Thursday, August 28, 2014

Too Many People in my Head




Image by: davidcastillanodominici@FreeDigitalPhotos.net
It happens all the time, actually. So many characters, so much to say. Every writer has that--People yammering away inside their minds, begging, bargaining and downright demanding to be written. It's what makes us writers both unique and strange, and we wouldn't trade those voices for world domination.

So I'm wondering, with all those different voices, why would any author write in only one? I ask because I've noticed that my readers either don't like my multiple P.O.V. format, or find it odd to get used to.

I'd like to explain myself.

Again I refer to all the voices. When we get a book idea, we can't listen to only one. There's so many people talking at once. It's a curse and a blessing in equal measure. Myself, I find it both absurd and difficult to write as only one person. I can't understand WHY anyone would choose to do that.

It's kind of like this: Two people you love ferociously were a couple, but suddenly they've split up. You're confused, worried and upset for them. What do you do? Do you take sides immediately? Do you ignore them both and hope they work things out without getting involved?

I'm actually experiencing this right now, and I've decided to invite them both to go for lunch--separately I'm going to get BOTH stories in the hopes that I can remain friends with both, regardless of what happens next.  Because I love them.

My attitude toward that kind of thing might just be why I write in several different Points of View. I believe it's more important for the reader to UNDERSTAND what makes the character think and do what they do, to hear their side of the story. I want you to feel them they way I do.

Sometimes, like in the case of Ares, my characters announce, in no uncertain terms, that they WON'T be who I planned them to be.

The character Ares, from 'Aphrodite's War' was meant to be a charming, manipulative ladies man, a rake. But when he told Aphrodite "No one needed you to teach humans how to fuck." my hands flew off the keyboard. I'D written those words, but Ares had just informed me that he WASN'T going to be the endearing rogue I'd planned him to be. A lot of readers think he's over the top, but he wrote himself. I never felt like I had any control over him, and I never even wanted to go inside his head.

I think the point I'm trying to make is that a writer's characters can become so loud, they need to speak for themselves. As an author, I felt the need to demonstrate their feelings and present them to you so you could figure them out for yourselves.

Having said that, my fourth novel might be done in FIRST person. I think her name is Elaina, and she's different from the others. I'm not sure if the people in her world have anything useful to say to the rest of us. It feels like it's all about her.




If I actually write the next novel in the first person, I need you, the reader to understand...I've taken your comments seriously, and I accept that my style may be odd to you. However, if I DO write Elaina's story the way it looks now, know that I'm doing so for Elaina and the story. Not to capitulate to the market. And I hope you'll still like it.
This is kind of who Elaina looks like, but she doesn't think she's this pretty.

2 comments:

  1. I love multiple points of view, those seem to be the books I enjoy reading the most.

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