Friday Speak Out!: Four Reasons to Use Multiple Points of View in Your Novel

Writers often struggle with whether to tell a story through the lens of one or many characters. Multiple point of view (POV) can be tricky to master, but there are several reasons it can be very effective. Rather than go with your gut, consider if your intentions align with these considerations when making a choice.

First, a multiple POV approach can result in a rich characterization, because readers experience characters from both inside and out – at times from their thoughts and feelings and at times when other characters reflect on them. If you have an unreliable, complicated, or defensive narrator, you might benefit from this approach. A great example of such in-depth characterization is Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. By having Mrs. Dalloway’s interiority interlaced with others’ view of her, we get a more nuanced and multifaceted sense of her personality.

Second, because point of view refers to the consciousness through which we see and understand the events of a story, a multiple POV approach can offer the reader competing interpretations. In Atonement, by Ian McEwan, the shifting POV gives varying perspectives on the events of a single day that changes the lives of the characters forever, in a kind of collective understanding.

Perhaps your aim is to reveal different facets of a given world, the way Tom Wolfe skewers social class and politics in 1980s’ New York City in Bonfire of the Vanities. Varied walks of life and a chorus of voices can create a kind of kaleidoscope effect and capture a society as a whole. In my forthcoming novel, THE STARK BEAUTY OF LAST THINGS, I wanted to tell the story of the coastal area of Montauk, Long Island, an elegy of sorts, and the characters profoundly in love with that place. I wanted to suck in everything–the world of fishing, of landscape painting, land use, and every aspect of nature. Each of my point of view characters contributes a different kind of knowledge to create what I hope is a larger whole.

Multiple POV is especially successful in combating a lecturing tone in fiction that deal with controversial themes and issues. As different characters espouse different values or sides of an issue, the reader engages with these debates as well. In Her Sister’s Tattoo, by Ellen Meeropol, a conflict between two sisters and their warring views animates the story and challenges to reader to choose sides as well. In my novel each character has a slightly different relationship to the land, whether it represents beauty, spiritualty, heritage, or a resource to be bought and sold. Multiple points of view allowed me to explore various themes through the thoughts and opinions of a variety of characters and come at issues from contrasting angles.

It can be a challenge to manage the plot and timeline in a multiple POV novel, but it’s worth the effort if your aims and material align with any of these four reasons.

* * *

Céline Keating is an award-winning writer living in Bristol, Rhode Island. She is the author of two novels: Layla (2011), a Huffington Post featured title, and Play for Me (2015), a finalist in the International Book Awards, the Indie Excellence Awards, and the USA Book Awards. Her short fiction and articles have been published in many literary journals and magazines. For many years a resident of Montauk, NY, Céline continues to serve on the board of environmental 
organization Concerned Citizens

website: www.celinekeating.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCelineKeating/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/celinekeating?lang=en
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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
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1 comment Céline Keating, Friday Speak Out!, multiple POV, novel writing, POV

An Alternate Point of View

I learned a fun life skill a few decades ago, and it can also be a lot of fun when writing as well. My mother-in-law didn't call it "an alternate point of view," it was just something she would do to pass the time, lighten a tense situation, or entertain the rest of us. A great example would be the musical Wicked (which I was privileged to see with my mother today). We all grew up knowing the story of The Wizard of Oz with Dorothy, ToTo, Ms. Gulch, the Munchkins, and Glinda. Or did we? The truth is, we don't ever really know the entire story. Do we?

Using an alternate point of view regarding The Wizard of Oz is the entire premise of Wicked. Have you considered taking a familiar story and changing the point of view as a way to inspire your own new works? Have you considered using alternating points of view in your writing? Switching viewpoints takes quite a bit of planning, but when done well it is very enjoyable for the reader. Do you have a favorite book written with an alternating point of view? One I read quite recently was Fractured by Catherine McKenzie and I feel the alternating was done quite well.

Now - for those of you who don't enjoy reading alternating point of view stories, I'll share a few fun stories from my mother in law. You'll see why I feel it is a life skill.

The neighbor comes and goes at unusual times and every time her vehicle backs out of the driveway, the dog barks and you wake up. Frustrating, right? Hmmm...since you can't sleep anyway, you look at the situation from a different point of view. Maybe she's a nurse and she is on the keratoplasty team. She gets called out anytime there's a death at the local hospital and she has limited time to remove the decedents cornea so it can be used to restore vision in the transplant recipient. She's a hero and from there your imagination goes wild - How did the donor die? How did the family of the recipient feel when they got that call? What made her decide to became specialized in this particular procedure? Why aren't more nurses able to do this procedure? Before you know it, you're back to sleep dreaming about heroes in capes saving the world - one eyeball at a time!

A simpler example might be the minivan that pulled out in front of you causing you to lock up your brakes and mutter curse words under your breath. Take a deep breath and come up with a quick story from that person's point of view. Maybe it's a young couple expecting their first child. Mom is panting through her contractions and Dad is frantically trying to get to the hospital before he has to deliver this baby on the side of the road. If I do this quick point of view change, I find myself thinking, I hope they make it on time, instead of who gave this jerk a driver's license?

This may be difficult, but writers will have no problem creating all sorts of fun short tales to explain away frustrating situations in every day life. Give it a try sometime and let us know your thoughts!

***

Crystal is a council secretary and musician at her church, birth mother, babywearing cloth diapering mama (aka crunchy mama), business owner, active journaler, writer and blogger, Blog Tour Manager with WOW! Women on Writing, Publicist with Dream of Things Publishing, Press Corp teammate for the DairyGirl Network, Unicorn Mom Ambassador, as well as a dairy farmer. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, four young children (Carmen 10, Andre 9, Breccan 3, Delphine 2, and baby Eudora due this fall), two dogs, four little piggies, a handful of cats and kittens, and over 230 Holsteins.

You can find Crystal riding unicorns, taking the ordinary and giving it a little extra (making it extraordinary), blogging and reviewing books, baby carriers, cloth diapers, and all sorts of other stuff here, and at her personal blog - Crystal is dedicated to turning life's lemons into lemonade!

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1 comment alternating point of view, alternating POV, author idea, catherine mckenzie, Coping, life skill, point of view, POV, reading, writing

POV: Change It to Come Up with a Whole New Story

Last week, I read Grumbles from the Forest: Fairy-Tale Voices with a Twist poems by Jane Yolen and Rebecca Kai Dotlich. The authors challenge their readers to write fairy tale poems of their own by picking a character in the story and then creating a whole new twist on an old tale.

When Dotlich and Yolen did this, they wrote poems from the wicked fairy in Sleeping Beauty, from the Gingerbread Boy, and the Troll under the bridge in the Three Billy Goats Gruff. Each one brought an offbeat slant to a tale we thought we knew inside out and backwards. These new perspectives make it clear that we didn’t have the inside scoop before and we may not have it even now.

Maybe you’ve got a fairy tale that you absolutely love but you know it has been done to death. What could you do to shake it up for a new picture book story?

In The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, author Jon Scieszka retells this familiar tale from the wolf’s point of view. No doubt, his editor had seen dozens of stories from the pigs’ point of view, but writing the story that the wolf wanted to tell make it fresh and new and absolutely hilarious.

I’ve been working on a Billy Goats Gruff story set in a modern grade school. My story is told from the point of view of the smallest, but the smartest, kid. We see things from this slightly warped point of view that is determined to get even for all the other kids who have been tormented. He may not be bigger or badder than the Troll (bully) but that isn’t slowing him down.

Do you have a story that would benefit from a whole new point of view or a funky twist? We know agents and editors have seen plenty of bed time stories, going to grandma’s for the weekend, first day of school and moving stories. If you have something in one of these categories, explore new points of view and see what kind of story this yields.

You may find yourself writing a poetic tale about a Frog Prince who wants to move but can’t get the King and Queen to look at new ponds.

--SueBE
Sue Bradford Edwards blogs at One Writer's Journey.

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6 comments Jane Yolen, Jon Scieszka, poems, point of view, POV, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, slant

Connecting with Your Reader

by Lynne Garner


Often point-of-view (POV) is discussed when talking about writing fiction. However, writing nonfiction using first person POV can help you write a piece/blog that can help you connect to your reader, to become "one of them."

If you've not heard the term before, first person point-of-view is how you narrate your "story." You talk directly to the reader and use words such as "I" or "mine." Although most magazines prefer you to use second person point-of-view (you, yours, etc.), first person is ideal for writing your blog. It allows you to directly tell your reader what you did, how you overcame problems, and give helpful hints and tips you have discovered. For example, in the second person you would write:

"To make your necklace you will need to gather together the following materials..."

In the first person this becomes:

"To make my necklace I gathered together the following materials..."

Hopefully you can see how different the two sentences feel. How someone reading your blog will feel you are talking to them. They will feel they have some connection with you. In this way, they will hopefully feel they can trust the information you are giving because you are writing from your own experiences.

So, if you've never written using first person point-of-view, why not give it a go. You might just find a narration style that suits you, and you never know it might gain your blog additional followers.

***

Lynne Garner has been a freelance writer and author since 1998. Since that time she has written for a large number of magazines both in the UK and the US, having over 300 features printed. She has 21 books published; these include 10 craft-related how-to books, working with both publishers and packagers. Lynne designed, produced copy, and photographed many of the craft projects featured on The Craft Ark.



Join Lynne in the WOW! Women On Writing Classroom and get crafty with her latest class, How to Write a Craft Book! The next session starts August 4th.

***

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2 comments class, how to write a craft book, Lynne Garner, nonfiction, POV

Exploiting Point of View to Make Characters Come Alive

Exploiting Point of View to Make Characters Come Alive

by Diane O’Connell

Remember the last time you read a great novel? What was it that stood out the most, that stayed with you long after you closed the last page? Chances are it was the characters. But more than that, it was the way those characters thought and viewed the world around them. In other words, it was their point of view.

POV is — I believe —the most important, yet least understood element of fiction writing. Too many novice writers never go beyond simply deciding whether to use the first person or the third person. They don’t understand how to really use POV to make their characters come alive for the reader.

Ask these five questions to help you exploit your use of POV:

1. How does my character view the world? Is your POV character an innocent naïf or a bitter old man? An unrepentant alcoholic or a genteel housewife? A slick con artist who thinks nothing of screwing an elderly couple out of their life savings, or a public defender who believes in justice for all? Each of these characters will see the world in a very different way. And how they see the world affects every interaction they have.

2. What does my character think about? No one knows what’s really in another person’s mind. But when you fully exploit POV, you invite your readers into the place where your characters feel most at home — their thoughts. And because people’s thoughts are uncensored, this is where you really are telling the truth in a deep way that connects with all of human nature.

3. What are my character’s inner drives? Suppose your POV character is a vigilante. Just having him take the law into his own hands isn’t enough motivation for readers to fully connect with that character — even if he seems to be justified. You need to determine what drives him deep down inside, whether it’s to “protect the innocent from the scum of the earth” or — as in the case of Batman — to “avenge the brutal murder of his parents.” Readers can forgive a character nearly anything if they understand what drives him.

4. How does my character see herself? A character who sees herself as a helpless victim or hopeless loser will act very differently from the character who believes she’s smarter than others or deserves only the very best that life has to offer. That self-POV determines her actions and relationships. Remember: villains always see themselves as being right.

5. What words would my character use to describe what he sees? Imagine a spring morning in a park. A person mourning over a lost lover might notice the lilacs bending under the weight of the morning dew and think of them as “lugubrious.” A woman desperately longing for motherhood might focus on the apple tree, “pregnant with blossoms.” A man who has just had an argument with his wife over his whereabouts the previous evening might zero in on the ivy that’s “threatening to choke the life out of a tree.”

By exploiting POV, your story will engross your readers. They will become emotionally invested in your characters and will feel a personal stake in what happens to them. Your characters will come alive as real flesh-and-blood people — with strong inner lives that connect to your readers.

Diane O'Connell has been a New York publishing professional for 25 years and has worked as an editor at some of the top publishing houses, including Random House. Since forming Write to Sell Your Book, she has helped dozens of writers become published authors--including a first-time novelist who got a $500,000 two-book contract from Bantam after working with her. Diane is also the author of five traditionally published books, including the groundbreaking, critically acclaimed Divorced Dads: Shattering the Myths, which was the subject of a 20/20 report by John Stossel. Her mission is to help authors develop their talent and improve their skills so they can achieve their dreams of publication.

Diane is also a WOW! Women on Writing Classroom instructor. Her interactive workshop Mastering Point of View starts Monday, April 4th and is limited to 15 students, so make sure you reserve your spot today. Click here to sign up now!

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2 comments character development, Diane O’Connell, point of view, POV, WOW online classes, WOW Women On Writing Workshops and Classes, writing class

Don’t Get Caught Making These POV Violations, Guest Post by Diane O’Connell

Don’t Get Caught Making These POV Violations


We’ve all been there. You’re driving along in your car while listening to music and mentally going over your grocery list on your way to the supermarket. Next thing you know, a siren overpowers the sound of the radio and you find yourself being pulled over. You were speeding, and you weren’t even aware of it. It’s as easy for a writer to make a critical POV mistake as it is for a driver to drift over the speed limit, and these POV errors can compel an editor or agent to reject what may be an otherwise beautifully crafted story. Here is a list of the Top 10 POV-related mistakes to avoid:


1. Writing from the wrong POV

Oftentimes, an author will choose to write a 1st person narrative for a novel that needs the flexibility of 3rd person. The result is a novel that feels claustrophobic.

It’s also possible to choose the wrong character’s POV. Sometimes the “main” character isn’t the best person to narrate the story. Think how shallow The Great Gatsby would be if it were told from the POV of Jay Gatsby himself instead of Nick Carraway.

2. Using an omniscient narrator instead of a specific POV

This is the “God-like” POV, in which the narrator let’s us in on the thoughts of nearly every character. This style may have worked for the Victorian novelists, but is rarely used in contemporary literature.

3. Not letting POV color other elements of your story

If you’ve created intriguing characters, let them “tell it like they see it.” When characters put their spin on a scene, they pull the reader into their world the way a great storyteller holds an audience spellbound. Passages that aren’t appropriately filtered through a character’s POV will lay flat on the page.

4. Announcing the character’s thoughts

Real people don’t use “I thought,” when they think something, so don’t let your characters do that. You need to move seamlessly into and out of a character’s thoughts.

5. Relying on POV, and not much else

Having a well-crafted POV is important, but so are structure and plot. Don’t let POV overtake these, or your readers will feel like they are stuck with the narrator against their will.

6. Playing “brain billiards” with characters’ thoughts

That means hopping from one person’s mind to another within a scene. This can get really confusing for readers because they won’t know whose scene it is. It’s kind of like being at a party where everyone is talking over everyone else and you can’t follow the thread of any one conversation. This practice is also disorienting and takes the reader out of the “fictive dream” you’ve created.

7. Giving information the narrator can’t possibly know

When a story is told in first person and that character is sitting in a restaurant, she can’t describe to us what the character sitting behind her looks like. Furthermore, she can’t know another character’s past unless it was revealed to her within the text. So if you need these details to further the plot, let your character discover them.

8. Writing scenes with no POV, or from the POV of “they”

Reading a scene with no specific POV is like mounting a video camera on a tripod, setting it to wide angle, sticking it in the corner of a crowded room and then walking away. You end up with a jumble of activity in which you don’t know who to watch or what you should be focusing on. And worse, the result is just plain boring. Writers will sometimes try to cheat their way out of this by writing “They thought a retirement party would be a great send-off for their boss.” Who’s they? There is no “they,” because characters—and people for that matter—do not all have the same thoughts.
9. Using too many characters’ viewpoints

This not only muddles the plot and gets readers confused, but dilutes the main character’s experience. Ideally, limit your POV characters to the smallest number you can get away with and still tell your story effectively. Remember, POV is a choice made by you, the writer. Know why you think your readers need another POV. And know why you’re making the choice.

10. Mistaking your own voice for the voice of your protagonist
This is especially true if your protagonist’s life has some similarities to yours. You can end up writing a version of yourself that’s far more limiting, and inevitably less interesting, than your main character.

***

Diane O’Connell has been a New York publishing professional for 25 years and has worked as an editor at some of the top publishing houses, including Random House. Since forming Write to Sell Your Book, she has helped dozens of writers become published authors—including a first-time novelist who got a $500,000 two-book contract from Bantam after working with her. Diane is also the author of five traditionally published books, including the groundbreaking, critically acclaimed Divorced Dads: Shattering the Myths, which was the subject of a 20/20 report by John Stossel. Her mission is to help authors develop their talent and improve their skills so they can achieve their dreams of publication.


*** . Diane is also a WOW! Women on Writing Classroom instructor. Sign up for her online course, MASTERING POINT OF VIEW, which starts on Monday, January 10, 2011.  Early registration is recommended, so get your spot now!
 

***  For information on all of our current classes, please visit the WOW! Women On Writing Workshops & Classes page. WOW! classes are an excellent way to further develop your skills, or to try your hand at something completely new!

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2 comments Diane O’Connell, guest post, novel writing, online writing classes, point of view, POV, pov character, WOW Classes, writing class

Who Should Tell the Story: POV Strategies for Successful Storytelling

In Alan Haehnel's play Nora's Lost, Nora (the protagonist) suffers from Alzheimer's and wanders away from a nursing home. Her story is told by point-of-view characters, including a younger version of herself (pink and black scarf) and a younger version of her daughter (pink chiffon).

I'm not sure why Haehnel chose to use these point-of-view characters to share Nora's journey, but it works and creates a dramatic effect.

Think about your favorite stories. What's the POV? My favorite is The Great Gatsby, where a young and naive Nick moves into a cottage on Gatsby's property. We learn about the intense love affair between Nick's cousin Daisy and Jay Gatsby through Nick's eyes. And after Jay is killed by a crazed, jealous husband, we learn the deeper truths from Nick.

As storytellers, we choose through whose eyes readers view action and reaction. And, we decide if the protagonist or a point-of-view character earns the privilege of telling all. Can the protagonist be a POV character? Absolutely!

If you're in the planning stages, several exercises can help you determine who should be the storyteller. I have two tried and true methods that work.

1. Fracture it. One of my favorite classroom activities to try differing POV's is to fracture or retell a fairy tale (any story will work) by telling the it from a different character's viewpoint. A great example is The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka. In this version, Alexander T. Wolf explains what really happened when he met up with each of the piglets.
2. Send a letter. Assume the persona of a standout character from a memorable story and write a letter to a different character in the same book. What's changed? What would you say to that character if given the chance to ask? How does the character feel about the action that took place in the storyline? Any secrets worth sharing? You may be amazed at the insight!

Limiting the involvement of a POV character can cause a few problems in a manuscript. Most importantly, it prevents the reader from seeing a lot of the action as it occurs. Instead, readers learn about what's happened to the main character ONLY after the narrator discovers the truth.

But the benefits of keeping the two separate can aid storytelling. Storylines can continue, which is important if a tragedy befalls the main character. And, a POV character can reflect on what's happening, offering observations that the main character may have never shared or realized.

At the end of Nora's Lost, all POV characters swirl around the old woman as she struggles for her life, memories colliding with reality, strong will clashing with fragility. It's poignant and leaves an impression on the audience.

POV is a powerful storytelling technique that can make or break a piece of work. Who is telling your story?

Photo of O'N'eill St Mary's Drama Department production taken by LuAnn Schindler (who also directed the award-winning play)

by LuAnn Schindler. LuAnn also writes a column for WOW!s Premium Green and freelances for regional publications. Her work is available on her website, http://luannschindler.com/.

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1 comment Alan Haehnel, fractured fairy tales, LuAnn Schindler, Nora's Lost, point of view, point of view character, POV, pov character, protagonist, writing exercises

P.O.V.:The Magic of One, Two or Three

Three people. One event. Three points of view. All three vary because, face it, each person keys in on certain sensory details that stand out or appeal to them. Each person brings past experiences to the situation and formulates an opinion or perspective based on those elements.

The same principle surrounds point of view in storytelling. If you put insert-magical-number
characters in one scene, each views the action and reacts, based on individual instincts and quirks created by an author.

While some stories thrive from different points of view (and sometimes, alternating P.O.V. is a wonderfully successful plot device), many tales flounder because the writer hasn't investigated which perspective best fits or advances the storytelling.

Is there a magical formula that helps writers determine which point of view is best?

No.

But distinct advantages and disadvantages of first, second and third person storytelling do exist. Let's take a look at each viewpoint and weigh the pros and cons.

First Person: The I, me, my, we narrator. It's the participant viewpoint, although the narrative doesn't have to be from a major character.

Why It Works

• It's natural. It's how we converse.
• It focuses on the narrator's perspective.
• It establishes a distinct internal voice, especially with main characters.

How It Causes Problems

• It only tells one point of view.
• It doesn't show what other characters think or feel.
• It forces the narrator to always be present.

Second Person: The you narrator. Honestly, it seldom works. In my editing experience, I've never read a story told from this P.O.V. that didn't fall flat. That's not to say it won't work, but it's complicated.

Why It Works

• It's different. When the storytelling is spot on, it builds rapport with the reader.

How It Causes Problems

• It fails to establish a rhythm. And sometimes, it ends up sounding like a cluster of imperative sentences. Who wants to feel like they're being told what to do or believe?

Third Person: The she, he, they narrator. The most commonly used point of view, third person works so well because it feels like the reader and narrator share secrets. Readers become privy to information that the clueless characters don't understand. Now, you'll need to determine if an unlimited or limited presence works best.

Unlimited Omniscience uses any character to convey the story.

Why It Works

• It lets multiple characters tell the story.
• It keeps readers interested.
• It (usually) hastens the pace of the story.

How It Causes Problems

• It can be confusing to the reader, especially if too many characters are involved in telling the story.
• It can reduce the rhythm of prose.

Limited Omniscience shows the thoughts of only a few characters, and most often, one character's thoughts equal a single scene or chapter.

Why It Works

• It allows several characters to tell the story.
• It keeps readers interested.
• It picks up the pace.
• It lets the writer focus on one or two characters and delve into their motivation.

How It Causes Problems

• It eliminates problems of using unlimited omniscience for writers.

No matter what story a writer is telling, it's important that the point of view is consistent. Too many voices, too many shifts in thought, too many disadvantages = a piece of writing that's dead on paper.

P.O.V. is about the eye, not the I. And that's the magic of one, two or three.

by LuAnn Schindler. LuAnn is a freelance writer and columnist. Read more of her work at http://luannschindler.com/.

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4 comments creating rhythm, first person, LuAnn Schindler, narrator, point of view, POV, second person, storytelling, third person