Multiple POV characters - reading vs writing

[Brian G Turner]

I guess lots of people like those big multi-POV epics, but they're not for everyone.

Indeed - I doubt there's a single novel that has universal acclaim. The point about GRRM is simply that his huge commercial success proves that multiple protagonists can still engage a modern audience. Which IMO is an important technical point to know - especially when also trying to write multiple protagonists.

 

[Hex]

Gosh yes. I absolutely agree. I think my point was just that one shouldn't try to write multi-POV just because it's so popular.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

As a reader I much prefer omniscient if there are multiple view points - using the narrators voice for all the POVs I can take as many as they throw at me in a good story. With third limited it has to be a really good story for me to forgive more than two.

As a writer I much prefer to be in one or at most two POVs as I write. I get more immersed. I did try an omniscient story but in the end told it all from the POV of the YA character.

 

[Toby Frost]

One criticism I've seen quite often about Martin's work is that, owing to the large number of POVs, some of the characters "sound" too similar when he's writing from their point of view. I can't say whether this is right or not, but I do think that the multiple POV structure really runs the risk of getting out of control. Off the top of my head, the story could be damaged in a few ways:

1) The actual plot is lost under a pile of secondary stories
2) The plot ends up moving extremely slowly as the point of view is required to go "sideways" to take in all the POVs instead of forwards
3) Some POV characters don't have any real effect on the main story and, unless they add something very important, could be skipped.

 

[TitaniumTi]

I'll freely admit that my reading focus is very narrow, and I'm making potentially contentious statements as a result of that. I'm sure there are additional interpretations.

I don't think it's contentious at all. It's sound advice. Thank you.

I'm struggling with the implications for my WIP, which revolves around a threat to a community. It's improbable that any one protagonist would witness, or even know about, all the important events. The story might work with just two POVs but then I'd need to focus more on how their story arcs intersect.