Alternating points of view (POV) is a difficult technique to master,
so the question is, when you can tell the story from one perfectly valid point
of view, why should a writer make life more difficult by introducing alternating
POVs? One advantage of multiple points of view is that it is a unique approach
which can reveal variety, depth and deception in relationships; it’s also
useful for slipping in information you want your reader to know.
Another strength in the use of alternating points of
view is that it allows the reader to have a varied experience of the story. When
a writer uses the first person POV, it is unavoidable that the narrator’s bias
will colour their version of events. Having more than one narrator always
gives a fuller picture. A writer might choose to use an unreliable narrator,
and want the reader to have other accounts to match against the first one.
The challenge for the writer is to create characters with
distinct voices (readers can tell if the voices are too similar) who can hold
your readers’ attention equally - otherwise interest can be lost when it’s the
turn of someone’s less favourite narrator.
When the narrator changes from one character to
another, it can be a bit of a shock. One way to offset this is
to give the name of the speaker at the beginning of each chapter. Although this may seem too obvious or clunky a ploy, at least it’s clear who is speaking. And
the goal is to keep your reader interested, not leave them with their heads
spinning!
One example of how to use alternating points of view is Jodi
Picault’s novel My Sister’s Keeper; another
is Brando Skyhorse’s Madonnas of Echo
Park. If you’re thinking of using this technique, I’d advise giving both of
these books a read, as they are master classes in how to handle multiple POV’s
with ease and clarity.
Writing
Update
Buzzing and fevered is how I would describe myself
right now. I’ve used half the month’s adrenaline
supply in one morning, and ...yes, you’ve guessed right (or you will have if
you’ve ever attempted it) it’s nanotime!
I printed out my chapter outline – twenty five
chapters, four to six lines per chapter - so it’s not a detailed description, but I
know what events and emotions I want in each chapter. I carry this with me
everywhere.
When I finish one chapter, I start going over the next
one, expanding the details, and jotting down anything relevant which comes to
mind. Last night, every time I went to switch the light off,
another snippet of conversation or element of a scene popped into my mind. I
think I wrote about three pages of notes before I finally went to sleep.
The last few months of editing have felt like running
on a treadmill – lots of hard work and going nowhere – although I’ll admit the
calories did come off - so participating in the NaNoWriMo is proving to be an excellent remedy.
Today’s Haiku
AUTUMN BUS
tired travellers
vacant eyes – street lights
pass by
reflecting gold
Useful Links:
Check out this great new
website:
I’m leaving this link up
during November for anyone who wants to check out the NaNoWriMo:
http://nanowrimo.org/
Join me on Twitter at: teagankearney@modhaiku
To all story lovers out there, good reading, and to
those of you who write, good writing.
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