Today I’d like to discuss multiple points of view, or what I like to call too much of a good thing. I’m currently working on a Young Adult novel with six characters. Initially, my goal was to give each character a voice in the story. I wanted to try and jump around betw
een them, maintaining a close third person throughout (which tends to be my default setting for novels).
But it’s just not working. Fifty pages in, it’s a big mess. The problem is that when you see a situation from too many perspectives, it tends to get muddied, and not in a good way. The voices lack clarity, and the story becomes convoluted.
It’s funny, because I’ve done something similar before and never had this problem. But what I realized was that in other books, some characters enjoyed the vast majority of scenes, while the reader only saw through the eyes of others for a few critical pages.
With my latest book, that approach hasn’t been working. I’ve been forced to acknowledge that I need to narrow the field, staying inside the heads of a handful of my cast of characters. The rest can be seen through their eyes, but leaping into their minds is too jarring.
Most Young Adult novels are written in first person. That always helps the reader connect with the hero or heroine immediately on a base level. A first person POV wouldn’t work with my particular story, but I can see the appeal. It would be far easier to stick view everything through one character’s eyes. The alternative can be far more complicated and challenging.
Adding to the issue is the fact that this is intended to be a shorter book than some of my others, weighing in at a mere 50,000 words-which doesn’t provide much room for character development in the first place. Harder still if I’m bouncing around every few pages between my motley crew.
My last book was comparatively easy, with only two characters to play off of. I’m feeling like I set myself up for a fall with this one, but at this point I’m far enough along in the story that I’m loath to start cutting people out of the novel.
So when it comes to telling this particular story (and really, any story), here’s what I’ve arrived at:
- Keep it simple. If you have a large cast, select the three or four main players and stick with them.
- Your weakness could be a strength. The characters whose heads you don’t peek inside could be hiding something specific that will affect the outcome of the story. Staying out of their POV can add to the mystery.
- My editor suggested trying an omniscient narrator, but I tend to find that off-putting. I might play around with telling the story in alternating third and first POVs, however, to see if that helps resolve the problem.
I’m open to any and all other suggestions, though.
I like your post! I’m currently working on a story and I’m juggling between the POVs of about four different characters. I’m not sure if I’m not giving one character enough time and am letting another go on too long, or if that even matters. I don’t know if I can pull it off, but I going to try. There might be some major changes after I revise it though! 🙂
I feel your pain, My current WIP is the first time I’ve tried first person. But I only use 1st in the scenes with my main character. All the others are in 3rd. I’m just not ready to go total 1st. So far, my beta readers all feel it’s working.
Michelle, I think it reduces to a math problem. With a 50K word cap for the book (call that 200 pages), six POV characters allows only 33 pages apiece for storytelling though their eyes. It’d be really hard not to have that feel sort of dizzying.
I had a similar problem with my current WIP. I’d set up way too many POV characters, each of whom had to have something to do, and each of whom needed some king of backstory. It was daunting. So, late in the game, I punted and pulled most of them out of the story just a few weeks before my deadline. That sentenced me to a term in Hell doing a page-one rewrite, but at least the story is working now.
John Gilstrap
http://www.johngilstrap.com
You could always do what Stephen King did in The Stand when he had too many characters clamoring for his attention. He solved the problem with a bomb in the closet.
But, then again, that’s Stephen King . . .
Can’t wait to read it!
I’m so excited to hear you’re writing a YA, Michelle. Good for you. I’ve been testing the waters on POV for my YAs. IN THE ARMS OF STONE ANGELS (Apr 2011, Harlequin Teen) is in first for the main character and third for other characters. Telling the story this way was a risk but I needed the third POV for plot reasons. Publishers Weekly gave it a good review and mentioned my use of first & third. In another project I’m working on, I have TWO first POVs with the rest in third. And a way that I’ll distinguish them is by putting the character’s name at the start of any scene or chapter start they are in, a method I’ve seen work in YAs I’ve read. I’m doing the name thing in my upcoming YA, ON A DARK WING, that will be coming out in January, my 2nd book with Harlequin Teen. I wanted the first person POV shifts from third to be VERY clear.
It’s true that many YAs are in first, but that’s not a rule that applies to every story. Given your cast of characters, I think your only choice is third deep POV if you don’t want to change the story much. I had a similar decision with a project I’m working on but chose third because I had too many players. I sought advice from several top reviewers of YA to get their opinion of third POV in a YA series. They were all very open to third, especially when there are so many characters. A truly wonderful series by YA author, Cassandra Clare, her Mortal Instruments series, is in third POV and I loved it. Her story arcs and character development for all those characters was an amazing thing to read. Her books are being made into a movie that I can’t wait to see. The casting looks great so far.
You have options here with your project. Trust your gut on how to tell the story, but don’t be afraid to offer something new to young readers. Like all of us, they really just want a good story well told and seem to be very open to what thriller authors are bringing to the table, from what I’m seeing. Go for it.
Michelle, sometime back I wrote a piece asking how many subplots were too many?
I think the rules of thumb there are apt for this question of how many POVs. As Brother Gilstrap has mentioned, it’s a question of math, and the time required for reader identification.
However young readers today may have brains used to zipping from one thing to the next without qualm, so one has to wonder if the received wisdom of fiction writing on this point might need some revision, or at least a footnote.
As a classicist, though, I’m going to hazard a guess that the eternal verities of writing fiction actually do apply, and that while a young reader might like a book that head hops hither and yon, the unforgettable reading experience in a book of this size will come from a close ID with one or two viewpoint characters.
I’m still new at third-person POV. I’ve got a team and have been working at trying out deep 3rd POV, thinking it’s the best for my team dynamic. It has been very challenging and I’m still not sure 50,000 into it. My other stories are 1st person. (Although I have been finding that 75-80% of the scenes are focused through the same character of the four-person team – still not sure what to do with the voice… there are areas where I want (& need) the other team members’ views, especially when they are split up.
I’m still new to my novel voice – I didn’t really consider mixing 3rd and 1st as an option (probably good considering I’m a rookie). I would like to know more about this though – it might be the solution I’ve been looking for- for my current team dynamic.
I have seen omniscient work well for a big cast and still let you feel in on the action – Check out the Oregon File books with Clive Cussler and Jack DuBrul. They have a ship full of characters and they can be running multiple ops at the same time.
I love writing in first person, but it is tricky, indeed.
What about introducing all your great YA characters in book one, give two the spotlight and groom the interest in the others for your next books in the series you didn’t know this was going to become! 🙂
I’m reading a Patterson novel that switched from 3rd person to 1st, which felt a bit jarring. I guess more people are doing that now, and readers must be getting used to it.
This is very timely for me. For my next project I’m contemplating a YA novel with an ensemble cast. I hadn’t got as far as considering POVs yet, but the points raised here will be great to keep in mind.
I usually work in close third, often with multiple POVs, but I’ve never finished a novel that has more than two POVs. I did try five POVs once, and the project fizzled. At the time I thought the issues had more to do with plot and planning than POV, but they’re all interrelated.
I’ve read some novels where both first and third are used (Elizabeth Bear does this), and others with two or more first-person POVs. It can work; it’s just tricky.
Keep us posted on what you decide and how it works out! Inquiring minds want to know.
Great tips everyone, thanks. I know that Michael Connelly frequently jumps between 1st and 3rd in his books. Might be worth a shot.
Oh, and I think this is going to be a standalone, which makes the space limitations even more constricting…
I have wrestled with the “how many is too many/” issue. I can relate to the aspect of plot needs as a driving element.
Is it possible that you might use 3rd person POV interposed with chapters or scenes that are “fly on the wall” or what JSBell refers to as “camera” POV? (JSB plse help me out here if i mis-stated). Not omniscient but rather “non-niscient” for those scenes.
Might that allow you to de-emphasize a couple of the lesser characters and emphasize your primes while maintaining your story requirements?
Hope this makes sense to you.
A very interesting post.