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Post by WriterGirl on Aug 7, 2014 23:29:31 GMT 10
I am guilty of doing this... and I've had some conflicting views on this aspect of my book.
So... how do you feel about multiple narrators? How many is too many? Should they all be the same POV or can you use multiple? (For instance, one of my narrators is in first and the other in third).
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tdriley
New Member
Posts: 6 
Publication history: 'Dear Daddy' - USC Anthology: Kaleidoscope
Several Sketches for Delirium Comedy Group
Genre of Choice: Fantasy/Sci Fi
A most loved book: All of them.
A most loved author: George Martin, George Orwell, Joe Abercrombie
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Post by tdriley on Aug 12, 2014 10:44:03 GMT 10
My fantasy novel has about 7 PoV characters, with dedicated chapters from an 3rd person view. My sci-fi has one from first person. I think too many would be more characters than the story needs to be told. To be vague.
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Post by WriterGirl on Aug 12, 2014 11:26:55 GMT 10
How do you find GoT? That has a LOT of character POV's, though they're all from 3rd perspective.
How do you feel about mixing up with 3rd and 1st?
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tdriley
New Member
Posts: 6
Publication history: 'Dear Daddy' - USC Anthology: Kaleidoscope
Several Sketches for Delirium Comedy Group
Genre of Choice: Fantasy/Sci Fi
A most loved book: All of them.
A most loved author: George Martin, George Orwell, Joe Abercrombie
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Post by tdriley on Aug 12, 2014 20:12:31 GMT 10
ASoIaF (GoT) is great because it has in excess of 7 per novel, with new character being added each novel (and some taken out through various... happy... non-lethal causes). It allows good ol' George to express dramatic irony efficiently and cleverly, while giving a dramatic soap-opera-esque feel
I wouldn't use more than one PoV from 1st person. 3rd person, however, lends itself easily to several characters.
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Post by WriterGirl on Aug 12, 2014 21:48:38 GMT 10
I use one 1st and up to four 3rd narrators (though three of those 3rds are once chapter each that I call 'interludes')
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Post by Amiz on Aug 13, 2014 11:06:10 GMT 10
I don't have a problem with multiple narrators, as long as their is not too many to keep track off and there is a relevance to seeing their point of view.
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natlockholmes
New Member
"Elementary," said he.
Posts: 16 
Publication history: ‘Bower’ in Showcase, July 2012; ‘Fold’ in in.tense, October 2012; ‘Dustflakes’ in Writing from Below, December 2013; ‘Take me swimming’ in Ricochet Magazine, May 2014; ‘All Talk and No Trousers’ in Social Alternatives (pending).
Preferred Field of Writing: Short Stories
A most loved book: is often found on my bookshelf or in my Kindle.
A most loved author: is within you.
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Post by natlockholmes on Aug 31, 2014 10:37:52 GMT 10
I am guilty of doing this... ... but there's nothing to be guilty of. Multiple POVs is a commonly-used (if not overused) technique, and as a result, I feel indifferent about it. Writers such as Virginia Woolf demonstrate you can use as many perspectives/narrators as you like if you can manage it. I think the key to managing it is to keep each voice you're using distinct, and if you're feeling particularly insecure about your ability to do that, you could always signal to the reader the narrator has changed, a la Sonya Hartnett's Surrender.From experience you can do whatever you like when writing as long as what you do is justifiable and has a purpose. |
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