A Problem of Perspective

Hapax Legomenon · Oct 31, 2009

I just got stopped dead in my tracks when I started writing for the first time in a very long time (well, it felt like a very long time to me. In reality, it's been about 4 months).

I had this idea, it involved two guys, one is older and in a Monte-Cristo revenge type situation, the other younger and innocent yet slowly being driven mad because he's finding evidence that the world restarts every Thursday. Inexplicably, uncontrollably, and inconveniently their minds get linked and they're mutually disturbed by each other's situations. And then the fun happens, whatever that will be.

I usually get a better idea of this once I start writing but I haven't been able to because of perspective issues. Usually I write an extremely tight perspective, based around one person, but I don't know if this would work -- however, I've heard a lot of disasters of people trying multiple perspectives, because it's very difficult to write two different voices at the same time. If I were to stick to one person, it'd probably be the younger guy, though.

Any advice?

willietheshakes · Oct 31, 2009

Try something.

If it doesn't work, try something else.

BTW -- don't be so quick to dismiss the use of multiple voices. It's not that difficult, and can be VERY effective.

Bluegate · Oct 31, 2009

Sounds like a cool idea. I look forward to learning more about it as you get along. If it were me I think I would actually write it twice. Once in one guy's perspective and then in the other. That way you can stick with a method that is comfortable and familiar to you making it easier to stick to the story itself. Then after both guy's versions are done I would work on splicing them together in the edit portion of the first draft. Anyway that's how I'd try to mess it up to begin with. LOL

defcon6000 · Oct 31, 2009

Do you write in first person or limited third person?

You could try as, Bluegate said, and write it twice, write the first version from the younger guy's perspective and the second version from the older guy's POV. Then pick and choose which scene should be told in which POV and combine them for the duel perspective approach. :tongue

That way, you keep their voices separate but you still gain insight from each character, which I actually think would be nice since your idea sounds like it has two MCs and we would never really hear much from the other MC if it's strictly one guy telling the story.

Well good luck with whatever you choose! :Thumbs:

Raphee · Oct 31, 2009

My current novel is has two POV's. After the first draft, I started rewriting/editing the male MC's part only, so as to experience his voice and work on it without getting affected by the other POV.
But I had to give that up midway due to plot issues.
Now I have a printout to give me a better overall idea of what I have done so far. I am discovering as I read the first draft that the female MC's voice is more in line with her story than the Male MC's voice.

Point is after you do the first draft, perhaps, you should select one POV, follow it and see if it gives the desired results. Then onto POV 2. If it doesn't work, try another approach.

Lady Ice · Nov 1, 2009

If your story is focusing on the world restarting, many persepectives would be good as it opens the work out. That is to say, we really believe this is a global problem.

Chasing the Horizon · Nov 1, 2009

It sounds to me like the story would be best told from both perspectives. I can't offer much advice on how to do that, though, because it comes naturally to me. It's certainly not always a disaster, though. I've read hundreds of published novels that do it effectively.

Linda Adams · Nov 2, 2009

Do whatever the story needs, even if it means going outside your comfort zone.

I have always written in third person. So when I jumped into my last project, I automatically did it in third. It wasn't working though, and it felt like it was the viewpoint. I ended up taking a viewpoint workshop where I tried out a lot of different viewpoints. Some people just changed John to I, but I tried immersing myself into the viewpoints. I got such good comments on first that I switched the story to that viewpoint.

Wrote about fifty pages. It was blatantly obvious first was even worse than third, and the reasons why started to come out. We hit omniscient viewpoint in the workshop, and I went to that. Not only would I have not thought of it, I probably would have intentionally avoided it--and it's been the best thing for the story.

Phaeal · Nov 2, 2009

Two third person POVs is fairly easy to manage. Just make sure that you clearly signal changes from one POV to the other. Section breaks and chapter breaks will do the trick, as will dropping the POV character's name as early in the new section or chapter as possible.

After that, you have all the fun of balancing the two POVs, braiding the story lines, drawing parallels, marking contrasts, and so forth. But don't worry about the finer points in the first draft. They're the kind of thing it's easier to deal with when you have the, um, perspective of a completed draft.

A Problem of Perspective

Hapax Legomenon

willietheshakes

Gentleman. Scholar. Bastard.

Bluegate

Clearly has too much time on hand.

defcon6000

Raphee

In debt to AW

Lady Ice

Makes useful distinctions

Chasing the Horizon

Blowing in the Wind

Linda Adams

Soldier, Storyteller

Phaeal

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.