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POV Problem...



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Sun Apr 17, 2016 8:30 pm
UntamedHeart173 says...



Okay, so I'm working on the outline for a new book and I'm wondering which POV to write the book in. I'm debating between third person limited and first person right now. The summary I currently have for the novel is:

"Astrid and Acacia are twins. In the beginning of the book, they find out that they have different lineages...but the same father. Their father is Wyatt Blake, a man with a secret that could tear the world apart. Wyatt is a Son of Hades, a man who worships and follows the God of the Underworld. But Wyatt is not just a Son of Hades. He’s the firstborn, Hades’ favorite Son. Their mother is Isabella Blake, a Daughter of Isis. Like their father, their mother is the firstborn. Isabella has spent years gaining Isis’ favor. At seventeen years old, Astrid and Acacia are told that their lives are about to change forever. Acacia has been claimed by the Daughters of Isis and will spend the rest of her life training under the Goddess herself. Astrid, however, is the first girl in over a thousand years to be claimed by Hades. Traveling to the Isle of Hades, a hidden island where the God has made his home, Astrid has no idea what is in store for her. Upon meeting Hades, Astrid finds that the God is nothing like she thought he would be. Far from the cruel, hate-filled being of legends, Hades is a kind but broken soul and it isn’t long before they find themselves falling in love. But when Hades’ island is attacked by the Gaulish Pantheon, the Egyptian and Greek Pantheons must band together to fight this new war."

What do you guys think a novel like this should be written in? I'm leaning towards third person limited but I'm not so sure. Any help/advice you could give would be very much appreciated!

Colly
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Sun Apr 17, 2016 10:38 pm
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Evander says...



The POV you choose will really set a tone for your novel.

First person writing tends to be more personal, it tends to be in your main character's head, it tends to have a lot more inner thought. It's more likely that the main character will connect on a deeper level, even though that can certainly happen with third person. All of the information your reader has will be from the flawed perspective of your protagonist and there can't be all that much explaining from the outside, since that would be breaking out of the protagonist's head. (Description could possibly be hindered with first person, solely because of protagonist couldn't notice something or wouldn't have the experience to accurately describe something.)

There's also the added fact that first personal feels a lot more casual than third person, just from the nature of the main character telling the story to the reader. As I think I've said, there's a lot to be explored from inside of the protagonist's head and so if you want that, then it works.

Third person can be a lot more formal, depending on how you write it. It allows things that the main character might not always notice and it allows input from other characters. It's a bit more difficult to get inside of the main character's head and it's a bit hard to forge that character/reader relationship. Although, you're looking at third person limited in particular.

Third person limited is often described as a hybrid between third and first. There is someone else telling the thoughts and feelings of just the protagonist. It's not as casual as first person, but it's not as formal as third person. It's that weird mix in the middle that feels just right for a lot of writers.

I tend to love writing in third person limited, just because that's how I started.

If you feel like third person limited would better suit your novel, try it out for a chapter and see if it works! There are no penalties for trying things that may or may not work out. If you're halfway through writing the first paragraph and decide that first person would be better, then switch it up and see if it flows better for you.
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Mon Apr 18, 2016 2:13 am
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Rosendorn says...



The single question I always ask of my stories when I'm debating between first and third:

Is there something innate in the character that absolutely cannot be captured in anything but first person?

First person is actually a pretty useful tool for getting across something really special about the character. A unique perspective from which they see the world, an unmistakable voice, that sort of thing. If you don't have that, if the character isn't being demanded to be written about in first and you can capture everything in third, stick to third.
A writer is a world trapped in a person— Victor Hugo

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Mon Apr 18, 2016 4:29 am
UntamedHeart173 says...



Thanks guys! That really helps. Really think I'm going to go with third person limited because it sounds better and, with this novel at least, it works a lot better.
Dean: Of course, the most troubling question is why do these people assume we're gay?

Sam: Well, you are kind of butch. They probably think you're overcompensating.
  





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Thu Apr 28, 2016 3:33 pm
crossroads says...



A bit late to the party here and with a not-exactly related question, but from what you said up there it sounds like your MC falls in love with her grandfather. Yeah, he's a god and she also has another god as an ancestor and all that, but he's still her father's father. You might be able to somehow find your way around it or present it in a light that makes the reader not care/understand, but as far as first impressions go many people might find themselves a bit icked out by the idea.

I'd suggest you to simply try! Give a shot to both third and first person, and see which one works better and feels more natural. Sometimes it is about the logic behind it and everything Rosey and Adri covered already, but sometimes it also happens that you can write it and make it work in either person and it's just up to you to choose which one feels better with your chosen character and style.
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Thu Apr 28, 2016 5:41 pm
UntamedHeart173 says...



I might have to find another way to write the synopsis for this idea then, because Astrid and Hades aren't actually related. At all. Is he her mentor? Yes. But he's not related to her at all.
Dean: Of course, the most troubling question is why do these people assume we're gay?

Sam: Well, you are kind of butch. They probably think you're overcompensating.
  





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Thu Apr 28, 2016 6:42 pm
Vervain says...



I think the issue is that you spend three sentences emphasizing how Wyatt is Hades' firstborn Son, without ever clarifying that they're not blood related father-son. Maybe finding a different term for the disciples/followers than familial ties? Or simply clarifying "Wyatt is the most powerful and devoted follower who has been granted the title of eldest Son" or something the like.

I'll admit, I thought it was a little weird when I first read it, too, and you probably don't want to be implying familial romance in a synopsis if that's not the intent, haha.
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