Let her stay for a while till you see how she shapes up. I experimented with short paragraphs from a voice that appeared as I was writing about her parents. Left it hang for a while to see about it. My writing group loved the idea, and after writing a few more short pieces of the voice i love her too So I’m keeping her as a kind of condiment that’s essential to the main plot. Such a great question. I’m Interested in the thoughts of others
I’d talk to her! When I’m trying to understand how or whether to bring a character to life, I seek to understand them a bit more. Set the laptop aside, light some candles, commune. Sometimes what comes through can stoke your intuition about how to move forward!
Let her stay! She's a woman who is demanding to be heard, who isn't asking before taking up space, therefore I love her already! I want to read her now! Gimme, gimme!
I wrote the first draft of my novel in 3rd person, and then was surprised as anyone to write the second draft into 1st. The third draft stayed in 1st but with multiple chapters rewritten from different characters' perspectives. That POV stayed until this current major revision where I'm rewriting the entire thing into close 3rd.
My only explanation to myself was that I needed to write multiple characters in 1st to really get to know them better.
Fascinating!! Bravo for doing the extra work to get it right. I am LITERALLY AS WE SPEAK doing the exact same thing in my current WIP--changing the POV from first person to third-person close. And yes, it's tedious. But I knew it was the right decision. This feels like confirmation...annnnd I'm hoping it's not a sign that I'll have to do it again to another POV ;-) Good luck to you!
I love this "let's just try it and see" experimental attitude to writing. I really admire that! Sometimes I get bogged down in just wanting a manuscript to be finished/over that I'm not as open to changes and experiments as I perhaps should be!
I get this way too, trust me. That feeling like I’m racing to the end. But there is literally no end. Elissa Bassist wrote something in her substack like “when you think you’re finished, you’re only 40% finished. To actually be finished, you can’t” 😂😂😂😂
I am currently writing a book in first person because it feels right for the subject of the story, but I have only ever written in third person close. I received feedback recently that my character's narration feels too formal...like third person close. How do you tackle that when changing POV outside of he to I or you?
Oh this is such a good question. First person really requires you to drop so fully inside your MC’s mind that you get all their vision as well as their blind spots. Their VERSION of events. I try to imagine how my MC would explain herself/what happened, if only to herself. She is defensive, in a weird way. Persuasive. I try to use metaphorical language that she would use (in TTYL, she’s an artist, so lots of art stuff).
I really love this question and I will try to tackle in more fully in another post. Thank you for asking!
Love hearing your earlier experience with changing POV and hope this gives you confidence and faith (!) to listen to this new narrator and see what she has to say! And by the way, the new Ripley series is amazing if you haven't seen it!
I'm also a fan of close third person, and it's my natural inclination. But I've written a short story and just one chapter in my WIP that DEMANDED to be in first person, and don't work any other way. Sometimes, what works works, and we have to run with it. It's such a good idea to experiment with this kind of thing, because we can't always know in advance what the best choice is.
To me, this is one of the most fun things about writing that outlines can't capture—when you drop in a flash forward, or a rewind, or weird omniscient, and then have to try and figure out WHERE in your brain that came from. I had chapters in my book for over two years without knowing who they were written by until very recently, which sounds insane now that I type it out but I loved writing them and always thought it would become clear to me!
This is such a fascinating glimpse into your process! Since I don't write fiction (poetry and non-fiction) I don't really think about pov in the same way, so it's super interesting to hear you work through the impact of close third vs first vs second.
I will say, that partway through writing my first collection of poems, before it had even really taken shape as a book, I started using second person (but in the way poets often do, as a kind of I--I think of it as intimate second, but I'm realizing now I'm not sure if that's a term anyone else uses!) and that really unlocked something in me. But then I had to break myself of that habit as I was starting the next project. ;)
I used to write poetry. I love using 2nd person in poetry. I love thinking that the reader is the speaker, and has her own “you”—- like songs, you know? — which is what makes certain songs/poems resonate w people so much. IMHO. ❤️
Let her stay for a while till you see how she shapes up. I experimented with short paragraphs from a voice that appeared as I was writing about her parents. Left it hang for a while to see about it. My writing group loved the idea, and after writing a few more short pieces of the voice i love her too So I’m keeping her as a kind of condiment that’s essential to the main plot. Such a great question. I’m Interested in the thoughts of others
I love this!! A condiment!
I’d talk to her! When I’m trying to understand how or whether to bring a character to life, I seek to understand them a bit more. Set the laptop aside, light some candles, commune. Sometimes what comes through can stoke your intuition about how to move forward!
I love this idea🕯️❤️
Let her stay! She's a woman who is demanding to be heard, who isn't asking before taking up space, therefore I love her already! I want to read her now! Gimme, gimme!
I can’t wait to send it to you 🤗
Oh POV can be such a rollercoaster.
I wrote the first draft of my novel in 3rd person, and then was surprised as anyone to write the second draft into 1st. The third draft stayed in 1st but with multiple chapters rewritten from different characters' perspectives. That POV stayed until this current major revision where I'm rewriting the entire thing into close 3rd.
My only explanation to myself was that I needed to write multiple characters in 1st to really get to know them better.
Great point!!! I definitely feel like all these changes let me examine my characters three dimensionally. Each time I saw something new.
Fascinating!! Bravo for doing the extra work to get it right. I am LITERALLY AS WE SPEAK doing the exact same thing in my current WIP--changing the POV from first person to third-person close. And yes, it's tedious. But I knew it was the right decision. This feels like confirmation...annnnd I'm hoping it's not a sign that I'll have to do it again to another POV ;-) Good luck to you!
So tedious, but so worth it!
I love this "let's just try it and see" experimental attitude to writing. I really admire that! Sometimes I get bogged down in just wanting a manuscript to be finished/over that I'm not as open to changes and experiments as I perhaps should be!
I get this way too, trust me. That feeling like I’m racing to the end. But there is literally no end. Elissa Bassist wrote something in her substack like “when you think you’re finished, you’re only 40% finished. To actually be finished, you can’t” 😂😂😂😂
I am currently writing a book in first person because it feels right for the subject of the story, but I have only ever written in third person close. I received feedback recently that my character's narration feels too formal...like third person close. How do you tackle that when changing POV outside of he to I or you?
Oh this is such a good question. First person really requires you to drop so fully inside your MC’s mind that you get all their vision as well as their blind spots. Their VERSION of events. I try to imagine how my MC would explain herself/what happened, if only to herself. She is defensive, in a weird way. Persuasive. I try to use metaphorical language that she would use (in TTYL, she’s an artist, so lots of art stuff).
I really love this question and I will try to tackle in more fully in another post. Thank you for asking!
I would love to read a full post about it!
Trust your subconscious inclinations when writing!
❤️❤️❤️❤️
It is beautifully done! At first I didn’t love the black and white, but then thought it made the series. Curious to hear what you think.
I will report back!
Love hearing your earlier experience with changing POV and hope this gives you confidence and faith (!) to listen to this new narrator and see what she has to say! And by the way, the new Ripley series is amazing if you haven't seen it!
OOOOH I haven't watched it yet, but read a review and it sounded amazing. I will start this weekend!!
I'm also a fan of close third person, and it's my natural inclination. But I've written a short story and just one chapter in my WIP that DEMANDED to be in first person, and don't work any other way. Sometimes, what works works, and we have to run with it. It's such a good idea to experiment with this kind of thing, because we can't always know in advance what the best choice is.
Totally, totally! I think the lesson is that you can plan all you want, but you can't be rigid.
To me, this is one of the most fun things about writing that outlines can't capture—when you drop in a flash forward, or a rewind, or weird omniscient, and then have to try and figure out WHERE in your brain that came from. I had chapters in my book for over two years without knowing who they were written by until very recently, which sounds insane now that I type it out but I loved writing them and always thought it would become clear to me!
That is not insane. It has never been insane. You kept going bc you knew the answer of who was narrating those chapters would come to you, and IT DID.
This is such a fascinating glimpse into your process! Since I don't write fiction (poetry and non-fiction) I don't really think about pov in the same way, so it's super interesting to hear you work through the impact of close third vs first vs second.
I will say, that partway through writing my first collection of poems, before it had even really taken shape as a book, I started using second person (but in the way poets often do, as a kind of I--I think of it as intimate second, but I'm realizing now I'm not sure if that's a term anyone else uses!) and that really unlocked something in me. But then I had to break myself of that habit as I was starting the next project. ;)
I used to write poetry. I love using 2nd person in poetry. I love thinking that the reader is the speaker, and has her own “you”—- like songs, you know? — which is what makes certain songs/poems resonate w people so much. IMHO. ❤️