Question about Third Person Limited POV

LDParker · Mar 23, 2014

Hello all,

In the novel I am currently writing, I plan on using a third person limited POV ("TPL"). There are two main protagonists, both females. In most of the novel I plan on writing from the POV from these females, occasionally shifting the POV to a male in the story for contrast.

I know "head hopping" is a general no-no in writing. However, in the early part of the novel, I am trying to emphasize how the girls (who are long time friends) often work in unison together. Given this, I'd like to write certain chapters in the beginning where we see into the heads of both women. Only very rarely will we hop into the heads of the males in the story and usually this will only be done for a specific purpose (to show the male perspective of these two characters).

Obviously, care must be taken to make sure its clear whose head we are in, but does this approach as I've described it sound like a bad idea that should be avoided altogether or could it, if written well, be considered acceptable?

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Osulagh · Mar 23, 2014

You'd be working in omni then. And, you'd have to avoid headhopping in that too.

I've done something like this by having two characters act as one, but I've only done this with characters I didn't plan on keeping in the story. From this, I've found that both character's presences on the page were rather weak.

It can also be done by using omni, and transitioning from one character to another, but then you run a big risk of jarring the reader with possible headhopping.

And there's probably another way... but I just can't think of it. Anyways, it can be done, and if you work at it it can be done well. Though...

Methinks it'll be best if you focus more on the relationship of the two characters, rather than trying to play around with the narrative. You can focus the POV in one character, then have them both act similarly, interact and come to the same conclusions, and even make the other feel like an extension of the each other. Kinda think of them as twins, documenting everything from one POV.

job · Mar 23, 2014

InitiaNova said:
I'd like to write certain chapters . . .where we see into the heads of both women.

This is Omniscient Narrator.

It's harder to write good Omniscient than to write good Third Person.

I'd suggest you go to your keeper shelf and pull down your favorite writers who do O.N. Study how they do it. Or tell folks what kind of books you like and ask for suggestions of great O.N. stylists.

Using O.N. in some scenes doesn't mean you can't use Third Person elsewhere.

There is this also. Third Person POV can disclose emotions and thoughts of the non-POV character through dialog, description, action and internals from the POV character.
You don't have to go into the non-POV character's head to show us what she's thinking.

LDParker · Mar 24, 2014

Thanks for the comments. I guess I often get confused between O.N. and TPL where there is head hopping. That being said, I really do want to limit the narrator to a degree. For example, I would never pop into a male's POV in the same scene as one where I am describing a POV from one of the female MCs.

job · Mar 24, 2014

InitiaNova said:
I guess I often get confused between O.N. and TPL where there is head hopping. . . .

In 3rd limited you stay firmly in one POV. You NEVER visit another person's head when you are in POV.

Now, you can change POV.

Many -- maybe most -- folk who work in Third Person wait till a scene break or a chapter break to change. They write each scene from one POV. This is what I do. I recommend this for folks working on the first couple manuscripts.

Changing POV in the middle of a scene is advanced technique. It's hard to do well and easy to do badly.

InitiaNova said:
I would never pop into a male's POV in the same scene as one where I am describing a POV from one of the female MCs.

I've don't find switching from male to female POV different from switching to a same-sex POV. But that's just my experience.

And, as I say, I stick to one POV per scene and recommend this to folks in the early stages of their writing journey.

blacbird · Mar 24, 2014

job said:
There is this also. Third Person POV can disclose emotions and thoughts of the non-POV character through dialog, description, action and internals from the POV character.
You don't have to go into the non-POV character's head to show us what she's thinking.

Quoted for emphasis. Too many inexperienced writers seem to believe they absolutely must relate thoughts of every important character in order for the story to be understood by the reader. It's a form of "But The Reader Needs to Know This" Syndrome, and it can often drain energy from the narrative.

As another caution, derived from critiquing many manuscripts, too many inexperienced writers fall into the trap of multiple-POV narration, perceived of as a convenience, without really being able to handle any single POV well.

caw

ironmikezero · Mar 24, 2014

Just an opinion... Multiple POVs can be an issue of an author's personal taste or style; however, it typically calls for a skill level that many admit is damned difficult to achieve. Yet it can be done - the acid test is whether or not the reader experiences a single moment of confusion.

Never confuse the reader. Be clear through whose eyes the scene is depicted. Any change in perspective (POV) must be equally clear - hence the use of a scene (or chapter) break.

Done well, multiple POVs can enrich character development and enhance the story flow; done poorly, multiple POVs can confuse the reader, stymie character development, and cripple the flow.

Sadly, the former is far more rare than the latter.

LDParker · Mar 24, 2014

Everyone, thanks for the clarifications/comments

Question about Third Person Limited POV

LDParker

Osulagh

Independent fluffy puppy.

job

In the end, it's just you and the manuscript

LDParker

job

In the end, it's just you and the manuscript

blacbird

ironmikezero

practical experience, FTW

LDParker