SOME TIPS FOR NEW WRITERS 1
WRITING TIPS.
I am a stickler for strict viewpoint and get furious when reading a book which jumps from viewpoint to viewpoint without warning so I don't know who's talking and why.
First person viewpoint is an excellent way of discovering the voice of your main character, seeing the world as only they can see it, thinking their thoughts. It is an intimate voice but there is no hiding place. It has to be convincing and original.
Then there's the third person viewpoint that hones in only on the main character, observes them in action and also allows that voice to come through but the trouble comes when you want to see them as others see them, reveal stuff that they don't know about etc. How I have contrived and struggled to make them eavesdrop and drop in on scenes and strained the narrative.
There's nothing wrong in changing viewpoint as long as there is a gap left to show the change has been made or a new chapter is told from someone else's viewpoint. There are no rules other than to make any change clear to the reader.
How many viewpoints is a personal choice but with each voice another dimension is added. Too many voices and we don't care, after a while who the main characters are. They sort of get lost in all the chatter as we dart from voice to voice. This promiscuous use of viewpoint can distance us from the dilemmas and conflicts to a point where we can switch off completely and abandon the book.
I have to care about what is happening to the characters, to empathise with their plight and emotions but too many characters, all talking at once and I lose that emotional connection that draws me onto the next page.
Several viewpoints can enrich the storyline, reflect the themes of the book by echoing and re-echoing the same theme in minor characters. It allows to us deepen characterization and detail and add other layers. It makes for a bigger book; an excellent way to expand a book without padding and over description.
