First, we have a contest winner! Gail Donovan chose Gillian B as the winner of her book, Sparrow Always. Congrats, Gillian!!! You can contact Julia at juliaspencerfleming at gmail dot com to connect with Gail!!!
JENN McKINLAY: I recently did a summer reading event at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore with the fabulous authors Christina Estes and Allison Brennan. We talked about our upcoming books (naturally) but also what we're reading. You can watch the chat here:
Poisoned Pen Summer Reading Reccomendations
During the Q&A portion following our chat, a male reader asked how we felt about multiple points of view (not one or two but MULTIPLE) in novels. Did we use them? How did we manage it? And while Allison, is currently writing a book with something like nine points of view, I don't think I've ever attempted more than two. But the conversation did get me wondering if I could write more than one or two and how would that look. I have no idea. I'm still wrapping my head around it.
So I turn to you, Reds, to ask what’s the most POVs you’ve ever written? How did you manage it? And do you enjoy multiple POV as a reader?
HALLIE EPHRON: the most I’ve done is 2 viewpoints. And not until I was several books in and felt confident managing one.
I’m reading a book now with 5 viewpoints and multiple timelines and nearly gave up several times when it felt as if I had to take notes to keep the characters and events straight. Make it hard to follow the narrative and you risk losing readers.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I love love love multiple POVs (when they work) and “when they work” means I have no trouble keeping track of the people or the situation AND that they propel the story forward instead of slowing it down. I love the dramatic irony it provides when the reader knows something the character doesn't.
Two seems logical for me, and many of my books have two. (Not the current one though, or the new one. Or the one after that. Hmmm.)
I think multiple PV in multiple timelines is a juggle only for the most proficient. (The Time Traveler's Daughter, yikes, but SO good!)
Bottom line, I'm realizing that if the author can pull it off, it can be terrific. Interesting that on TV or in movies, it’s usually no problem. Because we can see the character and the setting, and don't have to imagine it or figure it out.
I’m starting a book now that has five. We shall see.
RHYS BOWEN: I quite enjoy both reading and writing multiple points of view. In Farleigh Field had 5 I believe. But as Hank says it has to be done well or it’s jarring to be snatched back and forth, or, worse still, not know which time period we are in ( I’ve read a few of those)
LUCY BURDETTE: Most of my books have been in first person with one point of view. My break from that came with the suspense standalone, UNSAFE HAVEN. In that book I used three POV in third person, with occasional short chapters from the bad guy. (My agent hated those chapters so I cut them down!) It’s funny to me that I had to go back and browse through the book to remember what I did.
I don’t like the whiplash of being jerked around from character to character if the writing isn’t done well, but it can surely be effective. I’m reading HEARTWOOD by Amity Gaige right now–it has several POV written in different ways, plus some press releases and diary entries. It took a few chapters to get into it, and I strongly prefer one of the characters, but it’s quite gripping. Have you all read this one?
DEBORAH CROMBIE: I’ve always used multiple viewpoints, and I’d pull my hair out if I had to look back through in all my books and count them. Suffice to say, I think the book-in-progress has eight so far. Of course, Gemma and Duncan are the main POVs, but I love using multiples to show the readers the things that they can’t see. And to develop the other primary characters, like Kit, Melody, and Doug.
Oops, I just thought of two I left out, so make that ten viewpoints! I hope they won’t be too hard for the reader to follow.
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Count me in on the multiple POV side! I only used two for my debut novel - the hero and heroine - but I quickly got hooked on the storytelling delights of switching narrators. Since Debs and I compared ourselves last week when talking about branding, let me continue the comparison.
We both write about communities with many members the readers have come to know and love, and our mysteries usually involve a relatively wide geographic area, with lots of different sorts of people who have specialized knowledge. In Debs’ case, it might be a pub keeper, in mine a worker at a dairy parlor. This is exactly the sort of fiction that calls for multiple POVs. Which means when you have ten or eight narrating characters, it seems natural, and not a gimmick the author is using to create suspense.
Yes, I enjoy multiple points of view in a story IF the story makes sense and isn't confusing with those various points of view . . . .
ReplyDeleteYes, I CAN enjoy multiple POV. But like others said, it needs to make sense in the book and is not jarring. All those POV certainly works for DEBS and JULIA.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading multiple POVs when well-written, as discussed. I was first aware of reading them when I read The Poisonwood Bible in about 1999, although it took me a few chapters to get into the swing of it. Kingsolver did a great job of keeping the narrating voices distinct.
ReplyDeleteI think multiple POVs are a lot harder to write well. I've tried twice and am not sure I pulled it off.
I will say there have been times when I have been annoyed by all the switching back and forth. Or when it feels like you are going back to pick up a different person’s point of view and covering the same ground again and again.
ReplyDeleteOnly if the multiple POVs are done well. Otherwise, it's a hot mess with fourteen different characters and my scribbled character list inside the back cover. Ann Cleeves, yes! Other authors, no.
ReplyDeleteAs long as it keeps the story flowing, multiple POV is good, but if it takes you out of the story, that is not good.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Dru.
DeleteJulia and Debs, you both have the multiple POV thing mastered. However, I've been known to give up on books with too many characters and storylines. I tend to latch onto one or two that I care about and get frustrated when I have to wade through chapters about others. There was one book (no, not going to give a title or author's name) that was beautifully written and won some major awards, but there were so many subplots and POVs... I started skimming ahead to find the next chapter about the one I wanted to follow. Eventually, I gave up and never completed the book.
ReplyDeleteAs for my own writing, I mostly do two POVs, although I've started toying with adding a third.
Yay I'm a winner! Wooo HOOO! Thanks Gail!
ReplyDeleteI do like multiple POVs if the sections aren't too short. If it's couple of paragraphs, then a change of POV, a page and another change, I feel some whiplash. I think Louise Penny does it very well, as do Jullia and Debs. I have to say George RR Martin's series (which I read all of) had me giving up on trying to remember all the threads of the story and characters--so many POVs! Perhaps the TV version was easier to follow?
I can get bored with one point of view and confused with many. I personally write with two. But when it seems natural -- rather than a game or a puzzle -- books with multiple points of view often become my favorites.
ReplyDeleteI do when it's done well. It can really add something to the story and keep things interesting. I like getting both sides and especially when used in a mystery/suspense/thriller you can bet at least one side isn't telling the whole truth. On the other hand, I have read a few where the author didn't do a great job of differentiating the change and which character is now taking over, or where multiple POVs didn't really make a difference to the story or muddled the plot.
ReplyDeleteI love stories told in first person. (Georgie, Scarlet, yes!) But I love Debs' style, too. For romance, two POV's work great!
ReplyDeleteIf by POV you mean switching characters or times in different chapters, I find it difficult. The reason is because I get interested in the chapter with a new character and then suddenly next chapter or two I switched back to another character.
ReplyDeleteEdith named the first multiple POV novel that came to my mind, the ingenious Poisonwood Bible. Four distinct voices, telling the same story, so differently.
ReplyDeleteAnother good example is Three Junes by Julia Glass, which weaves together a family saga told by three individuals across three continents and multiple generations. Distinctly different voices make the story so riveting.