The terror of the POV…

Yes, that POV, that point of view thing, and when I say terror I mean in fiction writing.

I worked for many years in TV production that included film and video work. The camera POV seems straightforward. The camera shows what the character sees. As long as you are aware of certain rules, such as what happens when you ‘cross the line’ – that could make the audience dizzy with changed axis and reversed angles – POV can tell the story from many sets of eyes. Go for it! A technique very favoured in mystery shows. You as the viewer, creep up on the victim, POV the murderer. The poor victim will turn around at the last minute and face the camera just in time to see the fatal moment. The British ‘who dun it?’ Midsomer Murders love to use this technique. It’s their signature.

However, writing my novel, Pardon my Camino, POV turned out to be a field of land mines.  Oh, me, oh, my, it was a big deal!  I gaily wrote the first rendition of my novel with several POVs– all witty and relevant. But a time of woe was awaiting me! When I showed my work to a couple of writers-in-residence there was perplexity as to why I thought to have all these POVs? And then it came time to work with the editor, she did agree that I did need two POVs for my story, but that was it!  And that came with the warning about being absolutely clear which POV we were in and no head-hopping – that’s a cardinal sin.

When I pleaded for my other dear characters and their time in the sun, I was told, as a rookie novel writer, working to be published, I had better not start messing around with that big kid stuff – or words to that effect. So I followed the instructions, which was tough, leaving all that brilliant writing on the cutting room floor. The good side was that it did help me cut way down on my word count that needed to happen. But at such a cost!

Now, anxiously waiting the publishing fate of my novel, I am reading lots of fiction – with eagle POV eyes!  What’s going on here? It seems every work of fiction I read is sprouting numerous POVs, and sometimes they are pretty cheek to jowl – no POV social distancing going on there. For example, Lian Dolan’s: Sweeny Sisters, and I have just finished Nektaria Anastasiadou’s insightful novel set in Istanbul: A recipe for Daphne. In both, we get into many heads and thoughts along the way.

So here I am, novel cut down to size, POVs reigned in just to my hero and heroine, but what if I have gutted my novel and thrown away its charm, it’s whimsy?  Sigh, such is the life of the unpublished author!