As of today, I have exactly four weeks of no college. Come, celebrate with me.
*celebrates*
In that four weeks, I've given myself a lot to do. I'm currently almost 10 k into the revision of my WIP, and I plan on making a lot of headway. Anyone care to wager how far I can get before school starts again in January?
I'm also going to be reading: I've got a whole stack of books (both physical books and books on my Nook) hat I plan to get read/reviewed. And if I can get a few reviews lined up in case I get behind in reading during the Spring semester, that would be awesome, too. I'm also open to new titles: got a book to recommend to me? Let me know!
Now, a combination of reading and writing: next semester, I'm going to be working on my senior honors thesis. It's going to be a series of short stories that follow classic fairy tales, only with a slightly different setting than the classics gave them. So not only am I going to start planning all of those out (and I'm so stoked to be sharing that experience with ya'll), but I'm going to be researching, as well. It just so happens that my researching is going to center around reading and studying the fairy tales I plan to retell, as well as reading re-tellings. That's right, I'll be reading Marissa Meyers' THE LUNAR CHRONICLES for a second time, and taking a look at other re-tellings like Gregory Maguire's CONFESSIONS OF AN UGLY STEPSISTER and MIRROR, MIRROR.
As for the blog: I'm giving myself a project that's going to take a long time, which means I'll be finding one entire day to get it done. The project: I'm going to attempt adding a directory to this thing. That way ya'll can find past posts easily based on its subject: plot, characters, setting, etc. So. Yay?
Another blog project: I might (maybe) change the design soon. If ya'll have any opinions, or know any designers or good tutorials, please let me know. But the change is also kind of a big "if," since the current design has somewhat grown on me. Then again, I love changing things every now and again.
Well, that's the update. Now I need to learn how to be a normal human being again.
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Thursday, December 11, 2014
Monday, December 8, 2014
Writing from Multiple Perspectives
More specifically: should your novel be written in two or more POVs?
(Apologies in advance: due to my possible overuse of examples, this is a bit of a long post...)
(Apologies in advance: due to my possible overuse of examples, this is a bit of a long post...)
Back in July I wrote about choosing which POV to write in for your novel. Now, I want to tackle the fact that maybe you've figured out whether it should be first or third, and you've probably even known from the beginning which character to write from (this is a basic detail).
But then you realize: you think this book should be told from two perspectives. Or more. Not just one.
I'm not only a sucker for books told in multiple points of view, but much of my own works-in-progress tend to be told from the perspectives of two different characters. Some of my favorite published books are also told from multiple perspectives, including Beth Revis' ACROSS THE UNIVERSE series, Maggie Stiefvater's THE RAVEN BOYS, and Marissa Meyers' THE LUNAR CHRONICLES. It's not only extremely possible, but, personally, I think it makes a fantastic novel.
Yet there's two things that I think are vital to keep in mind when you decide to write multiple POVs:
-Each character should have a story to tell. Look at it critically: does each character have a story to tell that's crucial to the story? Do they each have a different perspective to offer, a different interaction with the setting and plot, access to important characters, and are their motivations unique?
For example: CINDER (Marissa Meyer) flips between the POV of Cinder and Prince Kai. For the purpose of this post, let's say that Cinder's role is arguably the more action-filled and plot-driving of the two; however Prince Kai gives the reader access to what's happening on a larger scale: he has access to the rest of the global leaders and government intelligence, as well as access to the antagonist and villain: Queen Levana. There is absolutely no way for Cinder to get this information, and, without it, the reader would lose a sense of urgency, as well as not quite see the larger scale of things. In her later books (SCARLET and CRESS), more perspectives are introduced, which is why I find these books so great to use as a resource: each perspective has their own unique story, skills, and information to offer.
In ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, the difference in POVs comes out more in terms of perspective: Amy is the "freak" of the Godspeed, and it's only through her 21st-century eyes that the reader sees how terribly wrong the social order on the ship is. Also: she's trying to figure out how to reunite herself with her parents. Elder, on the other hand, was born on the ship and is being bred for leadership, giving him access to different information (much like Prince Kai) and a different motivation (keeping the people on the ship safe).
However, if you have a second character whose only motivation is to help the first, and they cannot give you any extra information that the first cannot get: consider cutting it down to a single POV, because that kind of motivation is something that can be portrayed through somebody else's eyes.
For example: CINDER (Marissa Meyer) flips between the POV of Cinder and Prince Kai. For the purpose of this post, let's say that Cinder's role is arguably the more action-filled and plot-driving of the two; however Prince Kai gives the reader access to what's happening on a larger scale: he has access to the rest of the global leaders and government intelligence, as well as access to the antagonist and villain: Queen Levana. There is absolutely no way for Cinder to get this information, and, without it, the reader would lose a sense of urgency, as well as not quite see the larger scale of things. In her later books (SCARLET and CRESS), more perspectives are introduced, which is why I find these books so great to use as a resource: each perspective has their own unique story, skills, and information to offer.
In ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, the difference in POVs comes out more in terms of perspective: Amy is the "freak" of the Godspeed, and it's only through her 21st-century eyes that the reader sees how terribly wrong the social order on the ship is. Also: she's trying to figure out how to reunite herself with her parents. Elder, on the other hand, was born on the ship and is being bred for leadership, giving him access to different information (much like Prince Kai) and a different motivation (keeping the people on the ship safe).
However, if you have a second character whose only motivation is to help the first, and they cannot give you any extra information that the first cannot get: consider cutting it down to a single POV, because that kind of motivation is something that can be portrayed through somebody else's eyes.
-Each character needs their own voice. This is really important. Whether you're in first person POV or third, every character (perspective) has a voice. Think about AtU, again: Amy sees everything through the eyes of a girl born on Earth hundreds of years prior, and Elder sees everything through the eyes of a person who was born into his society. Their words are different, their descriptions are different, different things catch their eyes, and they have different priorities. Each of these show through the narrative.
If you need another example, try THE RAVEN BOYS: the perspectives shift from Blue, Gansey, Adam, Ronan, Blue's mother (occasionally), and any unnamed antagonist. Part of the reason I think Stiefvater handles so many perspectives so well is that they each have their own voices: Blue is sassy and sarcastic, Gansey is a bit childlike in his quest and naive, Ronan's violent and vulgar, Blue's mother is a bit spacey, and Adam has a struggle between his personal pride and his friendships. They have a unique way of speaking, so it's typically fairly easy to tell based on their different vocabularies and surroundings whose perspective the reader has shifted into. each of their unique problems also shimmy's its way into their narratives, since their problems give them each a different way of looking at what's happening around them.
Writing from different POVs can also be extremely dangerous when writing in the first person, because it's much easier for the characters' voices to blend together and sound exactly the same. If they sound the same, that's kind of a bad thing. Of course, that's not to say that multiple voices in the third POV can't sound the same, too, but I've always found that the first person is harder to change once you're into a particular character's head (although, it might just be my own personal struggle with writing the first person that's making me say that).
*
Those are just two things I've come across recently when reading that I felt were important to bring up. They're also things that I question in regards to my own work every time I sit down to write: make each of my perspectives sound a little bit different (voice) and make sure (make really sure) that this novel cannot be told in only one perspective. Because, sometimes, I've come across novels told in multiple POVs, when it could have gone much better in only a single. It happens.
So ask yourself a few of those critical questions. It'll not only help you plan out your novel as a whole, but it'll help you make sure your narrative, itself, is doing its job in telling the story.
What's your opinion on writing/reading novels in multiple perspectives? What do you think about when considering POV?
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Should your novel be told from multiple perspectives? Blogger @Rae_Slater has a checklist of things to think about (Click to Tweet)
Voice, motivation, information. Things to think about when considering writing from multiple POVs via @Rae_Slater (Click to Tweet)
If you need another example, try THE RAVEN BOYS: the perspectives shift from Blue, Gansey, Adam, Ronan, Blue's mother (occasionally), and any unnamed antagonist. Part of the reason I think Stiefvater handles so many perspectives so well is that they each have their own voices: Blue is sassy and sarcastic, Gansey is a bit childlike in his quest and naive, Ronan's violent and vulgar, Blue's mother is a bit spacey, and Adam has a struggle between his personal pride and his friendships. They have a unique way of speaking, so it's typically fairly easy to tell based on their different vocabularies and surroundings whose perspective the reader has shifted into. each of their unique problems also shimmy's its way into their narratives, since their problems give them each a different way of looking at what's happening around them.
Writing from different POVs can also be extremely dangerous when writing in the first person, because it's much easier for the characters' voices to blend together and sound exactly the same. If they sound the same, that's kind of a bad thing. Of course, that's not to say that multiple voices in the third POV can't sound the same, too, but I've always found that the first person is harder to change once you're into a particular character's head (although, it might just be my own personal struggle with writing the first person that's making me say that).
*
Those are just two things I've come across recently when reading that I felt were important to bring up. They're also things that I question in regards to my own work every time I sit down to write: make each of my perspectives sound a little bit different (voice) and make sure (make really sure) that this novel cannot be told in only one perspective. Because, sometimes, I've come across novels told in multiple POVs, when it could have gone much better in only a single. It happens.
So ask yourself a few of those critical questions. It'll not only help you plan out your novel as a whole, but it'll help you make sure your narrative, itself, is doing its job in telling the story.
What's your opinion on writing/reading novels in multiple perspectives? What do you think about when considering POV?
Tweet It:
Should your novel be told from multiple perspectives? Blogger @Rae_Slater has a checklist of things to think about (Click to Tweet)
Voice, motivation, information. Things to think about when considering writing from multiple POVs via @Rae_Slater (Click to Tweet)
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Tea Time: Irkadura
Okay, so just to put it out in the universe: I'm trying to shorten my reviews, so hopefully they'll stop looking and reading like miniature book reports (can I blame college? Yes? Please?).
**Warning: Spoilers May Abound**
Irkadura, Ksenia Anske
"My mama became a catfish when I was two, on the day I stopped talking."
Neglected since birth by her mother, Irina Myshko hasn’t spoken a word for most of her short Soviet life. Outcast as a mute idiot and abused by her mother's boyfriends, she escapes into an alternate reality where true natures show and people are revealed as the beasts they are. Pregnant, homeless, and penniless, Irina has to make a choice — learn to live in this splintered world or descend into madness.(source:goodreads)
Narrative-The point of view of this book cannot be named as primarily one thing or another, because it's split pretty evenly between two:
First, there's the first-person POV of Irina Myshko as she struggles through her life. Second, there's a switch to the third-person point of view of a mouse as it fights against a series of predatory animals. The effect is pretty incredible: Irina sees every person she meets as some kind of animal, and she associates herself with a mouse. Therefore, the flips between points of view are Irina's way of making sense of the world.
The effect is pretty...brutal. And terrifying. And it's actually a really interesting way to tell the story.
★★★★★
Plot-This book follows the mute Irina as she runs away from home, pregnant, and basically just tries to survive out on the streets of the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, her mind and imagination work overtime, occasionally cutting in and blurring the lines between reality and her own nightmares. This calls for an extremely surreal world that I thought Anske pulled off really well without being confusing. It's not only easy to follow, but it's full of excitement (and not really in a good way).
In the meantime, Irina meets a young actor who takes her in, but the problem, there, is that he's the target of a series of attacks by a hate group (basically: the Nazis). So while Irina is trying to come to grips with what's happened to her in her past and where she's going with her future, she's also trying to keep her new friend safe, because her visions that turn the world into one populated by animals gives her an extra-sensitive set of senses that alert her to danger.
It's not necessarily fast-paced, but it's definitely one of those books that explores the beast inside the human mind.
★★★★☆
Characters-I'm only going to talk about the character of Irina, because her role is so huge in the novel, and so brutal, that I think she's the one you really need to pay attention to (I mean, she's the main character and the narrator, but still).
Irina's troubled. She has fits of madness, and fits of intense rage (against her family), but she's also capable of great love. The trick is really figuring out where she fits in the world, and though her voice is so strong and her character is so admirable (well, I thought she was mostly admirable), by the end of the novel I couldn't help but question her sanity. I feel like she's a great example of a character whose ideas of justice might be slightly marred, preferring to dole out her own punishments (which gets her in trouble).
She's very dark, yet her voice rings with a kind of truth that you don't want to believe, but you still know that it's slightly true.
★★★★☆
It's very different, and it's one of those books that's so dark and human that you want to look away, but you can't stop turning the page until you read the very last word.
Final Answer: 4.33 / 5
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Want a dark, beastly, and surreal read? IRKADURA @kseniaanske. You won't regret it. Read the review via @Rae_Slater (Click to Tweet)
Brutal and beautiful. IRKADURA @kseniaanske earns more than four stars from blogger @Rae_Slater (Click to Tweet)
**Warning: Spoilers May Abound**
"My mama became a catfish when I was two, on the day I stopped talking."
Neglected since birth by her mother, Irina Myshko hasn’t spoken a word for most of her short Soviet life. Outcast as a mute idiot and abused by her mother's boyfriends, she escapes into an alternate reality where true natures show and people are revealed as the beasts they are. Pregnant, homeless, and penniless, Irina has to make a choice — learn to live in this splintered world or descend into madness.(source:goodreads)
Narrative-The point of view of this book cannot be named as primarily one thing or another, because it's split pretty evenly between two:
First, there's the first-person POV of Irina Myshko as she struggles through her life. Second, there's a switch to the third-person point of view of a mouse as it fights against a series of predatory animals. The effect is pretty incredible: Irina sees every person she meets as some kind of animal, and she associates herself with a mouse. Therefore, the flips between points of view are Irina's way of making sense of the world.
The effect is pretty...brutal. And terrifying. And it's actually a really interesting way to tell the story.
★★★★★
Plot-This book follows the mute Irina as she runs away from home, pregnant, and basically just tries to survive out on the streets of the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, her mind and imagination work overtime, occasionally cutting in and blurring the lines between reality and her own nightmares. This calls for an extremely surreal world that I thought Anske pulled off really well without being confusing. It's not only easy to follow, but it's full of excitement (and not really in a good way).
In the meantime, Irina meets a young actor who takes her in, but the problem, there, is that he's the target of a series of attacks by a hate group (basically: the Nazis). So while Irina is trying to come to grips with what's happened to her in her past and where she's going with her future, she's also trying to keep her new friend safe, because her visions that turn the world into one populated by animals gives her an extra-sensitive set of senses that alert her to danger.
It's not necessarily fast-paced, but it's definitely one of those books that explores the beast inside the human mind.
★★★★☆
Characters-I'm only going to talk about the character of Irina, because her role is so huge in the novel, and so brutal, that I think she's the one you really need to pay attention to (I mean, she's the main character and the narrator, but still).
Irina's troubled. She has fits of madness, and fits of intense rage (against her family), but she's also capable of great love. The trick is really figuring out where she fits in the world, and though her voice is so strong and her character is so admirable (well, I thought she was mostly admirable), by the end of the novel I couldn't help but question her sanity. I feel like she's a great example of a character whose ideas of justice might be slightly marred, preferring to dole out her own punishments (which gets her in trouble).
She's very dark, yet her voice rings with a kind of truth that you don't want to believe, but you still know that it's slightly true.
★★★★☆
It's very different, and it's one of those books that's so dark and human that you want to look away, but you can't stop turning the page until you read the very last word.
Final Answer: 4.33 / 5
Tweet It:
Want a dark, beastly, and surreal read? IRKADURA @kseniaanske. You won't regret it. Read the review via @Rae_Slater (Click to Tweet)
Brutal and beautiful. IRKADURA @kseniaanske earns more than four stars from blogger @Rae_Slater (Click to Tweet)
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