Comments on: How to Layer Points of View

By: Kelley York

Kelley York — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:15:01 +0000

Love it. Also, SUMMER SISTERS by Judy Blume comes to mind. Every so often, there’s a short chapter from a POV by one of the adults or minor characters. Sometimes it seemed so random, but it was so well done and interesting it added to the story. (Of course, this IS Judy Blume we’re talking about…)

Thanks, Mary! I worry about this when I write multiple POVs.

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:13:51 +0000

I think A.S. King weaves adult POVs very well into her books. I’m not sure if you classify her as “a very specific type of story.” But given her style, it works.

It seems like adult POVs are much more acceptable in middle grade (THE WESTING GAME, MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH) than in YA. Do you feel that’s true? Or are the examples I mention books from another time when it WAS acceptable and nowadays it’s less so?

By: Point of View | Lynley Stace

Point of View | Lynley Stace — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 10:03:10 +0000

[...] Point of View Posted on February 24, 2010 by Stace How to layer points of view [...]

By: In the Blogosphere: 3/5-3/23 « Ricki Schultz

In the Blogosphere: 3/5-3/23 « Ricki Schultz — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 04:10:48 +0000

[...] Over at her blog, Kidlit.com, Andrea Brown literary agent Mary Kole discusses how to layer points of view. [...]

By: Lorielle

Lorielle — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 16:24:15 +0000

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of books written in first person pov past tense, in one chapter, then it alternates to another character’s POV – Crazy Beautiful comes to mind. I also just finished “The Clearing” and that’s how Heather Davis wrote her book.

I’m struggling at the moment with which pov for my novel. I’ve written 14k words in first person pov present tense, but may want to re-think that…

But I need to stop over-thinking it, as well.

By: Jennifer Hubbard

Jennifer Hubbard — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 16:28:22 +0000

I hate to mention my own book, but it does fit exactly with the answer to this question. The book is told mostly from the first-person narrator’s POV, but the rest is told in diary form from another character’s POV. The two characters definitely don’t get equal time. The book is called The Secret Year; it came out this past January.

By: Franziska Green

Franziska Green — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:43:52 +0000

In Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins she dips into a parent’s POV and it did jar for me. It was toward the middle and I’d gotten used to all the different kids’ POVs, but when it suddenly went into Leon, the dad’s mind, I got a bit lost. I guess a young reader would feel that confusion even more.

Great and interesting post!

By: Joan

Joan — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 22:09:24 +0000

Very helpful info. I have a MG that switches POV and I’m not sure I’ve found the perfect balance between the two characters yet.

By: Karen Amanda Hooper

Karen Amanda Hooper — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:57:43 +0000

Phew. I was so worried you were going to say don’t switch POVs in 1st person. So glad you didn’t. Thanks for the great tips.

By: Anne B.

Anne B. — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 22:15:14 +0000

Thanks for this, Mary. My WIP can only be told with multiple POVs–omniscent narrator is too distant and the MC doesn’t know everything that is happening. I stuck to the POV of only a few of the characters, though, since the others could share their thoughts through dialogue just as effectively.