Anyone who has ever worked with me knows that
I am a POV purist—one point of view per scene. Some may argue that there are bestsellers
on the market today that do not stick to this rule. Harry Potter, The
Chronicles of Narnia—these use multiple POVs in the same scene. My answer to
that is that these writers have a firm control and strong execution of POV so
they can do what they want with it, and do it effectively. Their character
POVs don’t flop around willy-nilly. Each switch happens with precision and for
good purpose. Each character’s voice is distinctive and able to draw us into
that character’s perspective—into their head.
New writers should
learn POV technique, learn to control it, and learn to wield it with experience
before trying to play around with different ways of using it. In the same way,
a basketball player will first become proficient at making baskets before
trying fancy moves with the backboard or bouncing the ball off someone’s head
to make a basket. A pianist must learn to play the piano proficiently before
tackling Mozart. A stunt cyclist learns to ride a bike before he begins
flipping off buildings. If you try variations on the basic technique before you
have even mastered the technique, it usually won’t work and will have your
readers screaming, “head-hopping!”
There is no reason to avoid the one-POV-per-scene rule. It helps you immerse the reader fully into that one character for his or her scene, letting readers experience the world through his/her eyes. Readers want to connect deeply with your character as if they are living the story themselves. When you avoid tossing the reader around among several characters like a hot potato, they can let their guard down and sink into the character. Then when you have a need to switch, add a scene change and your reader will follow. She will also appreciate the warning.
A favorite book of mine that does a wonderful job of POV control is The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards. Edwards wrote her book using multiple POV’s, but uses quick scene changes to show us both perspectives. Each character has his/her spot in the emotional spotlight for each event, but each POV section is separated by back and forth scene swaps. Sometimes they are only a paragraph long and there are several per page. Readers always know when the change is happening because of the line breaks and faithfully follow.
The Memory Keeper’s
Daughter is a powerful
and moving story about a couple falling out of love after a tragedy during
childbirth. We the reader know how each truly feels, although the characters
can’t bring themselves to confide in each other. And so we must watch them
drift apart when we know that either one of them could save their relationship
if they only had the courage to open up.
Another reason I
preach POV purity is for reader intimacy. Each jolt caused by an unexpected
swap pulls the reader away from the story. Each bit of distance wedged between
the reader and the story keeps them from connecting with and emphasizing with
the character. Enough jolts and your reader loses faith in you and stops trying
to connect with your character. Then you have to work that much harder to gain
them back.
And don’t even get
me started on multiple first-person POVs!
Guest Blogger Bio
Catherine is the owner
and an editor at Critiquemynovel.com. She has written one novel and has a
writing help book on the drawing board. She is an Army veteran who went back to
school after eight years in the Army and rediscovered her passion for the
written word.
Website: http://critiquemynovel.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/proofing
LinkedIn: http://lnkd.in/N9JyHJ
