A lesson learned

At the weekend I studied this POV thing!!! Over and over - I considered last weeks class discussion, feedback from my work shopping to date inc that received from Alison, and read the material Mike C sent me and also the chapter from How to Write A Million Rick has leant me.

I realize what I want to do is write from third person, close - multiple viewpoint. I think I understand now about switching mid paragraph – not allowed – generally not too much within a scene or chapter unless its warranted and not confusing. The stuff I’ve read on POV states clearly that in 3RD person POV I can sprinkle omniscience now and then if the story/plot warrants this.
I was experimenting with tense – and having redrafted the entire 4200 words of my Third chapter(to be work shopped this Saturday)from past tense (was/had) to present tense (is/has) I now realise that this is best avoided (according to How to write a million any way!)..but I’ll be intrigued to see how it comes across this Saturday. Experiment experiment! As I said…

I’m almost through “Alone in Berlin” a current best seller and I notice in that he primarily remains in 3rd person POV multiple view point BUT often switches POV within a scene between different characters and – cor blimey, 3 hail mary’s! – he also switches from past to present tense AND chucks in a bit of omniscience.

MY lesson from all this – and Ill make this the focus of my next tute with you if I may Emily – is its ok to do all the later , provided I know what Im doing and am in control, it doesn’t jar or throw my reader.( its just like leading the tango really and judging when to change the weight of the follower)

BG