMurtry switches POVs ad lib as well. And Evel Knievel once jumped twenty buses on a motorcycle.
The point?
DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. :)
Great post. In my way of thinking POV is as important if not more important than any other decision in creating a novel.
Right now I am tackling an entire novel in first person and it has been tricky but I'm satisfied to this point.
I think you've pointed out the problem I'm having with my current WIP. I've gone back and forth on the idea of first or deep third. And I think part of the problem is that I don't really have the whole story worked out in my mind. And that is making it difficult for me to decide exactly how to handle the POV. So, thanks!
Hi Travis:
I agree. When I've edited things . . . I sometimes catch authors accidentally dropping in POV shifts--and it's usually over problematic issues. Deciding the right POV can make or break a novel.
E
Hi Liz:
Any time I've struggled with that question . . . my work has suffered. If I can't commit to POV, it's as if I can't anchor myself in the story.
E
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