Omni

[Dan Jones]

My new WIP is written partially in omni, and having written four novels in, respectively, close 3rd, close 3rd, close 3rd, and 1st person, I'm finding it a bit of a struggle. The instinct is to keep diving into an individual character's close 3rd perspective, rather than retain that slightly aloof air of arms' length distance over several characters' thoughts simultaneously that I think ought to typify an omniscient perspective (this might be called head-hopping, which I don't necessarily regard as the great sin that some do).

I know it's not been fashionable for a while but I do think it fits the tone of what I'm trying to accomplish with the latest WIP. And also I think we ought to try to challenge ourselves to write in different forms and with different techniques.

Is anyone else writing in omni?

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

Is anyone else writing in omni?

Not intentionally.
Edit: but I agree with you. It’s healthy to challenge ourselves.

 

[HareBrain]

The instinct is to keep diving into an individual character's close 3rd perspective, rather than retain that slightly aloof air of arms' length distance over several characters' thoughts simultaneously that I think ought to typify an omniscient perspective

I don't know why you think it's necessary to retain that distanced air, nor why you'd want to (except as an exercise). Stephen King comes to mind as someone who zooms in and out of close third (but without head-hopping) and the zoomed-out voice is definitely him as an external narrator. He has one of the most readable styles going.

 

[alexvss]

The instinct is to keep diving into an individual character's close 3rd perspective, rather than retain that slightly aloof air of arms' length distance over several characters' thoughts simultaneously that I think ought to typify an omniscient perspective (this might be called head-hopping, which I don't necessarily regard as the great sin that some do).

Isn't that what happens in Dune? I liked it a lot!

When I started, I wrote in omni. I think that's only natural, as it is the language of fairy tales we hear as kids. But when I started sending my work out for critique, people told me to stop doing that and write in Free Indirect Discourse instead. I researched it and soon fell for it. I can't imagine myself writing in any other way now.

 

[Dan Jones]

I don't know why you think it's necessary to retain that distanced air, nor why you'd want to (except as an exercise). Stephen King comes to mind as someone who zooms in and out of close third (but without head-hopping) and the zoomed-out voice is definitely him as an external narrator. He has one of the most readable styles going.

Now that you mention it I'm not sure why I think that either. It's probably some hangover from writing some poor quality omni from many years ago. And come to think of it I can't remember the last book I read that was written in omni either, so it may be that I'm just suffering from lack of exposure to it. I'll dig out some King and some others and remind myself of what it looks like.

I've had a think about what I'm trying to do with the book and am now going to try writing it in 3rd person present, so still omniscient, but with that more urgent sense that someone - or something - is watching the action. I'll only have to retrofit about 1000 words as I really am right at the start.

 

[HareBrain]

Now that you mention it I'm not sure why I think that either. It's probably some hangover from writing some poor quality omni from many years ago.

I don't think it would need to be poor quality, but it feels very pre-modern. After my previous post I started thinking maybe it could work to have an overarching, distant narrator commenting on the lives and thoughts of the characters, possibly relating the differing thoughts of several of them in the same paragraph or even sentence. I can imagine it working in a kind of cynical comedy tone, but maybe not if you wanted the reader to engage with the characters.

 

[tinkerdan]

Someone mentioned Dune @alexvss I think and Dune definitely worked back then and the last time I read it, which was recently.
Strongly suggest that you look into how Herbert did his version of Omni with internal thoughts, with the caveat of trying to find a better balance that doesn't head hop as much as he did in Dune.

I think you can accomplish and Omni that focuses on one character's internal thoughts at a time(per chapter or at least per scene).

Anyway look up Omniscient Subjective as a POV for reference material.

Third Person Omniscient Point of View: The All-Knowing Narrator

Learn how to write in third person omniscient PoV. This guide offers writing tips, explanations, and examples of the nuance of the omniscient perspective.

www.scribophile.com