How Many Points of View?

Yzabel / September 13, 2005

I know, I know, I should stop thinking so much… I simply happen to very often ponder writing matters, these days. This time, I found myself wondering about points of views in stories. There are many questions attached to these, after all, and it’s not always easy to know how to write, and at what moment.I’m not sure whether first person or third person is better to tell a story; it probably heavily depends on the story itself, and on the author’s ability to use them to their full efficiency. For instance, I know that instinctively, I tend to use the third person one from my character’s perspective, rather than its omniscient version (it’ll happen, of course—just not that often).One thing I’ve learnt, is that the point of view shouldn’t change too abruptly, else the reader may feel confused. I now know not change the point of view in a same scene or, worse, in a same paragraph—and I know to draw a blank between two scenes in a same chapter to mark the change of POV. Believe me, I was a champion at mixing them in a same paragraph, a few years ago, and looking back to what I was writing then, I just find it awful now.From there arose yet another question: when is too many too many? Is a novel better if it’s told from one point of view only? If the story is seen through four or five protagonists, is it a problem in itself, or can it allow much freedom to the author, by letting room for several events to happen at the same time, as long as it’s properly masterized? What would be an appropriate amount of points of view? One? Two? Five? Is more than that even acceptable?Today’s post holds many more questions than answers… Perhaps because there are just as many possibilities and divergent advice on this matter? What is everyone’s preferences and opinions on the use of points of view? I’ll probably get to develop this some more in a serie of future posts when I have more time. There just is too much to tell…style, writing

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Comments

  • Rebecca

    I’ve struggled with point of views myself. I’ve found I write better from a first person perspective. That in itself is a tough route to go. I wish I could just stick with third person. Dialogue is the toughest issue I’m fighting right now. How to make things from any point of view sound fluid rather then mechanical. Anyway, just stumbled across your journal and found it helpful and interesting.Thanks!I’ll be back~~

  • Jennifer

    Okay here’s my take on P.O.V.If it’s for a children’s novel (as you said it is) then I go with ONE pov if it’s for middle reader or lower.Teen, I start to bring in more than one POV. A writing instructor had me write through just one POV for children and I found it made the story work much better and it was easier for the kids to connect and latch onto the story.Again just a rule I follow. Everyone sees things differently.As to first person or third person…I almost always do 3rd, but I think it depends on the writer and the type story. So I’m afraid I’m not much help to anyone on that point.

  • Yzabel

    Rebecca, thanks for your input, and for visiting this blog.First person indeed isn’t easy. As for dialogue, well… I’ve found out that reading it out loud usually helps in busting out too complex wording and affected sentences; it’s especially hard in fantasy stories, as the reader sort of expects characters to talk way better than we do everyday in our modern era… yet affected speech still looks unnatural no matter what! Finding a middle ground while allowing each character to find her own voice isn’t as evident as it may seem.

  • Yzabel

    Jennifer, interesting remark about children’s novels. I hadn’t thought of these, but it makes sense that understanding the story then becomes easier if there’s only one POV involved.Related to this point you make, I’ve just noticed today how the 6th volume of the Harry Potter series starts in a very different way compared to the others. Up to volume five, every single book is written from Harry’s point of view, never from another character’s, as far as I remember. The 6th one really seems to mark a change of pace here (although I’m only on the second chapter, and can’t tell much more about the rest).

  • Gone Away

    The story decides the POV – it’s no big deal. Decide who you are and write.

  • lee carlon

    Somebody once told me you should have 5 POV’s, I don’t know where they pulled this number from, I have my suspicions but it’s not polite to say.Robin Hobb, one of my authors, wrote one trilogy in first person and it worked really well, and then wrote a second trilogy with multiple POV’s and this worked just as well.I think it really is up to the story.

  • Yzabel

    Clive — Looks like I indeed think too much at times. Let’s say it’s, err, just my way of being. 😉

  • Yzabel

    Lee — Let’s say that there’s no need to confirm the suspicions, then. On a more serious note, I’d be interested, though, in knowing the reasons behind this… “theory”?I wonder if I’ve read the trilogy you speak of; would it be the Farseer one, by chance?

  • Lee Carlon

    Yes it is, and the live ship trader trilogy that directly follows it.

  • Yzabel

    Alright, then I’ve read them… although I haven’t read the Tawny Man books yet, and the Liveship Traders trilogy hasn’t been completely translated here. Silly me, who like getting my complete series from a same publisher.Come to think of it, why do I even bother buying them in French, when I could have them way earlier in English!

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