The New Hobbit Hole

[Snake65]

Sorry to break in on this but good use of POV really makes or breaks a story. You're right to do a lot of thinking about it. What might help you decide is to consider making the viewpoint character the one who has the most at stake/most to gain or lose (emotionally, physically, whatever) in the scene you're writing.

[JenB]

Like I said, if you want opinions, encouragement, or just to know that someone else has read the thing...

Ok, so I'm procrastinating on my own thing.

[JenB]

You know, I've found that to be very true. Usually I write in first-person female POV. For some reason with the story I'm writing now, it's third-person limited omniscence, and a male character. It makes things... interesting, to say the least, and I'm pleasantly surprised how well it's going for me.

[Overtaxed]

It's just that I'm used to writing shor short children's stories. If I write stories with two or more viewpoint characters, alarm bells start going offf! :)

[HairOfTheDog]

Hullo! Cleaning is the word of the day here too.

Tip. Don't buy the cheapest keyboard they have. I bought a new one less than a month ago because I thought my old one was getting sticky, and the new one just failed. $10 keyboards are not a good deal. It makes a difference, I guess! Guess I should have ordered a new one from Dell.

Back to the old one now, but wiser than I was!

[RosieCotton]

I'm about 1500 words short of my quota (didn't write yesterday, but I'm caught up and starting on today). However, I'm not at one of the most critical parts of the story and am almost afraid of tackling it for fear I won't get it right, since so much of the rest of the story depends on it. It involves interpretation of the writing on the stones, and since the message has to be divided up between the four of 'em, it's tricky, to say the least.

[Overtaxed]

or just to know that someone else has read the thing...

But, but....words have power, you know. If anyone should read This Thing something, anything might happen to them. And as you know it's Crap, that anything will surely be evil. :)

[JenB]

Heh. I once wrote a story with... well, it was a serial, and it started with one viewpoint, grew to six, and then shrunk to two and an occasional omniscient. Of course I was fifteen at the time and didn't know any better.

[JenB]

Hey, I'm writing crap, and it's fun. And I promise I won't let it hurt me. I have my lucky word-processor running right now!

[Overtaxed]

In other news....it's a bit warmish here....high of 70....so I have the patio door open halfway. It seems the squirrels object to my whistle....hehehehe.....

[Snake65]

I've only recently started using multiple viewpoints in my work. Everything up to now I've kept tight within the scope of a single POV...if the character doesn't know or see something, neither does the audience. I figure that helps them build sympathy with my character.

Obviously, there's no right or wrong answer, it's what you are comfortable with and think will tell the story best.

[Snake65]

That's smart. My aunt writes children's stories. She's had two published...but she writes really slowly, only does a book about every four years.

[JenB]

Yes, the writer I most despise has a tendency to use waaayy too many viewpoints (Robert Jordan) and I think that soured me on the whole thing. Then again, in SF and fantasy, multiple POVs seem to be more common than in other genres. I think it's because the stories are bigger - "writ larger"?

[Overtaxed]

The only problem is, or rather was, that I didn't have time enough to write and do market research. But at least no one said "give it up, you'll never make it."

[Snake65]

There are some sloppy fantasy writers out there. It doesn't seem like he's doing it, but Tolkien tells the Lord of the Rings through the hobbits eyes, really (there are a few exceptions, like you see what happens in front of the black gate even though Pippin is under a troll at that point). Clever old cuss, that JRR.

[RosieCotton]

I once wrote a story with... well, it was a serial, and it started with one viewpoint, grew to six, and then shrunk to two and an occasional omniscient. Of course I was fifteen at the time and didn't know any better.

Well...I'm doing four viewpoints, in a way, and at 26 I guess I should know better. ;-) But I LIKE my characters, and I think it will work. And I'm not doing first person. Multiple first person viewpoints really get on my nerves, unless done very well.

[Overtaxed]

It's my understanding that you can get away with multiple viewpoints in a longer piece. Your main character isn't going to be everywhere.

[JenB]

Err... that's what I did in the story in question. It is really confusing: I labelled each person's section in order to keep them straight myself!

Now one writer who's good with multiple POVs - though all third person - is George RR Martin. His "Song of Ice and Fire" series has about eight different POVs, mostly well done.

[JenB]

Your main character isn't going to be everywhere.

In the case of my current story, that may not be quite true! But you are right about that. I think it depends on your skill as author.

[Snake65]

So what are the stories about (don't tell if you think it'll jinx you)?