Cary Neeper's Blog: Reviewing World-changing Nonfiction - Posts Tagged "pov"
Playing Fast and Loose With Points of View
(Yes, "play fast and loose" is in the Dimwit's Dictionary,
so should the title of this blog be "Being Unpredictable with POV?"
The other alternate suggestions are too unkind.)
The Webs of Varok is told by two storytellers--the third person omniscient and Tandra's first person view of things. She is not omniscient, doesn't have a clue what ahlorks or ellls think, not even Conn, though I suspect she thinks she does. We let her tell her view of things to add more dimension to the story. Sorry if it confused you at first. Her first person POV gets even more complicated because she is in "mind-link" with Orram, a talent that is not well developed in humans, so the sharing of thoughts comes and goes. I'm not really sorry about that, either. I think it adds to the fun. Some reviewers liked it.
It is not in the rule books, you know, jumping from first to third person as the story progresses, but in The Webs of Varok I believe it serves a good purpose. You wouldn't want to be stuck in Tandra's head, or even the author's head, would you? Wasn't it fun to get into Nidok's head? Ahlork probably don't share many genes with anyone else except ancient varoks, the same way many of us humans carry Neanderthal genes. Ahlork can gargle noises that almost sound like bipedal language--hence the translation in Webs--but I have taken great artistic license with their thoughts.
I also had fun playing in Mahntik's head, slamming shut her mental block and annoying her mates, just for the power trip it gave her. This talent also came in handy as a metaphor for what's been going on lately with humans and the economic casino games they've been playing. Their minds are slammed shut by nature, so not even the courts can find ways to throw the errant bankers in jail.
My conclusion? It doesn't hurt to break a few rules, if you're consistent about it. I'm doing it again--author's privilege when the publisher agrees. In the next book of the Archives of Varok, Orram tells the story in first person omniscient. Is this another rule broken? Too bad. Orram is a mood- and thought-sensing varok, isn't he? And he's in constant radio communication with everyone else in the story, so we'll give him a break. We'll give him a little character's license.
so should the title of this blog be "Being Unpredictable with POV?"
The other alternate suggestions are too unkind.)
The Webs of Varok is told by two storytellers--the third person omniscient and Tandra's first person view of things. She is not omniscient, doesn't have a clue what ahlorks or ellls think, not even Conn, though I suspect she thinks she does. We let her tell her view of things to add more dimension to the story. Sorry if it confused you at first. Her first person POV gets even more complicated because she is in "mind-link" with Orram, a talent that is not well developed in humans, so the sharing of thoughts comes and goes. I'm not really sorry about that, either. I think it adds to the fun. Some reviewers liked it.
It is not in the rule books, you know, jumping from first to third person as the story progresses, but in The Webs of Varok I believe it serves a good purpose. You wouldn't want to be stuck in Tandra's head, or even the author's head, would you? Wasn't it fun to get into Nidok's head? Ahlork probably don't share many genes with anyone else except ancient varoks, the same way many of us humans carry Neanderthal genes. Ahlork can gargle noises that almost sound like bipedal language--hence the translation in Webs--but I have taken great artistic license with their thoughts.
I also had fun playing in Mahntik's head, slamming shut her mental block and annoying her mates, just for the power trip it gave her. This talent also came in handy as a metaphor for what's been going on lately with humans and the economic casino games they've been playing. Their minds are slammed shut by nature, so not even the courts can find ways to throw the errant bankers in jail.
My conclusion? It doesn't hurt to break a few rules, if you're consistent about it. I'm doing it again--author's privilege when the publisher agrees. In the next book of the Archives of Varok, Orram tells the story in first person omniscient. Is this another rule broken? Too bad. Orram is a mood- and thought-sensing varok, isn't he? And he's in constant radio communication with everyone else in the story, so we'll give him a break. We'll give him a little character's license.
Celebrating a finalist selection for The Webs of Varok
Come join the event I am running until June 20. A two-book prize for the most thoughtful comments in my two blogs on two issues in The Webs of Varok: 1)Tandra's growing awareness and self-actualization and 2) the steady state as portrayed in The Webs, namely balancing regulation with consensus.
Blogs are here on Goodreads and on http://caryneeper.com/blog.htm
Go to the author's page on archivesofvarok.com to see the latest on Tandra's character development.
Here's the link http://bit.ly/Yfg6V6
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Blogs are here on Goodreads and on http://caryneeper.com/blog.htm
Go to the author's page on archivesofvarok.com to see the latest on Tandra's character development.
Here's the link http://bit.ly/Yfg6V6
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Reviewing World-changing Nonfiction
Expanding on the ideas portrayed in The Archives of Varok books for securing the future.
- Cary Neeper's profile
- 32 followers
