Changing POV

[emrosenagel]

Hello!

I'm writing my current WIP in third-person limited, but now I'm thinking the whole thing might be better in first-person. I've written a good chunk of my first draft and it feels a bit daunting to go back and rewrite it entirely to fit a new pov. Is it a common thing to decide on a different pov this far into it, or is it just me? Should I just stick with the original pov? Sometimes I feel like for my target audience -- I'm going for 10 to 16 -- first-person might be a better fit because it showcases the protagonist's voice more.

Thanks,
Emily Rose

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

I feel your pain! I’ve switched POVs in novels partway through and it’s no fun. I suggest you work on in 3rd until you have a complete first draft, then decide.

 

[emrosenagel]

I feel your pain! I’ve switched POVs in novels partway through and it’s no fun. I suggest you work on in 3rd until you have a complete first draft, then decide.

Yeah, I planned on at least finishing the first draft. I'm on no time crunch, so I guess I could try it both ways and see which I like best. Thanks!

 

[Astro Pen]

First person will require a tighter discipline. There is no "meanwhile back at the ranch". The whole thing moves toward experiential so chronology will likely need to be linear.
You will, in my experience, find it is easier to write again than to rework what you have already done from a new POV. There are many traps, especially if you go first person present. You have to really keep your eye on the ball the whole time, linguistic slips are easy.

 

[emrosenagel]

First person will require a tighter discipline. There is no "meanwhile back at the ranch". The whole thing moves toward experiential so chronology will likely need to be linear.
You will, in my experience, find it is easier to write again than to rework what you have already done from a new POV. There are many traps, especially if you go first person present. You have to really keep your eye on the ball the whole time, linguistic slips are easy.

Thanks! The story is entirely linear, no going from here to there at all. But if I do decide to switch it up, I will remain on high alert the entire time! I don't want to fall into those traps.

 

[Wayne Mack]

I flipped through some YA books I have read over the years and found a mix of third person and first person. For me as a reader, I've found that until I started pay attention to it, I was never aware of the point of view used, just whether the story moved along and was interesting. Of the books I looked over, only one seemed to be an obvious third person, due to the number of characters. In the others, the point of view did not seem to make any impact on me.

You know your story better than I do, but I will guess that switching from third person to first person will not make a noticeable effect on you tale. So stick it out in third person and just concentrate on telling the story well and I think you will do okay.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I redo the first three chapters and decide, then continue with the draft in whatever I choose. If it's in third it's no big deal and it it's in first I'll be rewriting it anyway as there is more to POV than just changing pronouns.

When I write the POV choice is more heart than head. A story generally writes easier in one or the other. I had an agent ask me to move a story into first past instead of first present (before she would consider it) but the story wouldn't write in first past.

 

[Biskit]

As @Astro Pen says, 1st POv is a different beast, and swapping from 3rd is not a trivial thing. I write a lot in 1st, but go to 3rd when it works better for the story. You need to consider what you gain from the change of POV, whether the gain is worth it, AND whether you can achieve the same thing by changing the way you present your current version.

My choice between 1st and 3rd is mostly gut feeling. I can only think of one occasion I've changed my mind, which was a short story for a live reading event. I started with 3rd and it didn't work as a story, and seriously overran the word/time limit for the performance. I re-wrote from scratch in 1st and it worked. Of course that might be because I mostly write 1st and I'm better at that.

 

[emrosenagel]

I’ve only written a few short stories in first-person, so maybe it’s in my best interest to stick to what I know for now. I don’t hate my third-person version, it just needs work. Thanks for the advice !

 

[K.S. Crooks]

Compare what you would gain and lose by switching views. Are there things that the reader needs to see without the main character being present. Would you have more than one first person POV? I like first person when I have one MC who goes through a lot of change. I like the inner thoughts that go with the POV.

 

[Ursa major]

I like the inner thoughts that go with the POV.

Just in case anyone was confused, a close 3rd person narrative also allows the PoV character's/characters' inner thoughts to be included...

...and this can also sometimes be the case with 3rd person omniscient PoVs (albeit these are more often found in older books, such as Dune).

 

[TWErvin2]

Something to consider, if the current work is the initial part in a series. Which POV will be best to carry forward for the rest of the series? Not like it cannot be switched from installment to installment, but there is some value in consistency for readers and their possible expectations.

 

[Phyrebrat]

Sympathies. I have written my over-written first novel five times (250k) before realising it would be better split up. Those were changing from 1st P to 3rd, back to 1st and then back to 3rd. It was so thankless and unenjoyable: it took me from 2009 - 2020 to write.

And it'll never be seen the way it is now, although the 3rd p stays.

If you're a planner as a writer, you might be okay in terms of motivation, if you're a discovery writer, I suspect it'll be like pulling teeth!

My purely subjective advice? Go with your gut.