Comments | sboman: What's your point of view?

sboman

What's your point of view?

Jul 15, 2009 19:20

I'm a POV flip/flopper. When I'm starting a project (and often when I'm well into it, and at least once after I finished one) I have this little battle in my head about what POV to use. I go back and forth on the pros and cons of first and third. Which would make my story stronger, lend to the voice I'm trying to create, and, of course, have the ( Read more... )

wip, ada, writing process, writing

Comments 12

kathys_shadow July 16 2009, 03:33:22 UTC

I'm more of a 3rd POV person myself... I must admit, first person scares me a bit.

sboman July 17 2009, 00:27:40 UTC

See, I find this so interesting! What scares you off of first person?

sandy_williams July 16 2009, 10:35:14 UTC

My first book was in 3rd. I don't feel like it has as good a voice as my second and third books, which are in 1st POV. Writing in 1st comes easy to me.

I completely agree on the distancing factor of 3rd. I've thought about going back and rewriting my first book, changing my female MC to 1st because she's a typical American teen, and leaving my male MC in 3rd b/c he's an alien (human alien, but an alien nonetheless). I figure maybe I can take advantage of that distancing factor. :-)

If you want, you can send me both versions of your first chapter and I'll let you know what I think.

sboman July 17 2009, 00:39:53 UTC

Oooh, I've started a story like that! My female MC would be in first (the bulk of the story), but the scenes with the male MC would be in third...his scenes happen to be in dreams...which sometimes feel distant anyway (kind of like the surrealness of an alien character!). I'm worried about pulling it off - it could be tricky.

Good luck! And thanks, I may just take you up on your offer!

reneesweet July 17 2009, 00:25:08 UTC

I've only written in 1st. My last project was in 1st present and my current will be in 1st past. I honestly can't remember what I wrote the one before in -- 1st past, maybe. Unless I'm going to bring in another characters POV, I don't see the advantage of third and that scenario hasn't come up for me yet.

As for challenges, 1st present can sound abrupt and stilted if it's not done well. But I love the immediacy of it when it's done well. And it can have a lovely, haunting cadence--unlike any other POV, IMO.

sboman July 17 2009, 00:32:43 UTC

Uh, yeah! Don't even get me started on tense - though I will say I feel safest in past. I have done present...but it is difficult to make it sound good, as you said...and I keep slipping into past anyway, so...

I feel most natural in first because that's how I get into the story - by telling it as if I am the character - that's how I get in their head. I just worry it's a crutch, yanno...I'm one of those people who aspires to write well in third - it's a goal of mine to pull a story off in it and I admire those who write well in it.

sboman July 17 2009, 00:47:57 UTC

Oh, something you said really set off a bell; maybe I need to consider if having other character's POV is necessary for the story. I know, duh, right? But I just never thought of it that way.

reneesweet July 17 2009, 00:55:23 UTC

I think it's good that you're being conscious of trying to challenge yourself. :) But that's definitely a good thing to think about. POV, just like setting and characters, etc., is driven by the needs of your story. Unlike some of those other elements, the way the story's needs influence the selection are a little more transparent in the finished product, so it's not something that always comes to mind. (totally awkwardly written sentence but you get what I'm saying...:) )

learningtoread July 17 2009, 20:18:08 UTC

I've written in both. I think the key is in your protag. Is she strong enough to carry the story completely? Do enough things happen to HER -- does the story revolve around HER? I think with ADA, the answer is yes.

With Darknesses, for me, there were so many other factors that it wasn't just Elena's story. It's every bit as much Ara's, you know? But UPSTAIRS is fully Anna's story -- even though stuff is happening to other characters throughout the story.

sboman July 17 2009, 20:45:23 UTC

It's like a veil has been lifted and I'm seeing POV in a whole new light. Good grief, sometimes I feel like I need to pull out the Writing 101 book...

This is the most useful my LJ posting has ever been! Tra la! I knew it would pay off some time!

Cari's first person-third person learningtoread July 18 2009, 12:45:01 UTC

I love writing and reading in third person because I need/want to know what various characters are thinking and feeling. In a short story I'm working on, I'm going back and forth between three characters; the hero, the heroine and the baddie. I mainly stay with one character at a time and rarely discuss what other characters are feeling so it's almost first person, but it's written in third person so each chapter usually changes which character's eyes are telling the story. If the story was told in the first person I'd be stuck with only one person's point of view. One can't bounce back and forth between different "I's". That would be completely confusing ( ... )

anonymous July 19 2009, 03:15:55 UTC

Funny, after writing narrative non-fiction and memoir for my entire writing life, I began my first novel project recently in 3rd person without even considering 1st.

I appreciate this entry...it made me really think about that decision. Maybe I just need to try something else after years of "I".

www.shebloomseventually.blogspot.com