McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Chapter Perspectives and How to Start Them
meg_evonne:
Sort of back on topic. (Yes, the more you use everything to reveal character you are ahead of the game!) The flexibility of 3rd POV is that you can switch from character to character within a page and many times in a chapter. Just don't do it within a single paragraph, although all rules are meant to be broken. And it would be fun to do that and figure out what type of plot you could make that work... Other than the obvious drugged out sixties rock and roller type of trip...
Seriously, I'm going to try to do this. :-)
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: meg_evonne on October 16, 2012, 04:22:39 AM ---The flexibility of 3rd POV is that you can switch from character to character within a page and many times in a chapter. Just don't do it within a single paragraph, although all rules are meant to be broken. And it would be fun to do that and figure out what type of plot you could make that work... Other than the obvious drugged out sixties rock and roller type of trip...
--- End quote ---
Patrick O'Brian does this and makes it work really rather well.
Aminar:
Unnecesary depends largely on how many characters you have. I dislike relying on voice. Astute readers can tell the difference but many people can't. Especially if you have characters that for whatever reason have similar voices.(I have a mother amd daughter pair as POV characters. Them thinking alike is important.) I've always liked how the Wheel of Time has chapter labels for the main storyline present in the chapter. Leaves me looking for the dice at every chapter. So basically, do what makes you the most comfortable and what makes it easiest to read. I change viewpoints so often I feel the need to label things. (Which is a stylistic attention span thing.)
Quantus:
--- Quote from: Aminar on October 16, 2012, 03:13:44 PM ---Unnecesary depends largely on how many characters you have. I dislike relying on voice. Astute readers can tell the difference but many people can't. Especially if you have characters that for whatever reason have similar voices.(I have a mother amd daughter pair as POV characters. Them thinking alike is important.) I've always liked how the Wheel of Time has chapter labels for the main storyline present in the chapter. Leaves me looking for the dice at every chapter. So basically, do what makes you the most comfortable and what makes it easiest to read. I change viewpoints so often I feel the need to label things. (Which is a stylistic attention span thing.)
--- End quote ---
Yes, I think Mat is more interesting than the rest as well :)
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: Aminar on October 16, 2012, 03:13:44 PM ---I've always liked how the Wheel of Time has chapter labels for the main storyline present in the chapter. Leaves me looking for the dice at every chapter.
--- End quote ---
Well, yeah, but distinct voice is not a strength I would be inclined to think of WoT as having, particularly with the female characters. On the other hand, I'd be surprised if there was a chapter anywhere in Song of Ice and Fire where you couldn't determine the viewpoint character trivially easily very quickly without the names as chapter headers.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version