Saturday, January 20, 2018

January 20 Round Robin Blog

Welcome back!
Okay, I know I said I'd be better about posting on my blog, but life has this funny way of saying "No you won't."  Between a nasty cold and work, it's taken me a bit to get back on here.
In the meantime, I'm working on some revisions with two novels in the wings and eager to dive back into making my books reality!

In the meantime....

Here I am with another Round Robin Blog post. Our topic today:

Considering viewpoints in writing (omniscient, ie. author's viewpoint, or first person, second person, or third person in character's viewpoint), what is your preferred way of exposing your characters, their thoughts and emotions? How do you switch between characters?

For anyone who has read my novels, I normally write in third person (he said/she said). All of my books are written this way except the one I'm currently working on, which is in first person (I said). Why the switch? Partly it was a requirement of the publisher I was originally writing it for, but I kind of like it for a this particular series. No other characters deep, dark thoughts to be concerned about, just what my main character Laken sees, knows and hears.

Because I use mostly third person, I generally have two main characters I write between. For me, I don't like "head hopping" or jumping from one character to the other so quickly the reader becomes disoriented. I've read novels where the writer has taken that approach and find it difficult to follow the plot and keep the characters straight. I prefer taking my time in a chapter and switching to another character in the next chapter.

Short and sweet today. My question to you, dear reader, is which viewpoint do you prefer to read?

I hope you leave me an answer then hop around to visit some of our other amazing authors!
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/ Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blogFiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/Marci Baun  http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/Anne de Gruchy https://annedegruchy.co.uk/category/blog/A.J. Maguire  http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_seaAnne Stenhouse  http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/ Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com

9 comments:

  1. It is short and sweet but very point on...and I like all viewpoints depending on how the author handles it.

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  2. I find the hardest POV to write and read is omniscient. It's too confusing. Hope the cold has cleared up, Diane.

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  3. All of my books published to date were third person limited, but like you, I'm on a new adventure. I agree some kinds of books lend themselves to this first person choice. My other novels were mostly romance where I wanted to be in both the hero and the heroine's head in the story, but now I'm working on a new mystery series. Of course there will be a touch of romance, love does make the world go around, but my heroine and main protagonist is the important character so I've decided to tell the story from her point of view only. Good luck on your new adventure.

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  4. It's interesting that you've switched to first person and are enjoying. I prefer to write and read third person. In first person I think I sometimes miss the other POV's.

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  5. To answer your question, head hopping (onmiscient) loses me, even when it is unintentional, e.g., describing the current witness from the outside rather than the inner reality. For the rest, whatever works for the particular story.

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    Replies
    1. Oops, I saw the typo too late. Omniscient of course.
      :)

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  6. Hi Diane, good luck with all of that work - sounds exciting, but demanding. We're in agreement over 3rd person and I also like 2 VPs although I'm working on a serial for a magazine at the moment and it has several. challenging. anne stenhouse

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  7. Hi Diane, I did one book first person and then reverted, although I did really enjoy writing it! I'm afraid I'm guilty of swapping viewpoints within a chapter - but never within a scene of course! I was designing the structure for my current novel and my agent supported the more complicated option, which not only switches viewpoints but goes backwards and forwards in time! She said readers are sophisticated and up for it! Best wishes, Anne.

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  8. Between my 2 jobs, I like to joke that I don't have time to be sick. Hope you're over the worst of your cold by now. I don't get to do any writing until the summer, when I only work 1 job. I envy those who can write more often.

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