McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
POV's and whatnot
Quantus:
Unexpectedly, I discovered that the new Iron Druid novel released today switches 1st person POV's for certain chapters.
While Im not against the idea of switching the POV's in a first person story, the general objection people are having about being able to do it well in a Short Story does make sense. To do it well you are in many ways doubling the amount of development you need to cram in there, and for a Short Story you are already fighting an uphill battle in the Concise storytelling arena, so it is going to be extra levels of challenging.
Carnifex:Pacifex:
Im loving this feedback and discussion, and that red-flag list had me scared until I saw I (thank God) avoided them.
LeeringCorpse:
I guess I should look at writing blogs that discuss the dos and do nots. Thank you both, you have gone a long way in allowing me make connections with writing and what I do know with some fluency, visual arts.
Red flags seem to be “trite but true” options that a writer’s mind fist goes to. The dream scene, the prologue, those are the sort of things that occur first as they are simple and easily come to mind as a way to get content into the story. A novice writer will stop there, thinking that will be a good option for them. But a good writer would probably continue asking the question of “what is the best way to say what I want,” or, “how can I take the thought farther.”
I have to say I made the mistake of settling on one of the “trite but true” options. Okay, Okay, I had three red flags going on in my story, a Prolog, a dream sequence and two points-of-views. I know laugh all you want, I’m used to it.
What you two said to me made me tear my story down, and start building it back up, and right now, it is the stronger for it. I am still having two points of view however. I don’t think I can get around that, as it is a story of two people and what they do and sacrifice for each other, all under a back drop of civil war, duty, revenge and betrayal.
The Deposed King:
Don't let anyone stop you or get you down leeringcorpse. If you love it when you write it, even if you have to revise it, other people are going to like also.
the Deposed King
LeeringCorpse:
I couldn’t agree more D.K.
I’m just glad I asked that question. The responses let me see one of the mistakes I was making that led to some of those red flags. I was saying “Hey, this would work,” and going with that idea, but what I need to be saying is, “Hey, this might work, but what else can I do,” and weigh those ideas and go with the best one for the circumstances.
I have to say, after I did that I started back up from scratch and the page and a half I have just written reads better then any of the 15 pages I already did. That isn’t saying much, mind you, as I’m not exactly Wordsworth strolling through a shady glen here. Me trying to be eloquent is more like pulling steel needles through my cheeks.
LOL, but at least I can say I’m having fun trying to tell a story. ;D
Thanks all
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