Delayed POV

[ct bliss]

So, I've begun my WIP again, starting at Chapter One. A couple of times now, I've veered off course, and characters ended up being out of character, events were out of whack, etc, etc. I did have some gold nuggets which have made/will make it into my current version though, so not all is lost.

I degress... The way things are starting out this time around are fine, except my two primary main characters haven't narrated yet... They've been seen through the eyes of other, slightly less important characters.

My point is, the two primary characters have very hidden agendas which I believe won't come to a full explaination without them holding the reins, and having their POV written. I remember someone, maybe Uncle Jim, saying that you can write an entire story from perspectives other than the main character, but I don't see it working this time.

My Question: As long as I continue to develop these two main characters through the eyes of others, does it really matter if I wait a while to write from their POV?

[OddButInteresting]

Actually, that perspective sounds very interesting indeed. Is the POV first or third person, may I ask?

I'm sure by now you know the business of "showing, not telling." You could have your main characters say or do certain things that convey an aspect of their personality, or ideology.

This is quite an extreme and sensitive example, but a white racist character killing a black man before saying something along the lines of "f***ing n*****s!" Even if there was no evidence of his racial prejudice before, he commits an act that reveals and confirms it simultaneously.

You hit two birds with one stone. Delivering a revelation about a certain character by showing it, rather than telling it.

Experiment a little and see what you get.

[ct bliss]

Everything is 3rd person. 1st person would seem a little wierd, and IMO, a little more advanced than what I feel ready for right now. I've read books like that, The Vampire Lestat was written that way, and was done gracefully. However, it's not something I feel comfortable doing just yet.

I 100% agree with the "showing, not telling," rule. For example, I would much rather a character look at another, and narrate their physical description than simply spill it out from no perspective at all. If I can't somehow make that happen, or can't afford a full, complete description, I'd much rather let the reader fill in the gaps and summarize the most significant features.

But yeah, I'll give it a try and see where it takes me. :)