tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6564808806012504614.post9162731365710251085..comments2024-03-17T07:41:20.020-07:00Comments on Jacqueline Seewald: Point of View: Who’s Telling the Story?Jacqueline Seewaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09177500620940251009noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6564808806012504614.post-3123701826973603912020-08-28T11:05:54.267-07:002020-08-28T11:05:54.267-07:00Fine observations. Using POV incorrectly can easil...Fine observations. Using POV incorrectly can easily turn readers off a book or story.Jacqueline Seewaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09177500620940251009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6564808806012504614.post-27191426355280305052020-08-28T11:04:34.503-07:002020-08-28T11:04:34.503-07:00Hi Kathy,
As Susan observed, you can try switchin...Hi Kathy,<br /><br />As Susan observed, you can try switching to see which POV works best for a particular novel or story. And as you said, it does make a big difference.Jacqueline Seewaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09177500620940251009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6564808806012504614.post-16624483722493879492020-08-28T10:39:38.529-07:002020-08-28T10:39:38.529-07:00I love the question of who should be telling the s...I love the question of who should be telling the story, one the author must answer. The caution about head-hopping too frequently is one writers must recognize. I still find novels published (self-published?) where the internal thoughts of a secondary character intrude within the same scene being presented by the main character. That takes this reader out of the story. Some writers still seem confused by POV. If the narrator says Gregory walked his girlfriend to the bedroom, that does not put the scene in his POV.R.R. Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08762680431062591322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6564808806012504614.post-80219683870645348192020-08-28T09:35:17.103-07:002020-08-28T09:35:17.103-07:00Wonderful overview and important topic. I switched...Wonderful overview and important topic. I switched the POV in my current ms from third to first person. As Susan said, it changes everything. I tried to use very close third person in my last novel; had to study up on it, but it does make things more immediate and the character more real. Kathy McIntoshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06899118869240481737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6564808806012504614.post-6076926726444224722020-08-28T08:49:23.173-07:002020-08-28T08:49:23.173-07:00Hi Susan,
I hope the ms works better with the cha...Hi Susan,<br /><br />I hope the ms works better with the change of pov. Let me know.Jacqueline Seewaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09177500620940251009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6564808806012504614.post-60858914105729272912020-08-28T07:07:05.976-07:002020-08-28T07:07:05.976-07:00Excellent overview of the question of POV in diffe...Excellent overview of the question of POV in different genres. As you know, Jacquie, I've been reworking a ms from first to third, and the story began changing with the first line. Getting the right POV is the most important decision in a novel.Susan Oleksiwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02693057997469296068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6564808806012504614.post-52744575423232664622020-08-28T07:06:06.506-07:002020-08-28T07:06:06.506-07:00Saralyn,
That's a great suggestion and a wort...Saralyn,<br /><br />That's a great suggestion and a worthwhile exercise.Jacqueline Seewaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09177500620940251009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6564808806012504614.post-69392805935570852592020-08-28T07:05:15.735-07:002020-08-28T07:05:15.735-07:00Hi Pam,
Point of view can be intimidating. We alw...Hi Pam,<br /><br />Point of view can be intimidating. We always have to stay in character.Jacqueline Seewaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09177500620940251009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6564808806012504614.post-42152434505351016442020-08-28T07:04:18.716-07:002020-08-28T07:04:18.716-07:00Hi Liz,
Nice to meet you! I've read successfu...Hi Liz,<br /><br />Nice to meet you! I've read successful YA novels in particular that alternate first person viewpoints between two main characters chapter by chapter. I have the feeling yours will be very interesting.Jacqueline Seewaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09177500620940251009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6564808806012504614.post-20933346733185884222020-08-28T07:01:16.442-07:002020-08-28T07:01:16.442-07:00Great topic. I teach creative writing, and POV is ...Great topic. I teach creative writing, and POV is a huge part of the curriculum. I often encourage students to experiment by writing an opening scene in the POV of each character, separately. That way, they can see whose POV is the most effective in telling the story. Saralynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17484871081463184438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6564808806012504614.post-14902981184483128762020-08-28T06:42:20.157-07:002020-08-28T06:42:20.157-07:00Great info and advice, Jacqueline! I still struggl...Great info and advice, Jacqueline! I still struggle with POV. Not as much as before but sometimes have to stop and ask myself.... Who's POV am I in?<br />THANKS for sharing your wealth of knowledge.<br />PamTPamela S Thibodeauxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12951038997223264816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6564808806012504614.post-26359085060618568202020-08-28T05:58:54.686-07:002020-08-28T05:58:54.686-07:00POV can easily trip up an author. You've offer...POV can easily trip up an author. You've offered some good insight and tips. Writing with my partner, Pam Blance as "Jamie Tremain", our first series is in third person. We are developing a new series, where we have each taken a character in the story and write from first person POV, but in effect proving two POV for the story. Personally, I enjoyed the first person POV over the third. <br />And I agree, finding a unique, distinctive 'voice' for characters is critical to keeping a reader connected to any character and therefore your story.<br />Good article! Lizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05779693918477030254noreply@blogger.com