This was a good analysis, John. One of my least favorite points of view is multi-third-person omniscience. I know it's popular with readers, but I'm one of those who really enjoys a deep dive into a single character's psyche and vantage point without knowledge of extenuating circumstances outside their experiences. I think it makes for a stronger story.
I'm not a fan of 3rd-person omniscient narration either. It takes away the thrill of discovery as a reader. I will say I employ multiple POV characters in my novels, but I always keep it 3rd person limited or 1st person because, like you said, you can forge a deeper connection with the character using those narrative styles. For me, it also creates suspense and mystery because you can reveal details on a slow drip over the course of a book. The reader knows what the character knows and learns what they learn.
All good. I figured you meant third person limited. That's my preference too. It's easier for me to flesh out longer works like novellas and novels when I can employ 3rd person limited and shift between POV characters. (I guess you can do the same with 1st person, but it can get confusing as to who's speaking.)
Yeah, because if I were trying to survive an alien invasion, service disruptions and supply chain issues would *definitely* be my main concerns. Some people.
Sometimes I feel like I need to explain certain details because I just *know* someone, somewhere is going to want to know about that detail. I've had to ask myself if my protagonist would know about X thing, and if not, is it important enough that they'd go out of their way *to* learn about it? A lot of times it's no.
I know what you mean. I feel that need sometimes as well when I write stories and always make myself think through a scene before throwing in random irrelevant details.
One thing that helps me is I try to approach a fictional world inhabited by my characters as the real world to them. I ask myself what would a person living in this world say or think when faced with circumstances driven by the plot? How would they act or react? Keeping the world centered around their experiences and seeing it through their eyes helps me better determine what information matters to the story and also how to introduce that information to the reader in a way that feels organic and realistic.
This was a good analysis, John. One of my least favorite points of view is multi-third-person omniscience. I know it's popular with readers, but I'm one of those who really enjoys a deep dive into a single character's psyche and vantage point without knowledge of extenuating circumstances outside their experiences. I think it makes for a stronger story.
I'm not a fan of 3rd-person omniscient narration either. It takes away the thrill of discovery as a reader. I will say I employ multiple POV characters in my novels, but I always keep it 3rd person limited or 1st person because, like you said, you can forge a deeper connection with the character using those narrative styles. For me, it also creates suspense and mystery because you can reveal details on a slow drip over the course of a book. The reader knows what the character knows and learns what they learn.
I’m a big fan of first person limited.
I think of it as a nice compromise POV.
I meant “third person limited.” What in the world is wrong with me?
All good. I figured you meant third person limited. That's my preference too. It's easier for me to flesh out longer works like novellas and novels when I can employ 3rd person limited and shift between POV characters. (I guess you can do the same with 1st person, but it can get confusing as to who's speaking.)
Yeah, because if I were trying to survive an alien invasion, service disruptions and supply chain issues would *definitely* be my main concerns. Some people.
Sometimes I feel like I need to explain certain details because I just *know* someone, somewhere is going to want to know about that detail. I've had to ask myself if my protagonist would know about X thing, and if not, is it important enough that they'd go out of their way *to* learn about it? A lot of times it's no.
I know what you mean. I feel that need sometimes as well when I write stories and always make myself think through a scene before throwing in random irrelevant details.
One thing that helps me is I try to approach a fictional world inhabited by my characters as the real world to them. I ask myself what would a person living in this world say or think when faced with circumstances driven by the plot? How would they act or react? Keeping the world centered around their experiences and seeing it through their eyes helps me better determine what information matters to the story and also how to introduce that information to the reader in a way that feels organic and realistic.