Perspectives... but different. - Writers Forum

Fantasia · 09-25-2003, 09:17 AM

Lily, I hope you don't think I'm stealing your topic. It's different, I promise.

I don't know if this has been brought up, but I'm at a bit of an impasse (actually, I always am, just that there are some impasses I give more thought to. X'D).

I've recently read from one of my favorite authors' introductions that when she first set out to have her book published, the primary complaint of the publishers was that she had too many points of view going in her story. They were properly segmented, of course, not overlapping each other in one scene, but the publishers found her work unworthy of publishing because of it. In the same line, I've read reviews for perfectly good books that said they hated that there were too many points of view in a book. So indeed, the general consensus seems to be that an author must limit his/her point of view to one, or at the most two, points of view in a story. (The publishers seem to think so!)

Yet there's Stephen King and Neil Gaiman and Louisa May Alcott (!!!) who takes the points of view of several characters and crams them into one story.

There's more. Sticking to one perspective in a segment, I've come to accept. Perhaps it makes for better writing after all, yet I've found several published authors who disregard this rule altogether. Thoughts and feelings would overlap in one scene. Know what I mean? Those sudden shifts?

I couldn't understand. I'm so confuzzled...

Lily · 09-25-2003, 10:16 AM

Fantasia- if you were stealing my topic, I'd have no problem with it anyway, but you aren't, so no worries!

I think it takes a lot of thought and effort to be able to manage several perspectives. Also, it really depends on what kind of a story you're writing. For some stories you need several perspectives (like the one I'm writing that was aptly described by someone as 'big and sprawling'), but for others, you only need one, and to have several perspectives would be cumbersome.

I hope that helped

JenJoyful · 09-25-2003, 10:52 AM

I think there are definitely situations that call for you having more than one perspective, even within the same segment. If you can juggle multiple perspectives well, then I don't see any reason not to.

No doubt the complaints arise from writers not handling multiple perspectives properly and not because it's a faux pas to do that.

Willyshakespeare · 09-25-2003, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fantasia

So indeed, the general consensus seems to be that an author must limit his/her point of view to one, or at the most two, points of view in a story.

The allowable number of perspectives likely varies a bit based on genre. In my genre, mystery/suspense, you can have 4-5 perspectives in a novel.

HisNibs · 10-12-2003, 01:04 PM

I think such questions always, always, always go back to the reader: How would introducing a new viewpoint serve the reader (or serve the story in a way that serves the reader)? To me, that's an advanced question. Faulkner's changing viewpoints in "As I Lay Dying" are (to me, as a reader) interesting, but I couldn't pull that off as a writer. So, my own rule of thumb is: If I'm unable to state a good reason for introducing a new viewpoint -- a reason that speaks to the reader's interests -- don't do it. Keep it "simple." Some of the greatest novels ever written have a single viewpoint.

Capulet · 10-12-2003, 03:01 PM

I think it also comes down to your end goal. If you are being told that a story won't get published if it has too many points of view, and your goal is to get published, then bow to the publishers for a while. High profile writers get away with it because they're high profile writers.

Tow the line for a while, get some clout, then make them publish what YOU want!!! MUAHAHAHAHHAHAH!!!

HisNibs · 10-24-2003, 04:28 PM

Fantasia, you might check out a book by Orson Scott Card called "Characters & Viewpoint." Although it's mainly about character, he devotes several chapters to viewpoint.

Whende · 09-03-2005, 12:17 AM

The fourth book in the series I'm writing has two points of view. This is for a very good reason though. The points of view changed only at the beginning of new chapters and stay that way all the way through.

If I didn't have the other point of view, the story would not make sense.

Kane · 09-03-2005, 12:24 AM

Whende!!!! These topics are two years old! Why don't you start a new thread or something? You are trying to join conversations that ended years ago. I wouldn't care except that I keep seeing all these new posts and I have to check them all to find out if they are new or not.