Point of view, by SM Spencer

As a member of the Rave Reviews Book Club, I get opportunities to host some amazing authors. SM Spencer is the beneficiary of a “Spotlight Week.” As such she will be popping up all over Blogland to promote her wares and introduce herself.

She's here today to tell us how she chooses a point of view.

HOW I CHOOSE POINT OF VIEW

A lot has been written about the various POV options, as well as the pros and cons of each. I’ve Googled the topic, read articles and a multitude of chapters in editing books and even so I find some of the discussions can get rather confusing. So, how do I go about choosing between the various POV options? Well, let me start with a simple definition and then I’ll tell you how I do it.

Works of fiction are narrated by a person (or sometimes an animal) that is telling the story. Point of view (“POV”) is, put simply, the perspective from which that narrator speaks.

So, who is the narrator of any given story? Is it a single character from within the story, or is the story told by more than one character? Or is the narrator not part of the story at all? Is the story to be told by an omniscient being with knowledge and understanding of all the characters? The decision as to who the narrator is determines whether there is a single viewpoint or a dual, multiple or omniscient viewpoint. The type of narrator can be first person (“I”) or third person (“he” or “she”).

So, armed with a definition, how did I choose? I put on my reader hat and thoughtabout what books I’ve really enjoyed as a reader, and then I went back and had a look at how those books were written.

Take the Janet Evanovich books for example. Stephanie Plum is a sassy bounty hunter who I found it incredibly likeable. These books are written in first person single viewpoint.

Another style of first person, first person present, is gaining popularity and can be found in books such as Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games. I’ve read a few books written in this fashion, and while I find that the writing can seem somewhat abrupt initially, if the story is good enough I do settle into the style. However I suspect it must take a great deal of concentration to consistently write in this style without slipping up.

If you don’t want to write in first person, as in “I”, then there is third person. Narrated by “he” or “she” and considerable use of the character’s name, third person can have single, dual or multiple viewpoints. Third person dual viewpoint is often used for contemporary romance books as it allows for a much greater development of the hero. This provides greater insight into the feelings and motivations of both characters, not just the female protagonist.

Third person multiple viewpoints is the technique used in many books, but a warning to authors: make sure the changes are clearly identified by spacing, and use of the characters names in the course of the narration.

So, having said all that, how do I choose the POV for a particular story?

I answer the following questions. Is it best for the story to unfold through the eyes of one main character, knowing that the reader will only know what this main character knows? Or will the story work better if told from two or more viewpoints? Then I decide whether I would prefer to write in first person, or third person. Again, going back over books I’ve read and liked helped with both decisions.

Another key factor for me in determining the POV to use is to keep the reader’s best interests in mind. It is crucial that the reader never be in doubt as to who is telling the story.

In writing the Absent Shadows trilogy I chose a single point of view, being that of the main character, Lili. This was her story, told from her perspective entirely. As many of the other characters in the story were not human, I felt it best for the reader to see them as Lili saw them rather than to delve too deeply into their thoughts, desires and motivations.

However I am employing other POV’s with my current works in progress. The contemporary romance is written in third person dual viewpoint. Another, which I am still struggling to categorise, is currently being written in third person with multiple viewpoints.

My advice to authors would be to read articles and books to expand your knowledge but above all, keep it simple, and trust your instincts.

S M Spencer’s first series is called Absent Shadows Trilogy. To find out more about the series, and obtain free samples of each of the books, visit Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=series_rw_dp_labf?_encoding=UTF8&field-collection=Absent%20Shadows%20Trilogy&url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text

You can also follow her on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/SMSpencer.writer for advice about upcoming promotions as well as updates on the books she’s currently working on.

Is it a breakthrough, or a breakdown?

Our best laid plans didn’t work out. I figured a party on the Basque block would make for some good blog fodder. The appeal, for us, was the paella. This is a saffron rice dish made with clams, chicken, and chorizo. The pan they use is large enough for several adults to slide down a snowy slope. I own a paella pan that could hold a fair deep dish pizza, for comparison sake.

My wife got a text from a friend. The line was two and a half blocks long, and it was over 100 degrees in the shade. We went to one of our favorite little dive places for beer and a steak, and air conditioning. I may have to make my own paella if I can find the correct rice. You have to use the right kind.

This is a long winded way of saying I need a different topic today. I decided to make it about writing, in a round about way. I’m going to talk about Alice Cooper again. You can substitute your favorite balladeer.

Music is a great source of inspiration for me. I find ideas everywhere, but rarely talk about music. I grew up about the time disco became popular. My friends and I all hated disco music. We owned copies of Aerosmith Rocks, and every album Kiss ever put out. Alice Cooper was always my personal favorite.

After the concert Tuesday night, I downloaded a whole bunch of Cooper’s music. These are the album cuts I loved when I was younger. My vinyl, eight tracks, and cassettes are long gone. I may still have a CD lurking around somewhere.

Cooper was fortunate to work in an era where the album was king. Several of his albums tell a story from start to finish. This isn’t possible in our one-song-at-a-time era. In fact, From The Inside may be one of the greatest albums of all time.

Listening to this music as a writer puts a whole different spin on the music. Sure, Cooper has the advantage of sound and chords to inspire different emotions. I have to add emotion in different ways, but I get more words to tell my tales.

When I listened to the song The Quiet Room something struck me. This album is about being inside an insane asylum, and was based upon an alcohol rehab stint Cooper lived through. The lyrics are: How long have I been gone? Did winter kill the lawn?

It hit me; this is all about character. Who asks if winter killed the lawn? It tells me a ton about the character without having to go into incredible detail. Five words and I’m completely sucked in. Now I need to figure out how to do it myself.

Another song is called I Might As Well Be On Mars. It’s about a man who loves a woman who rejected him. He’s on the roof of a building looking at the stars. He looks down and sees cars. The setting is magnificent. What will he do? Is he a jumper? He spots the woman through the window of her favorite bar. I’ve been that guy. I was enamored of someone who never knew I existed.

There’s a lesson here about more than setting, which was great. It relates to me on a personal level. I’ll bet almost everyone has been in that situation at one time or another.

It’s a blog post, so I’m only going to touch upon these two songs. Sure, Cooper is all about dark humor, and there’s plenty of that in other cuts. The guy recorded with Vincent Price before Michael Jackson knew what a zombie even was.

I heard that good stories are all about delivering a powerful emotional experience. (PEE) I’m the kind of guy who has to see it happen before I really get it. I may be on the verge of a breakthrough here.

Emotions can be any kind as long as the reader gets sucked in. It isn’t only about love. Rage, fear, pity, disgust, lust, and depression are all emotions too.

Okay, one more. There is a love song called Millie and Billie. These two are batshit crazy, and they know it. Cooper presents the tale from deep point of view. (Think dialog mostly.) They know they’re crazy, but don’t understand why the things they do are wrong. There is no authorial intrusion, it’s all from the character’s point of view. No preaching allowed or needed. It’s a boy and a girl, I can relate, I follow along. I don’t relate to what they did to her husband, but it’s too late to back out now. I think this is good storytelling.

Note: I also had an epiphany. I hadn’t heard this song in twenty years. I may have borrowed a line from it in one of my upcoming short stories. The difference is I used Mason jars instead of baggies. I’m going to leave the sentence in place. Those of you with an advance reading copy can search “Mason jars” and find it.

I don’t know if the lesson is about a great hook, a PEE, setting, or what. I feel like I’m about to have a writing breakthrough. Maybe I’d better turn on my music and let Alice take me to Hell again.

How about you guys? Is there a lesson here? Is there more than one? Weigh in, maybe you can clarify my breakthrough.

Playing With All the Toys

As a writer, I like to play with all the toys. This might make me a jack of all trades and master of none, but I hope not. This is one of the reasons I don’t limit myself to a specific genre, but include anything with something unusual in it.

Using my own stories as an example here’s what I mean:

• Wild Concept = I wanted to write a non human main character.
• Panama = I wanted to write a buddy story.
• Arson = I really wanted to write a reverse character arc. The hero falls and has to rebuild.
• The Cock of the South = I love a good fantasy. Maybe I should write one.
• Will ‘O the Wisp = I wanted to try writing in first person.

They break down like this: two science fiction stories, two paranormal stories, and one fantasy. It’s a pretty even split between male and female main characters. The idea rattling around my skull right now is kind of a paranormal science fantasy – go figure.

I keep looking at other toys in the toy box. I see an epistolary style of writing in there, but don’t quite know how to use it. There’s an omnipotent viewpoint still in its original wrapper.

Are any of the other writers out there like this? Am I insane for wanting to play with all the toys? (Let’s limit the answers to this one reason why I’m insane.)

In other news:

This is the obligatory self promotion spot. If anyone still wants a copy of Wild Concept for free, time is trickling away. I’ve given away a lot of copies, and I’m kind of surprised. It’s too early to assess what upside, if any, this promotion has produced. I’ll blog about it when it’s over.