Point of view in any work is the author's call. I believe this. When we put pen to paper or finger to keyboard, we KNOW what person POV we want to use.
There is STILL a big discussion about headhopping. To me, headhopping is switching almost incessantly back and forth. Did John say that? No, I think it was Tina. THAT drives me up the wall.
But I ENJOY having both perspectives. I want to know what the hero is thinking, also. It doesn't make the work shallow for me, it adds depth. I'm sure we've all heard that Nora headhops. And that used to be BIG in the seventies/eighties. And now, editors and publishers are trying to narrow down the POV to one character. To this, I say bullsh*t. I've read quite a few bestsellers lately, and this hasn't changed. Sorry about that.
Chick Lit consistently stays in one person's head for the simple point that it's egocentric. I'm not saying bad. Do NOT send me emails. LMAO
I'm saying egocentric. It IS all about the character. And that's how it's marketed.
But romance? It's about two people. At the very heart, two people. And I like to know what ol' boy is thinking every once in awhile. God knows I can't read men's minds in the real world. Throw me a bone. *grinning* So will I change what I write to ONE person's point of view? No. I won't. I'll stick to my guns. And if you're opinion differs, that's fine. I respect that. But you won't change my mine.
Grins*
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5 comments:
I agree! A little is good, makes a story well rounded. But too much can kill momentum! I think the more recent instalments of the (non romance) Kay Scarpetta books by P. Cornwell drove me crazy! Way too much, you're in the POV of (mental tally) seven people? Every new chapter became "Okay, who am I now?"
I felt the same when recntly reading Chocolat by J. Harris, but not for the excessive POV but that you often had to read over 3 paragraphs before you could figure out who was talking! I like reading to be easy, not a cypher. Unless it's a mystery, but that's different. It's best to announce in the first few sentences who is talking to avoid frustraing your reader (okay, Me. don't frustrate me.)
you talk about Nora a lot...i'll have to read something of hers so I can keep up.
Blogger's homework.
Lyvvie: Start with the "Three Sisters" trilogy. It is awesome. Hope you find some good ones.
And I agree. TOO much is AWFUL. I'm wondering who I am. Who's talking. And what in the hell happened to the plot?
Grins*
I stay with two POV's only: his and hers. I recently read a book where the author used 5 or 6 POV's, some of them only for a page or two. Personally, I thought it weakened the story. Jo Beverly does a nice job of sticking with only two POV's and yet getting a grip on secondary characters (does that make sense?). Head hopping drives me nuts. I haven't read Nora (will my RWA membership be revoked) but I did read JD Robb and yes, there is head hopping, but it is a technique for her rather than sloppy writing.
Kel: Very succinctly put. You have a good weekend, too.
Rene: YES! Perfect sense and nicely put. I like the fact that you use the term "technique." THAT puts it all in perspective. It's not a cop out. It's a device.
Grins*
I like changing POV only after a significant amount of time in one character's head, then with a smooth transition that makes it clear we've changed POV. Doing it too soon makes the story jerky and hard to keep up with,IMO.
And I LIKE writing from a hero's POV. Because let's face it, whenever you ask a man what he's thinking, it's always "nothing" which is impossible. In fiction wirting, we ALWAYS find out sooner or later what the boy's thinking.
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