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Thread: A question for fiction readers, or writers...

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    Default A question for fiction readers, or writers...

    In regards to point of view, does anyone have any particular feelings about reading stories from multiple characters' points of view, aka "third person omniscient?" Also, do those feelings change if the switches occur in different chapters or smaller sections as opposed to entire books being written mainly or wholly in one particular character's perspective, then switching throughout the series?

    When I was pretty young, I read a series that had multiple books in it and within those books there were several different sections and each often focused on a different character. I remember feeling kind of jarred with each transition and never really liking the beginnings of each new section because I was still attached to the previous character and wanted to get back to that story. But now I'm outlining this series I really want to write and I feel like switching up perspectives is the only way the story can be told well, so I'm not sure if I should remap it or go with it...

    Any opinions?

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    Default Re: A question for fiction readers, or writers...

    Read Game of Thrones, a rather popular series that HBO is making into a multi-year mini-series. Not only does the author jump from character to character with chapters, he also sometimes moves forward and backwards in time to try to keep the end of chapters in sync. Simply put, as the author this is your world and you control how it's presented. And to my mind, it's an effective way for a story with many characters coming and going to keep the reader involved. Some people won't like it because it's not as easy of a read as a single character story but that's also it's charm, imho.

    Another approach I liked is series or single books with multiple authors, when they basically hold their writing as a contest. ie, one person writes a chapter on the hero of the story and the chapter ends with the hero in a bind. The next chapter written by a different author will then have to get the hero out of trouble and solve the issue from the previous chapter, and then put the hero into different trouble at the end of that chapter, leaving it for the next or first author to find the solution. Two of the best at this sort of writing are Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, writers I have enjoyed for many years.

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    Default Re: A question for fiction readers, or writers...

    Just go with your gut and start writing the first story in your series in third person omniscient. A little ways in go back and reread what you have so far and you should have a sense of whether you're on the right track or not. If not you can always start over with one view point character but unless you take that risk you'll never know.

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    Default Re: A question for fiction readers, or writers...

    I can't believe I forgot about GoT earlier when trying to think of a widely successful series in third person omniscient!

    Thanks for the thoughts! I asked on my FB too and most people there seem pretty open to it too. I'm excited!

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    Default Re: A question for fiction readers, or writers...

    best example of this is A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan.

    it's about a bunch of down and out losers and each chapter is it's own story about a person and they all interconnect. Each chapter is written in the style of the person so you never truly adapt to the writing style.

    example being, in one chapter some guy was talking about his friend and how he can only write and explain things in charts. The next chapter was about this guy and the entire chapter was written in bar graphs and charts.

    pretty tough but neat at the same time

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    Default Re: A question for fiction readers, or writers...

    Tuesday, I get what you're saying about getting attached to a character and then having to switch to another character. I think it's all WHEN you switch. I personally really hate when an author switches right when a character is going to die or something like that. I always skip ahead until that character is mentioned again as to whether or not they lived, died, etc.

    I hate hate HATE cliffhangers like that.

    But other than that, I actually prefer third person omnicient.
    "You can close your eyes to reality but not to memories -Stainslaw J. Lec

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    Default Re: A question for fiction readers, or writers...

    I'm with papillonluvr. I prefer 3rd person omni. As for good examples... Well - most of the best books I've ever read in teh sci-fi, fantasy, and other fiction categories, lol. Harder to think of ones that AREN'T.

    I generally hate 1st person. It has to be written EXTRAORDINARILY well to come off right IMO. Very few books I've read - especially fiction - work well from 1st.

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    Default Re: A question for fiction readers, or writers...

    I don't mind when the characters are distinct enough in their own voice. When the characters change around and still sound the same enough that I lose track of who it is...... That's when I begin to dislike a book or author.

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    Default Re: A question for fiction readers, or writers...

    I like it. I love the discworld books, and I liek how it will switch between several characters all doing different things then their individual stories intertwine later in the book and shows how they're all involved in the big plotline.

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    Default Re: A question for fiction readers, or writers...

    YES!! Terry Pratchett is AWESOME!!

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    Default Re: A question for fiction readers, or writers...

    The mini-series I've been constructing for the better part of the last 2 years depends on third person omni to work. It's a tool to keep the plot flowing to its eventual end because the story is interconnected and has a lot of call-backs to previous events. Books that use 3rd person omni don't bother me unless they use it to create tension that wasn't even there to begin with (the cliffhanger, as someone mentioned before). Comes off as really cheap and gimmicky in anything higher than YA work. People should want to keep reading because they care about they care about what happens, not because you dangle the (usually boring) outcome over their heads.

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