Writing - Point of View

KH and I had a discussion on whether there was a shift in POV when my protagonist was presuming to know what another character was thinking. I changed it when I decided it was vague and not worth confusing the reader. KH had been burned on this subject by a rejection claiming he was head-hopping when he had a shifting POV.

So when Author's Publish presented Emily-Jane Hills Orford's POV – Don’t Confuse the Reader, I had to read it.  Having it read, I thought these points needed passing along:

Here are a few tips to help you manipulate the minefield of POV without losing your readers.

• Decide on your point of view before you even start writing. If you start writing your story in first person, then suddenly decide you want to write the story in third person, you must be very diligent in changing all the first person pronouns appropriately to their third person counterparts.
• Once you’ve chosen your point of view, study some published examples, especially if you plan to experiment and use multiple points of view.
• If you’re writing in third person narrative and you plan to change the point of view from one character to another, make sure it doesn’t happen mid-chapter, or, worse, mid-paragraph. Start a new point of view with a new chapter.
• If you’re writing in first person narrative and you plan to maintain the first person approach throughout but using different characters to tell their story in first person, then, once again, start a new character’s point of view with a new chapter. AND – be sure to identify the character who is speaking in the new chapter. An excellent example of this is Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper. The author heads each chapter with the character’s name. It’s a technique she’s mastered in several of her novels.
• There is a downfall of writing in multiple points of view, first person narrative. Authors tend to fall into the trap of repeating what’s already been shared from the new perspective. DON’T! Don’t repeat the story that’s already been told. The reader doesn’t want to hear the same story multiple times from different perspectives. Move the plot along.
• Don’t migrate between first person and third person narrative. It’s too confusing for both the writer and the reader. It’s a recipe for disaster and will lose the reader very quickly. The exception, of course, is in dialogue which is predominantly in first person, as the speaker is ultimately talking about themselves, unless they’re sharing someone else’s story.

There is also a succinct discussion of second-person narratives.

And something I never heard before, never thought of:

Finally, your choice of point of view should keep in mind the genre and age category you’re writing, as well as the publisher you hope will publish your work. Some editors refuse to consider first person narrative for specific genres or age categories. Second person, if effectively used, is a hard sell to any editor. Many writers choose third person as the safest choice to attract more interest. Research the potential markets, read examples of published works in your genre and age category, and make an educated choice based on your findings. And, remember, be consistent.

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