On Sunday I read THE PEACH KEEPER by Sarah Addison Allen.
Ok, I lied. I read thirteen pages Saturday night. On Sunday by noon I’d read the remaining 261 pages.
And do you know what I decided when I’d finished the book?
First, I’m going to read all Sarah Addison Allen’s books. Second, I’m going to write a novel with more than one POV. (Sorry, Izzy, you’re toast. This another book and the main character’s name is Di. As in Diamond.)
In addition to enjoying (understatement) the story and the writing in TPK, I was fascinated by the structure. It’s not 100% linear. It’s not every-other-chapter from a different POV. It flows seamlessly and nothing is left out but it’s not necessarily put together in the way you’d expect.
Now, this author has a lot of experience and I wouldn’t compare my abilities to someone who has multiple published books notched into her computer, but — what’s better than an author who can inspire me to do something better with my own writing? Not to write like another author – but to push me to write better as myself? I think it would be fascinating to write the same story from multiple points of view. I’ve only ever written one short story that way — one that’s currently out on the submission road after getting awesome feedback in a Backspace Short Story Contest.
I don’t think it’s necessary to have mulitple points of view in women’s fiction (or any fiction). I remember reading HENRY’S SISTERS by Cathy Lamb and being astounded at the depth of all the characters in a book written in one first person point of view. It’s not the number of points of view. You can have twenty points of view and no depth, no coherent story telling. You can have one point of view and everything you need.
For me, this is about changing it up and pushing myself to do something different within my chosen genre — and to challenge myself. Sort of — to give myself a promotion and see if I make the cut. I don’t want to write something different, I want to write differently. Up the ante. Writing something new is always a challenge. The Izzy book I mentioned a few posts back is written in first person. My novel that’s finally – once again – in the capable hands of my agent, is written in close third person. Jumping into this shiny new idea of writing with multiple voices led me to pick up a pen (GASP) and a notebook (GULP) and jot down some ideas (I totally got writer’s cramp). I’m not sure how many points of view there will be — two or three — and the story is about three sisters (way cool for me, as I have no sisters – none by blood anyway) and intuition (I do have that) and premonitions (I’ve had those too) and what happens when we pay attention to them — and what happens when we don’t. Can’t really say more because I really don’t know more. Yet.
I have no preference when reading women’s fiction — it can be first person or third, one POV or many. It’s the skill with which the author relays the story that is important. If the voice or voices work — it works for me.
What POV works for you when reading and writing women’s fiction?
(What also works for me is now having Sarah Addison Allen on Women’s Fiction Writers. I’m going to get right on that!!* Oh, and full disclosure here, I received an Advance Reader Edition of THE PEACH KEEPER. I never ask for books but do accept AREs and ARCs when they are offered or land in my mailbox. I never promise to read or review the book or have the author on WFW – but if it happens, we all win! )
*Edited to add: At Sarah Addison Allen’s request, she’ll be featured on WFW in early 2012, which will correspond with the trade paperback release of THE PEACH KEEPER.
I think The Peach Keeper sounds wonderful, Amy. So excited you’ll have Sarah on your blog. And I love the way you’re looking at POV challenges for yourself: “to give myself a promotion and see if I make the cut.” We have to challenge ourselves as writers, don’t we?
I’m like you: it doesn’t matter what POV; it’s the skill with which the author uses that vehicle -whether first, third, first plural, multiple…
This is a great post. There are so many opinions about POV, but the truth is that if it reads well, any way should work.
You’re right, Liz. Do you have a preference? I don’t think I do — but I know many people do like reading (and writing) one way over another.
🙂
Amy
I think we do need to challenge ourselves, Melissa. And while I was writing my WIP in first person with intense attention to depth in all the characters, I had another idea that I’d pushed aside until I read THE PEACH KEEPER. It’s not that I thought “If she can do it, I can,” it’s more I thought, “I owe it to myself to try multiple points of view because of how much I enjoyed this book.” Make sense?
🙂
Amy
Makes PERFECT sense (and I didn’t read into it as “if she can-I can”). Have fun with it. I’m totally enjoying Eleanor Brown’s POV in THE WEIRD SISTERS… incredible, really. Seems it would be SO difficult to do, as well….
First person works best for me when I’m writing female characters–especially in short stories. I have several novels with 3rd POV for my females but I find that First gives me a deeper, more impressive expression of the character’s mind and motivation. It also helps with using details to enhance emotion and emotional responses.
Hi P.I.
I wrote THE GLASS WIVES in first person and a year before I actually queried – which was 10 months before I signed with an agent – I changed the entire book from first person to close third (that, my friends, was NOT fun). I found the book much more intimate and personal that way. I’m convinced it just depends on the book (and the writer’s forte).
🙂
Amy
Already put The Peach Keeper on hold at the library. Am currently reading The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown, written in a unique third person plural woven in with third person intimate. Wouldn’t have thought it possible. Doesn’t hurt that the writing is beautiful. Good luck with setting a new POV challenge for yourself!
Hi Densie!
I loved THE WEIRD SISTERS. I loved the story and writing and was fascinated with plural third person POV. I may give that a try just for kicks (LOL) in a short story at some point — just to see if I can make it work.
🙂
Amy
I’m writing the last VK in multiples. But how I challenged myself and hope I did it okay was that even though there are chapters in first person – VK’s POV, she also is the storyteller, so she writes the stories in Momma’s, Adin’s, and Rebekha’s POV’s – so I had to keep an eye on the language – making it the different POV’s voices, but also how VK would write in her own unique way – it was kind of weird, but really kind of fun and wonderful too!
Sarah and I will be in the same anthology with our novellas – I hope I don’t disappoint her readers -that’s my greatest “fear” !
Kat,
I don’t think you could disappoint anyone. And I can’t wait to read VK’s — I mean your — last “Graces” novel!
I’ve never read a novella — I’m looking forward to giving that anthology a try. Especially knowing who’s in it!
🙂
Amy
I LOVE Sarah Addison Allen — I remember reading the query/first chapter of GARDEN SPELLS on a web site before she published and being so impressed. Like you said, for me it is more about how the story hangs together when I’m reading than how many POVs it uses. In EVENFALL, I did three different points of view — one first person, and two third person. I chose each one for a specific reason for each character. My next book is third person right now, but we shall see. Good luck with your new idea — it sounds exactly like what I like to read!
Hi Liz!!
You described that perfectly (hey, you should be a writer)! “How the story hangs together” is the best way to say that!
🙂
Amy
It’s good to read a blog post of POV… my favorite subject!
I think POV depends on the level of intimacy the writer wants to create with the reader as well as the story itself. There’s a book I love titled “Belly” by Lisa Selin Davis that’s 3rd person POV, and it would have failed in 1st because the protagonist is not a likeable man. Readers need the distance 3rd person offers to stomach the book! It’s a fascinating study in 3rd person, if you’re one of those writers who likes to read as a writer (it’s not women’s fiction, per se, and it’s out of print, so it has to be ordered as a used book)
I just switched my WIP from 1st to 3rd, and you’re right, Amy, it’s a bitch.
I like multiple POV’s. All of my manuscripts are in third-person. Is that a form of multi-tasking? 🙂
Yet, if I’m struggling to develop a character’s voice, I’ll write him/her in first person just so I can hear and do justice to their personality.
However, the POV in books that I read have nothing to do with my reading enjoyment. If the voices are well done, the story thought provoking and memorable, that’s what makes a great read for me.
3rd person multiple POV does have pitfalls for writers if they’re not careful, don’t you think?
For example, it makes for difficult reading IF the writer doesn’t cue the reader in as to who’s POV they’re getting. Nothing is more frustrating than not knowing who’s perspective we are seeing the fictional world from.
It’s also can cause a problem when a story starts out with an engaging character’s POV, and then switches to another voice that’s not as compelling. As a reader, I find myself skimming along to get back to the other character. So each character has to be engaging as the others.
Eegads, I made a grammatical error. That should be WHOSE perspective! (cringe)
Sorry.
oops…misspoke. The Weird Sisters is actually first person plural–even more unusual–and third person intimate.
Great post! I’ve read one of Sarah Addison Allen’s books and really loved it and have been meaning to buy her Peach book. You have now pushed me over the edge to go get it NOW. I loved the way you described challenging your writing by thinking about writing in a different POV. My three books are all first person and I feel as if I wouldn’t have a clue how to do it any other way. Now I’d like to try! Thanks for that.
Patti
I love Sarah’s books. I just discovered here a few months ago and plan on reading ALL of them!
An inspiring post, Amy! I saw TPK in Barnes & Noble when it first came out and didn’t even pick it up. After hearing you rave about it I’ll be making a trip back for it. Looking forward to reading her interview in 2012!
YAY! You finally read one of her books. She is one of my absolute favorite authors writing today. I can’t wait to see her here!
Regarding POV, as a reader, I like to switch it up, reading a multi-POV story then switching to a single POV title. As a writer, I’m slowly developing the multiple point of view concept. But I always admire new ideas from other writers. I’m currently fascinated with the storytelling method used in, One Day by David Nicholls. Must. Try. That!
So glad to see this post because I go back and forth with this…. one of my WIPs is first person and the other is third. I enjoy reading all POVs, so I’m trying my hand at writing different POVs too.
Julia, This is the first time I’m going to try something I haven’t tried before — although I guess the first time last time too. 😉
Stacy, ONE DAY is now on my TBR list. It’s the second time today someone has mentioned that book!
Christina, I’m looking forward to SAA’s interview too. My plan is to have read another book (or two) of hers by then.
Janie, Would love to know what you think of the other SAA books when you read them!
Patti, Yes, try something new!! And which SAA book have you read? I’d love to hear about it (without any spoilers, of course)
Kath, Just read and write — you’ve got great stories brewing over there. xoxo
Densie and Linda, You made me LAUGH correcting yourselves. There is no spelling or grammar police on the blog. I know, I know. You couldn’t help it!!
🙂
Amy
Excellent musings…i love thinking about POV. It never dawned on me to write my WIP in anything but 1st POV, but can see how different it would be to switch it up!
Lorna Landvik has broken all the rules by writing books with multiple POV, including 1st and 3rd, and does it so effortlessly i didn’t even notice because i was so in love with her writing.
I love getting swallowed up in a story and not even realizing what the POV is until pg 100. To me, that’s good writing, eh?
Hi Amy,
I’m thinking about my new WIP in different terms this time around – experimenting with myself. I figure, why not? Books don’t end up to be their first drafts anyway, right?
🙂
Amy
Certainly when I read, POV usually does not matter – as long as I’m getting a full story. I am writing in 3rd and I had some concerns, a long time ago, that it might be problematic that I switched voices… meaning, away from my main character, Ana. On the other hand, it always felt right and much later I realized that the reason it felt right was because even though I might shift focus to other characters’ POV, those thoughts and actions always relate to what is happening with Ana.
For my current WIP, it never occurred to me to write in 1st. I think it worries me that I will inject TOO much of me into that kind of narrative… but I like a challenge, too. So, a future exercise!
SO excited that you’ll have Sarah here! It was actually after reading Garden Spells (recommended by my agent that wasn’t my agent yet) that I did a major revision from pure “Sarah” inspiration, queried said agent, and now have said agent!! LOL! And my novel is in the Berkley winter catalog saying “for readers of Karen White and Sarah Addison Allen” which just put me over the moon.
Needless to say, I love them both. I think it’s wonderful that you obtained that connection!
And for your question…I love First Person. Both in reading and writing. And actually it is my natural way to write, I think I’d have trouble doing it any other way. I haven’t been brave enough to try multiple POVs but I’m always in awe of those who can do it well and seamlessly. Right now I’m reading THE ONE THAT I WANT by Allison Winn Scotch written in 1st present tense, which is also difficult to pull off well but it’s really hooking me.
Every time I read a book I like I want to use that POV or structure in mine. Sometimes I’ll try and find that either I’m not up for the challenge or my story/novel doesn’t quite work that way. It can be very “grass is greener.”
Great post!
And apparently timeless. 😉