Friday, February 5, 2010

point of view

I am in the middle of my novel, and currently using third person (multiple points of view) and I realized I chose this point of view, this style, how did I choose it? Because it felt perfect for the story. However I wondered if in the next book or genre I worked on would I change to possibly first person? Does one change? It just got me wondering what others did in a situation like this...

How do you determine what point of view your going to write? Do you ever change your mind through your story, or for multiple books?

Sorry for the short post, I am currently reading A bump in the road and I am almost finished, not to mention that I have a ton of work to do at my day job, and will be working on my WIP this evening, so I hope to have time to comment on everyone's posts!!!

Also this is the last day for my 100 follower contest!!! I have a link to it on my sidebar!!! Sign up!!! :)

Happy Friday Everyone!!!

20 comments:

Summer Frey said...

Oh, definitely. I played around with POV with my WIP until I settled on 2 narrators: a first person and a 3rd limited. That's just how it needed to be in order to tell the story in the best way.

Unknown said...

Hi Jen~ Deciding who will tell the story, whose voice feels right, is one of my favorite aspects of a project. I listened to a fascinating interview of Alice Sebold on NPR, when her book The Almost Moon was hitting bookstores. (It's funny; I just finished this book and find myself constantly talking about it!) Sebold said she wrote the entire manuscript three times: once from the point of view of Helen Knightly, once from the POV of Claire, and once from the POV of Jake. She said Helen's voice resonated the loudest for her, so that's the POV she ended up going with.

It's a great exercise, to rewrite a scene or story from another point-of-view. The tone and voice changes dramatically as each character brings his perceptions and emotional state to the narration.

I love this topic. Thanks for blogging about it!

Anissa said...

I agree with Nicole. Find the one that feels best for the story at hand. My current WIP is in 1st, but I'm feeling a 3rd person story building itself somewhere in my brain. :)

Rebecca Nazar said...

Most markets I submit to only consider third-person, so the choice is made for me. Because I write short stories, switching POV is a big no no. The space is too tight for such a sift. My hands are tied, but in a good way.

Carolyn V. said...

I love writing in 1st person. It draws the reader in quickly and they identify with it, plus I write YA and was told teens love the 1st person. Let's hope so. =)

Kristi Faith said...

I hate first person, but am trying it on for size right now in my current WIP. I usually like the freedom of third person to explore the other characters in relation to my main character

Aubrie said...

My first novel had two many POV, and then for my second one I tried one pov but I found that too limiting. That's just me, though.

Rosaria Williams said...

I don't have a lot of experience changing point of view. I prefer reading and writing in first person. It feels intimate and yes, prejudicial too. But, I tend to suspend disbelief faster this way.

Ann Elle Altman said...

Ultimately the choice is yours but you can always re-write your first chapter in the various POV to see what you feel fits the story best.

ann

Unknown said...

Nicole I think that is amazing! I never knew that she tried it in several points of view! How exciting!!!

The novel I am working on works best in third person, however I do have another one in the works and I believe that first person will work more efficiently!!!

I love to hear what everyone else chose, and how they come to their conclusion!

Natalie Murphy said...

Hmm, no I don't tend to play around with my POV's all that much. I write romance, so I always have the Hero's and Heronine's POV. When it comes to which to use during a specific scene, I seem to just know.

Shannon O'Donnell said...

I actually wrote my current chapter book from two different points of view and then had some crit. readers choose which was better. It was unanimous for third person. :)

Kimberly Franklin said...

I'm a first person, type of person. But, I struggle with trying to figure out how many first person POVs I want to have. I pretty much suck at making decisions, period.

Good luck on your WIP!

Katie Ganshert said...

I wrote an entire manuscript in first person, then changed it to third. I think my natural voice is strongest in first though. All four of my books are in 3rd, but I think I have a really good 1st person book inside me. :)

Unknown said...

This is soooo what is on my mind right now! I am beginning a new novel and as I am writing the first chapter, I keep changing my mind. First, no third... no, first.... no, third...

I am hoping that before I get too much further, the story will let me know in which voice it needs to be told.

*Looks sternly at WIP*

Sherrinda Ketchersid said...

I love third person because I love to read what is in the hero's heart. I love knowing his thoughts and feelings for the heroine. You don't get that with first person. :)

Bish Denham said...

Somehow POV and tense present themselves right from the get-go. Upon occasion I have taken the first chapter and rewritten it in another POV or tense to see how it sounds/feels. But it rarely causes me to change my mind about I started with.

Alex Adams said...

I love third, but for some reason most of what I write demands to be told in first. And, more vexing, my latest insists on present tense.

The piece always dictates the POV for me, and if I try to steer away from that it quickly falls flat on the page. I think we writers tend to over think(a hazard of our species!) instead of just going with our guts.

Julie S said...

I think it's really neat when the author changes the point of view in the story.

Amanda said...

I do this completely organically. When a book or story idea comes to me, I feel through it until I feel the way it should be told. Normally I write either third person limited or first person, but it depends on the book/story.