A Slice of History out of a Jumping Around Pie

[Zoombie]

So! I'm writing a story that, at first, was conceived to have a Harry Turtledove level of characters. And their characters have supporting characters and the whole shebang was going to jump between characters. I'm stealing borrowing from the best, so I know it can work.


But...I just had an odd idea. And I think I'm going to do it, no matter how many "Dear god, he's a madman" and "Zoombie, no!" posts I get in this thread.

I am going to tell the story from multiple viewpoints...but I'm never going to use the same viewpoint twice.

Example: First time you meet Julian and his supporting characters, it's from Julian's POV. Second time, it'll be from Kayle's, then Mack's and so on. Same for the soldiers and the dragons and what not.

Well...go ahead, tell me I'm a madman. I dare you.

[Perks]

Well...go ahead, tell me I'm a madman. I dare you.I say, knock yourself out. It could be a blast if it works. And if you're very clear on characterizations, we'll know all their biases and therefore be able to cobble together a reasonably clear picture of what happened, all from a lofty vantage point.

Do it.

[OverTheHills&FarAway]

This sounds like a fantastic idea and I know it will work (well, let's just say I have a strong hunch) because you are pretty brilliant.

And if it DOES work....perhaps I will try it. Sounds like a really fun idea.

[Zoombie]

I'm not brilliant, dang nabit!

[Matera the Mad]

Sound like great fun :D

(Like Hell you're not!)

[OverTheHills&FarAway]

I'm not brilliant, dang nabit!

I said PRETTY brilliant, which is a different matter altogether.

Don't be getting a big head now. :D

[Zoombie]

Oh good, there was no danger of that.


Big heads mean big headaches.

[wayndom]

I don't think she used every POV only once, but Anne Rice's The Mummy changes POV with every chapter.

If you're only going to use each POV once, you'd better decide now which POV will close the story -- it would almost have to be the character the reader most identifies with or roots for -- which presents a problem for you -- the reader will never see things from the MC's POV until the end.

How's this for an idea? Make the penultimate POV the villain's. That way, right at the end of the story, the reader gets to see things from the villain's POV, complete with whatever passions, grudges and/or rationalizations he goes through to justify his goals.

Then, next and last chapter, we finally see things from the hero's POV (maybe opening with the hero hanging onto a sheer cliff with his fingernails -- in any case, at his lowest point in the story).

Go for it, dude.

[Eldritch]

I am going to tell the story from multiple viewpoints...but I'm never going to use the same viewpoint twice.

Example: First time you meet Julian and his supporting characters, it's from Julian's POV. Second time, it'll be from Kayle's, then Mack's and so on. Same for the soldiers and the dragons and what not.


Kind of like Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury?
(Except for the dragons of course.)

[Hollan]

Kind of like Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury?
(Except for the dragons of course.)

The Sound and the Fury didn't have dragons? What the hell was I reading then? ^_^

Oh, and it sounds cool.

[chroniclemaster1]

You cite Turtledove as an example, and in the somewhat related field of Historical Fiction, I'd say Jeff and Michael Shaara are a good example too. They did a modified version of what you're talking about. They walk through a historical event in their novels and each chapter is through the eyes of one character. Sometimes it's someone you've seen before sometimes it's someone new. Sometimes you get a character for one chapter, sometimes you see them over and over. It's less a writing exercise than a way to show you what happened from the POV of someone who had a front row seat. It also lets them drift through people with very different attitudes and ideals about what they see and what they are doing. Both those ideas make for powerful storytelling.

[Zoombie]

I don't think she used every POV only once, but Anne Rice's The Mummy changes POV with every chapter.

If you're only going to use each POV once, you'd better decide now which POV will close the story -- it would almost have to be the character the reader most identifies with or roots for -- which presents a problem for you -- the reader will never see things from the MC's POV until the end.

How's this for an idea? Make the penultimate POV the villain's. That way, right at the end of the story, the reader gets to see things from the villain's POV, complete with whatever passions, grudges and/or rationalizations he goes through to justify his goals.

Then, next and last chapter, we finally see things from the hero's POV (maybe opening with the hero hanging onto a sheer cliff with his fingernails -- in any case, at his lowest point in the story).

Go for it, dude.

Well, there is no real villain and no real hero. It's just people, living in history.


Wait, is this me saying this? Am I REALLY writing a book with no Big Bad and Hero with flaming sword!

I MUST BE GOING MAD!

Ah well.

I've composed a list of characters I'm writing out here. I should really make a flow chart...but be sure you don't need it for reading.


PEACE MOVEMENT:

(Jul)ian: Bob Dylan, but less whiny and more politically interested. Dohina (half-elf)
Kayle: Extremist political activist on the edge of terrorisem. Slightly mad. Human.
(Mor)gan: The intelligent strong man. Simple, but book learned. Dohina.
Spencer: The nervous one. Wants to be part of a cause...but is this the one for him? Human.
Officer Karen Valerie: A peace officer on the other side of all those protests Julian and the others organize. Hard nose covers idealist inside.
Human.


22ND PLATOON:

L.t Harry: Gritty, hard nosed, "Kill the short-eared sons of bitches". Dohina
Wes: The FNG. Is gay but in denial. Elf.
Gal: Just doing his job. Need to think up more interesting character for. Elf
Fot: Joker, but so damn afraid on the inside. Elf.
(Other characters may appear here as I think them up)

THE CREW OF THE FIST OF GOD:

Cpt. October: Really really hates her job. Human
1st Off. Helena: Pyromaniac. Human
2nd Off. Celena: Downright afraid of Helena. Human

GWENBLADE FAMILY:

Aria: Elven photographer, loving wife and mother of two. Elf.
Dad: Handless veteran. Good guy, in general. Elf
Lila: Annoyed daughter. Dohina, but don't tell her that.
Ris: Obnoxious son. Elf

ROYAL COURT:

Prince Kal: Scariest 12 year old you'll ever meet. Religious zealot. Elf
Regent: Old, nervous, and rather scared by Kal. Well, who isn't? Elf
Handmaiden Kes: Serving girl and tutor to Kal. Scared. Elf
Prof. Razp: Manipulative, self serving hoe. Not scared. Elf
1st L.T Twe: Gaurd. Scared. Elf.


PARLIAMENT:

Senator Traxton Hicks: Old guard. Conservative. Human.
Delilah: Secretary to Hicks. Human
Senator Josephine Brush: Old guard. Female. Human.
Senator Robert Elanor: New guard. Peace movement sympathizer. Human.
President Elysha Chidley: President of the Republic. Mostly powerless and frustrated by it. Human.
Secretary of War: Concerned with how the war is going. Wants to defend his homeland with every last breath in his body. Human.


CREW OF THE TP-55:

Tank commander: More detail later.
Front Gunner: More detail later.
Driver: More detail later.

HOMELESS:

Simon: Incredibly angry old man. Veteran of the Dragon War. Human.
The Dragon: A pitiful wreck, one of the last of a proud and beaten race. Dragon.
(other characters later.)


<Looks back up at list>


Oh god....



I've bitten off a lot.

<Sobs>

[Shweta]

Just a bit.
But it sounds cool :D

[Zoombie]

Well, if it's cool, then it's worth doing.

[David I]

A good friend (and top-notch writer) recently completed a novel where every chapter is from a different POV--the POV of Chapter 1 moves in Chapter 2 to another character who was in the action of Chapter 1. (In the theater, these are called "French scenes"--no one ever walks out onto an empty stage, but people come and go, handing off the focus.)

In her case, the POV character of Chapter 1 was also the POV character of the final chapter--that is, the POV made a big circle but didn't repeat until the end. It worked brilliantly.

Try it. If nothing else, it will be a good workout.

[wayndom]

Well, there is no real villain and no real hero. It's just people, living in history.

Hmmm... No hero/no villain I suppose could work, but is there something looming over everyone (a war, natural disaster, etc) that at least some of the people in your story want to prevent or encourage?

'Cause if there's no conflict, there's no story.