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Craft Chat Help please-POV

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I am writing a YA Supernatural thriller called Death's Child. I recently took part in a writer's workshop and was told I could only write from the protagonist's point of view. If he isn't there, I shouldn't write it because it is outside his knowledge. Is this correct? One person said I'd been influenced by TV and books don;t work the same way. I am now questioning everything.
I would really appreciate some guidance please.
Thanks
Ronnie
 
I am writing a YA Supernatural thriller called Death's Child. I recently took part in a writer's workshop and was told I could only write from the protagonist's point of view. If he isn't there, I shouldn't write it because it is outside his knowledge. Is this correct? One person said I'd been influenced by TV and books don;t work the same way. I am now questioning everything.
I would really appreciate some guidance please.
Thanks
Ronnie
Normally, it's okay to have another POV if it's in a separate section or chapter; not within the same. There is no rule as to how many POV's you can have within your book, but most agree you should not have more than two, maybe three POV's; i.e. the MC and one or two supporting characters.
 
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You know, I'm really fucking tired of people telling other people how to write. If you want more than one POV, have more than one POV. It takes more skill to get it to work, but no one should be telling you you can't do it.

If it's good enough for Brando Sando, Sir Terry, and Phillip Pullman, it's good enough for you.

Sorry, rant over. Carry on.

J
 
You know, I'm really fucking tired of people telling other people how to write. If you want more than one POV, have more than one POV. It takes more skill to get it to work, but no one should be telling you you can't do it.

If it's good enough for Brando Sando, Sir Terry, and Phillip Pullman, it's good enough for you.

Sorry, rant over. Carry on.

J
Thanks Jake. I went back and rewrote huge sections of my book because of it. I'm not making the same mistake this time.
 
I am writing a YA Supernatural thriller called Death's Child. I recently took part in a writer's workshop and was told I could only write from the protagonist's point of view. If he isn't there, I shouldn't write it because it is outside his knowledge. Is this correct? One person said I'd been influenced by TV and books don;t work the same way. I am now questioning everything.
I would really appreciate some guidance please.
Thanks
Ronnie
If you're writing in first person POV (inside your protagonist's head) or close third person POV (on your protagonist's shoulder) and your protagonist leads the chapter then your workshop people are correct: your reader can't know anything the protagonist can't know/see/smell etc. Both these POV options are presently the most common (and most expected) in the YA sphere.

Keeping within these options, there are many YA novels that, as @James Charles said, use different POVs in different chapters. That way, your second (or even third but don't do too many) point of view character(s) can reveal things your protagonist doesn't know. It can be a good way to build tension (though knowing only as much or as little as the protagonist can still be high stakes and allow for big reveals). Be consistent though. Your reader wants to identify with the viewpoint character(s), so if you use more than one, you need to use them regularly throughout the book.

Published examples of multiple POV use in YA are All The Hidden Monsters by Amie Jordan (supernatural whodunnit with two POV), One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus (contemporary whodunnit with multiple POV), Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (YA Fantasy with three POV). There are, of course, a lot more examples.

My advice is play around with single POV or more than one (separated by chapters) and choose whichever creates the most tension for the reader. Your reader wants immersion, tension, conflict and high stakes. Choose which gives them the most of those.

(I've played around with one or two for my present WIP and found that only knowing what the protagonist knows keeps the reader guessing more which increases the anticipation of things going wrong at every turn and heightens the big midpoint reveal. That is, of course, this one story. For others I might choose multiple POV.)
 
If you're writing in first person POV (inside your protagonist's head) or close third person POV (on your protagonist's shoulder) and your protagonist leads the chapter then your workshop people are correct: your reader can't know anything the protagonist can't know/see/smell etc. Both these POV options are presently the most common (and most expected) in the YA sphere.

Keeping within these options, there are many YA novels that, as @James Charles said, use different POVs in different chapters. That way, your second (or even third but don't do too many) point of view character(s) can reveal things your protagonist doesn't know. It can be a good way to build tension (though knowing only as much or as little as the protagonist can still be high stakes and allow for big reveals). Be consistent though. Your reader wants to identify with the viewpoint character(s), so if you use more than one, you need to use them regularly throughout the book.

Published examples of multiple POV use in YA are All The Hidden Monsters by Amie Jordan (supernatural whodunnit with two POV), One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus (contemporary whodunnit with multiple POV), Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (YA Fantasy with three POV). There are, of course, a lot more examples.

My advice is play around with single POV or more than one (separated by chapters) and choose whichever creates the most tension for the reader. Your reader wants immersion, tension, conflict and high stakes. Choose which gives them the most of those.

(I've played around with one or two for my present WIP and found that only knowing what the protagonist knows keeps the reader guessing more which increases the anticipation of things going wrong at every turn and heightens the big midpoint reveal. That is, of course, this one story. For others I might choose multiple POV.)

I agree with all of the above. Some stories are better with just one POV, some are better with multiple. It's up to you as the author to decide which to go for.

There should also be an obvious break to show that a new POV has been entered. Either using a page break or a new chapter for third person, and ideally a whole new chapter in first person. Head hopping is a writing sin for a reason...
 
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