That's when I realized POV isn't a matter of style or voice.
The story dictates how it wants to be told.
I love how the "rules" on first/third
person are changing. I've seen novels with the protagonist in first person and
the other POV characters in third person. What truly matters is a well-written
story that's mesmerizing.
The best story is
intimate
Deep POV can be as nearly intimate as first person. That's
because deep POV means more than simply showing the scene from that character's
perspective. It means staying completely
true to his/her view of everything.
You can't slip and tell something the character can't possibly know.
Nor can you write a scene in a manner untrue to the POV character's
personality or backstory.
What does that
mean? It means not showing other characters as they truly are, but only as the
POV character thinks they are. If your
protagonist, we'll call her Nancy, had a run-in with a bully in the 1st
grade, and this bully was a brown-eyed blonde named Julie, then Nancy is going
to have a natural aversion to any
brown-eyed blonde named Julie. Instant conflict, especially if your character
Julie is a sweet woman who only wants to be friends.
It also means staying true to only what the POV character's
knowledge. Whether you're writing historical or contemporary, resist imparting any
information the character wouldn't or couldn't possibly know. In historical
writing, that would also mean the words they used.
One of my critique partners used a word I thought was too
modern for her character. I looked it up in the etymology dictionary and
discovered the word had its origin about 10 years prior to the story. BUT ...
did that mean the character would know it? This was 1838. No Internet or
Google. However, the character's father was an educator, so I realized she
could very well have known the word. I didn't suggest a change.
One of the best books I've ever read for
staying true to the character's knowledge is Jessica Dotta's Born of Persuasion. Written in first
person, Dotta stays true to her protagonist's worldview. She never tells the
reader anything the protagonist doesn't know, so through much of the novel, the
reader isn't always sure who some of the characters really are.
There's mystery attached, simply by resisting the urge to
let the reader know what's really happening. It brings your reader totally
inside the POV character's head, allowing the reader to experience the novel,
not merely read it.
And isn't that the goal? Hey, nobody ever said writing a
novel is easy. Being an author ain't for wimps.
Being the bona fide rebel of the group, I totally agree with the story must tell itself and to its own self be true. Dictating how a story must be told, what types of words (adverbs! passive verbs!) must not be used, etcetera, are what can make literature formulaic and/or boring. Lacking authenticity in historicals is a pet peeve of true history buffs from the correct language/words of the day to the types of structures so those features must prove accurate. POV is just another one of those items which brings a story to life in different forms. Good post, Ane.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nicole. When I was a new writer, I adhered to all those "rules" until I learned the basics of good writing. Then I threw the rulebook out. LOL But I continue to learn new things all the time. Those little nuances that make the work more intimate, the characters more real, and the setting come alive. It's an ongoing journey, that's for sure! :)
ReplyDeleteMy current WIP is in first person. It's a challenge but I'm enjoying it. Just sent the first three chapters off to an agent. Here's hoping. :)
ReplyDeleteMarcia, I've got my fingers, toes, and eyes crossed for you. ;o)
DeleteI'm writing 3rd person for my current WIP. My dilemna is knowing which characters get a POV. In a romance, of course, both hero and heroine do. But in other genres, it's not so easy. I suppose that instinct comes with experience, which also helps in creating distinct voices for each character. No small task, especially when writing in 3rd person.
ReplyDeleteRon, in other genres, the antagonist could have one, but really it's the characters with the most to lose get one. I'd stick to no more than 3 though. Too many gets difficult to keep their voices different enough, although some people can do it. :) Francine Rivers had 7 or 8 in one of her books.
DeleteI so totally agree that the story should dictate whether it is told in first or third person. Sometimes we get so hung up on style constraints or issues, we forget that it all starts with story. I've enjoyed some recent books that have the protagonist portrayed in first person and the rest of the cast in third, but I don't think I would like to see that in all the books I read. Again, it depends on the story.
ReplyDelete