Michelle - could I add one more thing from your two examples that helped me see POV better: 1. When the Queen sees the handmaidens shaking - she ASSUMES it is fear. 2. The Omniscient narrator KNOWS it was laughter. A simple yet effective way of describing the differing POVs. Again thanks.
I love your videos, however, I think you sorta missed the nail with this one. One of the benefits of omniscient narration is the freedom to change how distant you are from your characters psychically. Airman, by Eoin Colfer, is a great example. Well, anything by Eoin Colfer is going to be a great example since he is a master at omniscient storytelling. An excerpt, real quick. And a note beforehand: Anything *between Asterisks* is italicized direct thoughts from the focus character in the scene if you were to read the book. I'll start with some of Conor's direct thoughts: *What? What is this? Declan? Little Saltee?* Conor used the last of his strength to moan around his mouth strap, calling his father back. And his father did turn back if only for a moment. If only to deliver a few final withering remarks. He vented these words with his eyes closed, as if to even look at his son was more than he could bear. "Your foul actions have taken my king from me," he said. "And worse, much worse -- because of what you have done this day, I have no son. My son is gone, and this..." Declan brokehard paused to struggle with his rage, eventually calming himself. "My son is gone and you remain. A word of warning, traitor. If I ever see you again, it will be on the day I kill you." These were words that no man should hear from another, but from father to son they were indescribably harsh. Conor Brokehart felt as though he was indeed broken-hearted, as his name suggested, He could do nothing but raise his manacled hands to the lunatic box's grille and tug repeatedly, jerking his injured head until the pain drove those hateful words from his head. 'Insane,' Said Bonvilain sadly, leading Declan Brokehart from the cell. "But then, he would have to be, to do what he did. Ass they left the cell, Bonvilain could barely maintain his show of grief. The guards were ready to draw cutlasses, but Bonvilain shook his head slightly. His manipulation had worked so Declan Brokehart would live for now. "Take the captain back to his carriage," He instructed the guards. "I will watch the prisoner myself." Declan grasped Bonvilain's wrist, "You have been a friend today, Hugo. We have had out firey moments in the past, but that is behind us. I will not forget you speedy apprehension of the traitor. And I trust he will pay for his part in the King's murder, and for what he did to Conor. My son." Brokehart's face cracked in grief once more. *How weak the man is,* thought Bonvilain. *There is no need for such hysterics.* And I will end the excerpt with Bonvilain's direct thoughts. That was from pages 97-98 in my version. Notice how the focus character is shifted along with the reader's focus. We are close to Conor and Bonvilain. Not long later, we are told how Bonvilain disguised Conor with gunpowder to simulate stubble, beatings to swell his face, and a man who drew a copy of a regimental tattoo of the French military on Conor's forearm. You can, and should give direct thoughts of characters when writing in omniscient. And with practice, the transitions between characters in each scene becomes smoother. Those direct quotes from character's heads help us get close to them when the rest of the prose is somewhat distant. What also helps us get close to these characters, is the familiarity they are described in. As if the narrator knows them well and has so for years. Which of course, it does because it's the author telling the story. The key to that was in simple, easy to follow cues for the reader that we are swapping perspectives. Not large gaps, but focusing the reader's attention to another character then delivering their perspective. And something which is key here, is that the narrator is also able to deliver jokes, plays on words, and whatnot. Terry Pratchett uses this style to great success in discworld books, taking the humor to another level. It's extremely frustrating as someone who prefers reading omniscient POV books and writing omniscient POV books, that people think it means that you must get far away from characters and not deliver direct thoughts. I don't believe you explicitly mentioned direct thoughts in your portrayal of omniscient, but in removing them from your example, that is the message that is sent. Your narrator has a personality, it will joke about things and comment on characters. In short, it has a personality. That is extremely important. It is not unbiased, but it does give you as a reader a more full understanding of the world and the characters.
Hi Michelle, I'm just discovering your content now and finding it really useful and enjoyable. I don't know if you have a video or a section on this already, but I'm currently struggling with scene transitions. I have a character in my current work arriving in the lobby of her building from the rain, and I don't want to write a blow by blow of her wiping her feet, opening doors, climbing stairs, turning the key of her apartment etc, but I don't want to just completely skip this either and have her be in the lobby one line, and then upstairs at home in the next. Some advice on smoothly changing locations within a page would be really appreciated if you have the time or some good examples! I'd love for it to read smoothly and flow nicely without feeling too overly detailed or read as though I've rushed from moment A to moment B. Thank you.
I feel repetitive in saying this, but it bears repeating, this was another great video! I love all of the examples you used, they were really helpful. Also, your dog is so cute!
I recently committed to pulling out the book I started writing (many) years ago. As I set pen to paper, I realized I had so many questions on requirements and such that I actually googled "what makes a good omniscient pov" & "what's 3rd person limited w/ x protagonists." I'll be honest I even googled "What's a protagonist" I've watched now 3 of your videos and owe you a portion of my royalties because I probably would've given up if I didn't get the clarity from your videos. You make sense where Google tends to read backward at times. Thank you for all you do, and do continue making them. I love writing. I love the power of the written word, and I've always seen myself as an author, but the automatic overwhelming stomach turn at the thought of writing 100,000 words and getting published is the fastest way to keep that want a wish. You are appreciated
I've just started following your channel and am loving ALL of the content so far. I came across this video as I was struggling with a piece I was critiquing for workshop in a class I'm taking. It is so insightful about why I was uncomfortable with head hopping while the author was trying to write in an omniscient POV. I've shared the link with her in my comments on her work, so I think you'll be a great help to someone who doesn't even watch your channel. :)
OK, I’ve got to go back and listen to this one a few times. I’m confused. While I know you have explained this quite thoroughly, I just need to get a better grasp of it. In looking over my WIP I feel that I’m actually using omniscient narrator. But, not sure yet
You aren't alone, Marva! Honestly, I still find it confusing sometimes. I actually get emails about this video from people who have more questions about it. It's a tricky topic for sure!
By the way, I wanted to mention how much I really like the way you present information and especially when you go from black-and-white to color for emphasis, etc. I think I’m having a more difficult time understanding POV as I am trying to write my grandmother story from third person. So I think some of this POV is my own interpretation of what I know. I was interjecting thoughts from her mother and her father independently because I know what relationships they had among themselves. I had no idea back in the 1970s when I asked her to record all these tapes for me that someday I would want to write a book about them. If I knew then what I know now I would’ve asked 1 million other questions. I am having to improvise in some areas and find transition language because what I have on tape from her are all independent standalone stories. I am going to figure this thing out. Right now my goal is to just write it and worry about how to put it together later. I’m having to fill in some things by going to ancestry census records.
@@marvamason Thanks so much! I can definitely see how writing from the POV of a real person and not just a character would make this a completely different and challenging experience. "write it and worry about how to put it together later" - that's exactly what I would do too! All a first draft has to do is exist. :) You'll revise and sort the rest out later!
Thank you for this video! I've been trying to find some clear-cut information on omniscient pov. However, I'm still confused about the narrator. I know I want my narrator to be 'godlike' and not actually a character in the story. But then, who are they? How do they know everything about the characters and what's going on? If they have hopes and dreams and opinions, do they exist in the real world? Where do they come from? Are they stalking the characters? Hopefully you can see where my confusion is coming from, haha!
Hi Lauren! Thanks so much for watching - and for this fantastic question. Wow, I think I could make a whole other video on this!! I do completely understand your confusion. Plenty of books with omniscient narrators do make the narrator a character, but obviously that isn't necessary. I think the key is for you, as the author, to decide who they are. The reader never needs to know, but so long as YOU know, your narrator will be consistent. Have you read LESS by Andrew Sean Greer? This might be a poor example on my part because when I finished that book, I thought I knew who the omniscient narrator was, and he was indeed a character in the book. But (so far as I remember, at least) that was never actually confirmed in the book. And it didn't matter, because the point was simply that the narrator was consistent and FELT like a real person with his observations and humor. But again, that doesn't mean you need to imagine your narrator as a character in the book! Instead, maybe try asking yourself "who would want to tell others this story, and why? what's their motivation in telling it?" and that might help you get a better idea of who they are. It's not about how they know all of these things or if they're stalking the characters (haha) but that they know this STORY, and they're invested in telling it!
Another question - I'm writing a thriller and want to hide antagonist's intention from readers. Which pov is better in that case- 1st pov or third pov?
Terrific explanations, thank you! I've just recently written a short story in omniscient subjective POV, probably badly. Now. from your video, I rather like the idea of going in Lemony's direction, having an omniscient narrator entirely at odds with the characters, see how much dissonance I can create!
Yes!!! That's a fantastic example of an omniscient narrator! OMG this is so embarrassing but I fell for that narrator when I first read that book. Meaning, even though I was already a huge fan of the film, even though I knew it was CLEARLY fiction, that narrator told it as if it were a true story and about halfway through I was like WHOA THIS REALLY HAPPENED. Then I googled the history of Florin and felt like an idiot. I can't believe I'm admitting this publicly 😂
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthoryou're not alone my best friend had the same thing happen😂It's told so convincingly when I put it down It's like "this had to have happened" it's incredible!
This was great! But something I really struggle with is I always have one character who is my POV character for 90% of the story. But I can’t help writing a couple of scenes here and there from the perspective of someone else! Is that bad? It’s easier to understand that people go 50/50 on two characters or 3, etc. But if I feel the need to add that 10% of scenes from random people’s perspective, is that necessarily bad writing?
Hi Alice! I don't think that's bad at all! I have a novel that's 80% split between 2 POVs, but the other 20% is given to side character POVs. I think it completely depends on WHY. Why do you feel it's necessary to shift to another perspective from that particular scene? So long as you have a reason for it that relates to the story/plot (aka, it's not just because you're fond of a side character and wanted to experiment!) then I think it's fine, and can be super effective, because those scenes have clear intent and purpose.
Michelle Schusterman thank you for the reply! It’d be amazing to see a video addressing POV changes, specially outliers. Like, what happens when a first person character becomes unconscious in the last chapter of a book? Or is it ok to shift POVs well past the half point of a story? Or how do you balance a split POV between two main characters? Etc etc! POV is so complicated to me 😭
@@nanoname Oh this is a GREAT video topic!! Thank you so much - I'm pasting this comment into my calendar right now. :) You're right, it's a lot more complicated than simply picking first/second/third. It would be really fun to find examples in novels that are sort of the exceptions to the rule, even with things like head-hopping!
Michelle Schusterman Omg that’d be awesome! ☺️ Thank you for considering it! And, err, not to pile on even more... oops... but another point I never see people touch on when it comes to POV, is how characters’ names are addressed. For example if my POV character’s father is in a scene, it gets odd to always refer to him as “Character’s father” or “his father”. But, my character would never refer to his own father as “Mr. Lastname” you know? And that goes for every single character in relation to the POV Person. Anyway hahaha sorry I’m suggesting too much stuff as it is hahaha just saying how POV is so complicated 😂😂😂 I look forward to seeing your next videos! ☺️
I'm in the middle of my zero draft/first draft, and I already notice myself head-hopping. But, now I'm wondering if it's not more of the omniscient perspective. It's impossible for me to be objective about that right now. But, this is all good to know.
Great, clear, and useful video. Thank you. I have a question, if that's okay: Can I switch POV scene by scene, within a chapter? Each scene is in one POV, but there are multiple scenes in one chapter. Thanks x
Michelle, your video is just what I needed. I intend to check out others that you may have on the topic. This is indeed one of my trouble areas. You make it simple and clear, I love the examples and the homework lol. I made an attempt but I am not sure that I have perfected it as yet. Your comments are more than welcome. Omniscient Narrator The unnerving shriek made the queen’s head spin just in time to see the fire-breathing dragon burst through the window. What happened next surprised everyone. The knight darted to the queen, yanked her off the throne, and shielded her with his body, as shards of glass flew like daggers through the air. The dragon released a piercing shriek and the maidens and courtiers blocked their ears writhing in pain. Without warning, a breath of fire filled the hall. The knight drew the queen closer. The uncomfortable heat turned his helmet into a furnace, and instinctively, he wanted to pull it off, but he knew that it meant the difference between life and death. The queen trembled beneath him. They were at odds now, but she was still his queen, and he swore to protect her. Maybe to the knight, it was more than just duty. The Queen The unnerving shriek made the queen’s head spin just in time to see the fire-breathing dragon burst through the window. What the hell is that? The knight darted to the queen. Oh no! He is going to use this distraction to end my life. I should run. I should move, but I can’t. I can’t feel my legs. Sure doom behind me and a quick death before me. I have nowhere to run. He yanked her off the throne, and shielded her with his body, as shards of glass flew like daggers through the air. What is he doing? I don’t understand. Is he protecting me? The dragon released a piercing shriek and the maidens and courtiers blocked their ears writhing in pain. Without warning, a breath of fire filled the hall. The knight drew the queen closer. His body curled around her and he bore the brunt of the flames. This heat is straight from the pit of hell. How is he bearing this and not screaming? After all our battles throughout the years, he chose to protect me. The queen trembled beneath him. Silently, she prayed that he would survive this so that she could reprimand him for his stupidity.
Frank Herbert was great at this, he was limited to the one character... but you could tell by how other characters reacted exactly what they were thinking. Helps that he had characters called Mentats whose entire ability was to figure those things out though so, it felt right when they knew what was going on.
one thing i thought of is that in omniscient POV *you* as the author are the narrator bc you know everything (not that you need to have everything figured out)
Quick question…Would there be any issue going from 3rd limited to sprinkling in a little omniscient commentary to add a bit of humor, then clearly go back to the actual story with 3rd Ltd? Don't want to confuse peeps, but I would like to add some humoristic takes on things that transpire. Thanks for all you do for us, Michelle!
Yeah, 3rd limited (and omniscient) novels say stuff like “[character] looked furious. She sent a plate sailing into the wall, the shards scattering in the air,” all the time.
Finally, I get it !! thanks so much, Michelle - great explanation, particularly with clear examples - so important to SEE it. Listening to you explain how common it is, I think the reason I didn't 'get it', was that I wasn't aware of the EFFECT that head-hopping had on the story. Like too much salt in the stew, same deal. You can do it, but accept the consequences. ...and here's me thinking I was on my final edit of a 90K+ word story... au contraire. LOL ... sincere thanks.... and yep - cute dog too. :)
When you have a dialogue between characters where their inner thoughts and feelings are expressed in the tag lines, is that third-person omniscient POV?
Hello ! I have a question ! I’m writing a story thats narrated by the MC after the events but i have multiple POVs. Do you think it is possible to write it first person with a mix of 3rd person limited since the book itself is kind of the MC’s diary… I’m kinda struggling right now.. 😅
Michelle - could I add one more thing from your two examples that helped me see POV better:
1. When the Queen sees the handmaidens shaking - she ASSUMES it is fear.
2. The Omniscient narrator KNOWS it was laughter.
A simple yet effective way of describing the differing POVs.
Again thanks.
YES! That's exactly right, Rico! And the fact that the Queen believes it's fear tells us so much about her personality. :)
I love your videos, however, I think you sorta missed the nail with this one.
One of the benefits of omniscient narration is the freedom to change how distant you are from your characters psychically.
Airman, by Eoin Colfer, is a great example. Well, anything by Eoin Colfer is going to be a great example since he is a master at omniscient storytelling.
An excerpt, real quick. And a note beforehand: Anything *between Asterisks* is italicized direct thoughts from the focus character in the scene if you were to read the book. I'll start with some of Conor's direct thoughts:
*What? What is this? Declan? Little Saltee?*
Conor used the last of his strength to moan around his mouth strap, calling his father back. And his father did turn back if only for a moment. If only to deliver a few final withering remarks. He vented these words with his eyes closed, as if to even look at his son was more than he could bear.
"Your foul actions have taken my king from me," he said. "And worse, much worse -- because of what you have done this day, I have no son. My son is gone, and this..." Declan brokehard paused to struggle with his rage, eventually calming himself. "My son is gone and you remain. A word of warning, traitor. If I ever see you again, it will be on the day I kill you."
These were words that no man should hear from another, but from father to son they were indescribably harsh. Conor Brokehart felt as though he was indeed broken-hearted, as his name suggested, He could do nothing but raise his manacled hands to the lunatic box's grille and tug repeatedly, jerking his injured head until the pain drove those hateful words from his head.
'Insane,' Said Bonvilain sadly, leading Declan Brokehart from the cell. "But then, he would have to be, to do what he did. Ass they left the cell, Bonvilain could barely maintain his show of grief. The guards were ready to draw cutlasses, but Bonvilain shook his head slightly. His manipulation had worked so Declan Brokehart would live for now.
"Take the captain back to his carriage," He instructed the guards. "I will watch the prisoner myself."
Declan grasped Bonvilain's wrist, "You have been a friend today, Hugo. We have had out firey moments in the past, but that is behind us. I will not forget you speedy apprehension of the traitor. And I trust he will pay for his part in the King's murder, and for what he did to Conor. My son."
Brokehart's face cracked in grief once more.
*How weak the man is,* thought Bonvilain. *There is no need for such hysterics.*
And I will end the excerpt with Bonvilain's direct thoughts. That was from pages 97-98 in my version.
Notice how the focus character is shifted along with the reader's focus. We are close to Conor and Bonvilain. Not long later, we are told how Bonvilain disguised Conor with gunpowder to simulate stubble, beatings to swell his face, and a man who drew a copy of a regimental tattoo of the French military on Conor's forearm.
You can, and should give direct thoughts of characters when writing in omniscient. And with practice, the transitions between characters in each scene becomes smoother. Those direct quotes from character's heads help us get close to them when the rest of the prose is somewhat distant. What also helps us get close to these characters, is the familiarity they are described in. As if the narrator knows them well and has so for years. Which of course, it does because it's the author telling the story.
The key to that was in simple, easy to follow cues for the reader that we are swapping perspectives. Not large gaps, but focusing the reader's attention to another character then delivering their perspective. And something which is key here, is that the narrator is also able to deliver jokes, plays on words, and whatnot.
Terry Pratchett uses this style to great success in discworld books, taking the humor to another level.
It's extremely frustrating as someone who prefers reading omniscient POV books and writing omniscient POV books, that people think it means that you must get far away from characters and not deliver direct thoughts. I don't believe you explicitly mentioned direct thoughts in your portrayal of omniscient, but in removing them from your example, that is the message that is sent. Your narrator has a personality, it will joke about things and comment on characters. In short, it has a personality. That is extremely important. It is not unbiased, but it does give you as a reader a more full understanding of the world and the characters.
Let me know if you've got any writing craft questions/topics you'd like me to cover on these workshop episodes!
Hi Michelle, I'm just discovering your content now and finding it really useful and enjoyable. I don't know if you have a video or a section on this already, but I'm currently struggling with scene transitions. I have a character in my current work arriving in the lobby of her building from the rain, and I don't want to write a blow by blow of her wiping her feet, opening doors, climbing stairs, turning the key of her apartment etc, but I don't want to just completely skip this either and have her be in the lobby one line, and then upstairs at home in the next. Some advice on smoothly changing locations within a page would be really appreciated if you have the time or some good examples! I'd love for it to read smoothly and flow nicely without feeling too overly detailed or read as though I've rushed from moment A to moment B. Thank you.
This is perfection and the best explanation of omniscient POV & thirds person POV vs head hopping I’ve ever come across, thank you.
I feel repetitive in saying this, but it bears repeating, this was another great video! I love all of the examples you used, they were really helpful. Also, your dog is so cute!
Aw thank you (from me and Rosa)! :) It's always fun to actually write the examples. It helps me better understand the topic, too.
My favorite pov I've ever read was The Great Gatsby.
I recently committed to pulling out the book I started writing (many) years ago. As I set pen to paper, I realized I had so many questions on requirements and such that I actually googled "what makes a good omniscient pov" & "what's 3rd person limited w/ x protagonists." I'll be honest I even googled "What's a protagonist" I've watched now 3 of your videos and owe you a portion of my royalties because I probably would've given up if I didn't get the clarity from your videos. You make sense where Google tends to read backward at times. Thank you for all you do, and do continue making them. I love writing. I love the power of the written word, and I've always seen myself as an author, but the automatic overwhelming stomach turn at the thought of writing 100,000 words and getting published is the fastest way to keep that want a wish. You are appreciated
Really helpful and useful. Brilliantly explained. Thank you
Wednesday’s are my new favorite day! I cannot wait for the next one!! Thank you for these fun workshops!
Thank you so much, Jojo! That makes me so happy. :D
Nothing new to say, I just love your videos. The content and your style. Thank you so much for your time and effort.
Thank you so much, Rosa -- for watching and for commenting! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. 😀
Very helpful, thank you!
I've just started following your channel and am loving ALL of the content so far. I came across this video as I was struggling with a piece I was critiquing for workshop in a class I'm taking. It is so insightful about why I was uncomfortable with head hopping while the author was trying to write in an omniscient POV. I've shared the link with her in my comments on her work, so I think you'll be a great help to someone who doesn't even watch your channel. :)
Wow, thank you so much, Kathy! I'm so glad you found this helpful. Head hopping is a tricky topic!
Thank you, this was helpful.
Ahhh this was perfect. I needed this haha Thank you! :)
Thank you so much, Kevin! I'm really glad it was helpful! :)
Very helpful and insightful. Thank you.
Thanks for watching, Keira! :)
OK, I’ve got to go back and listen to this one a few times. I’m confused. While I know you have explained this quite thoroughly, I just need to get a better grasp of it. In looking over my WIP I feel that I’m actually using omniscient narrator. But, not sure yet
You aren't alone, Marva! Honestly, I still find it confusing sometimes. I actually get emails about this video from people who have more questions about it. It's a tricky topic for sure!
By the way, I wanted to mention how much I really like the way you present information and especially when you go from black-and-white to color for emphasis, etc. I think I’m having a more difficult time understanding POV as I am trying to write my grandmother story from third person. So I think some of this POV is my own interpretation of what I know. I was interjecting thoughts from her mother and her father independently because I know what relationships they had among themselves. I had no idea back in the 1970s when I asked her to record all these tapes for me that someday I would want to write a book about them. If I knew then what I know now I would’ve asked 1 million other questions. I am having to improvise in some areas and find transition language because what I have on tape from her are all independent standalone stories. I am going to figure this thing out. Right now my goal is to just write it and worry about how to put it together later. I’m having to fill in some things by going to ancestry census records.
@@marvamason Thanks so much! I can definitely see how writing from the POV of a real person and not just a character would make this a completely different and challenging experience. "write it and worry about how to put it together later" - that's exactly what I would do too! All a first draft has to do is exist. :) You'll revise and sort the rest out later!
Thank you so much! I’m writing my first novel and was scared to have the third person omniscient narrator have a personality.
Brilliant POV commentary..... thanks!
Thanks so much, Leif! :)
Thank you for this video! I've been trying to find some clear-cut information on omniscient pov. However, I'm still confused about the narrator. I know I want my narrator to be 'godlike' and not actually a character in the story. But then, who are they? How do they know everything about the characters and what's going on? If they have hopes and dreams and opinions, do they exist in the real world? Where do they come from? Are they stalking the characters? Hopefully you can see where my confusion is coming from, haha!
Hi Lauren! Thanks so much for watching - and for this fantastic question. Wow, I think I could make a whole other video on this!! I do completely understand your confusion. Plenty of books with omniscient narrators do make the narrator a character, but obviously that isn't necessary. I think the key is for you, as the author, to decide who they are. The reader never needs to know, but so long as YOU know, your narrator will be consistent.
Have you read LESS by Andrew Sean Greer? This might be a poor example on my part because when I finished that book, I thought I knew who the omniscient narrator was, and he was indeed a character in the book. But (so far as I remember, at least) that was never actually confirmed in the book. And it didn't matter, because the point was simply that the narrator was consistent and FELT like a real person with his observations and humor.
But again, that doesn't mean you need to imagine your narrator as a character in the book! Instead, maybe try asking yourself "who would want to tell others this story, and why? what's their motivation in telling it?" and that might help you get a better idea of who they are. It's not about how they know all of these things or if they're stalking the characters (haha) but that they know this STORY, and they're invested in telling it!
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor Thank you so much! You've given me a lot to think about - I really appreciate it :)
@@laurencrouch764 You're very welcome! :)
Another question - I'm writing a thriller and want to hide antagonist's intention from readers. Which pov is better in that case- 1st pov or third pov?
Terrific explanations, thank you! I've just recently written a short story in omniscient subjective POV, probably badly. Now. from your video, I rather like the idea of going in Lemony's direction, having an omniscient narrator entirely at odds with the characters, see how much dissonance I can create!
THANK YOU! So so so helpful!
Thanks for watching, Serena! I'm so glad it was helpful!
I refuse to believe that head hopping is bad.
OKay no, you're right. Thanks for making me rewrite everything lol
Great video!
Thank you, Julia!!
I absolutely love all your videos. So well done. Aaaaaaaaaaa
Head-hopping is so confusing. Thank you.
So glad this was helpful! :)
If I remember correctly, The Princess Bride is omniscient pov as well. When done well it's really enjoyable.
Yes!!! That's a fantastic example of an omniscient narrator! OMG this is so embarrassing but I fell for that narrator when I first read that book. Meaning, even though I was already a huge fan of the film, even though I knew it was CLEARLY fiction, that narrator told it as if it were a true story and about halfway through I was like WHOA THIS REALLY HAPPENED. Then I googled the history of Florin and felt like an idiot. I can't believe I'm admitting this publicly 😂
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthoryou're not alone my best friend had the same thing happen😂It's told so convincingly when I put it down It's like "this had to have happened" it's incredible!
@@fridgeghost4017 omg that actually makes me feel a lot better, thank you!! 😂
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor I think it happens more than people admit😂
@@fridgeghost4017 LOL I'm going to keep telling myself that!
Thank you. Your video was very helpful. People enjoy making videos about this topic but rarely give visual examples. ❤️
Thank you so much! I'm glad you found it helpful! :D
This was great! But something I really struggle with is I always have one character who is my POV character for 90% of the story. But I can’t help writing a couple of scenes here and there from the perspective of someone else! Is that bad? It’s easier to understand that people go 50/50 on two characters or 3, etc. But if I feel the need to add that 10% of scenes from random people’s perspective, is that necessarily bad writing?
Hi Alice! I don't think that's bad at all! I have a novel that's 80% split between 2 POVs, but the other 20% is given to side character POVs. I think it completely depends on WHY. Why do you feel it's necessary to shift to another perspective from that particular scene? So long as you have a reason for it that relates to the story/plot (aka, it's not just because you're fond of a side character and wanted to experiment!) then I think it's fine, and can be super effective, because those scenes have clear intent and purpose.
Michelle Schusterman thank you for the reply! It’d be amazing to see a video addressing POV changes, specially outliers. Like, what happens when a first person character becomes unconscious in the last chapter of a book? Or is it ok to shift POVs well past the half point of a story? Or how do you balance a split POV between two main characters? Etc etc! POV is so complicated to me 😭
@@nanoname Oh this is a GREAT video topic!! Thank you so much - I'm pasting this comment into my calendar right now. :) You're right, it's a lot more complicated than simply picking first/second/third. It would be really fun to find examples in novels that are sort of the exceptions to the rule, even with things like head-hopping!
Michelle Schusterman Omg that’d be awesome! ☺️ Thank you for considering it! And, err, not to pile on even more... oops... but another point I never see people touch on when it comes to POV, is how characters’ names are addressed. For example if my POV character’s father is in a scene, it gets odd to always refer to him as “Character’s father” or “his father”. But, my character would never refer to his own father as “Mr. Lastname” you know? And that goes for every single character in relation to the POV Person. Anyway hahaha sorry I’m suggesting too much stuff as it is hahaha just saying how POV is so complicated 😂😂😂 I look forward to seeing your next videos! ☺️
@@nanoname Never apologize for giving me video ideas!!!! I'll add this too - that's a really great question! Thank you! :D
I'm in the middle of my zero draft/first draft, and I already notice myself head-hopping. But, now I'm wondering if it's not more of the omniscient perspective. It's impossible for me to be objective about that right now. But, this is all good to know.
Great, clear, and useful video. Thank you. I have a question, if that's okay: Can I switch POV scene by scene, within a chapter? Each scene is in one POV, but there are multiple scenes in one chapter. Thanks x
Michelle, your video is just what I needed. I intend to check out others that you may have on the topic. This is indeed one of my trouble areas. You make it simple and clear, I love the examples and the homework lol. I made an attempt but I am not sure that I have perfected it as yet. Your comments are more than welcome.
Omniscient Narrator
The unnerving shriek made the queen’s head spin just in time to see the fire-breathing dragon burst through the window. What happened next surprised everyone. The knight darted to the queen, yanked her off the throne, and shielded her with his body, as shards of glass flew like daggers through the air.
The dragon released a piercing shriek and the maidens and courtiers blocked their ears writhing in pain. Without warning, a breath of fire filled the hall. The knight drew the queen closer. The uncomfortable heat turned his helmet into a furnace, and instinctively, he wanted to pull it off, but he knew that it meant the difference between life and death.
The queen trembled beneath him. They were at odds now, but she was still his queen, and he swore to protect her. Maybe to the knight, it was more than just duty.
The Queen
The unnerving shriek made the queen’s head spin just in time to see the fire-breathing dragon burst through the window. What the hell is that?
The knight darted to the queen. Oh no! He is going to use this distraction to end my life. I should run. I should move, but I can’t. I can’t feel my legs. Sure doom behind me and a quick death before me. I have nowhere to run. He yanked her off the throne, and shielded her with his body, as shards of glass flew like daggers through the air. What is he doing? I don’t understand. Is he protecting me?
The dragon released a piercing shriek and the maidens and courtiers blocked their ears writhing in pain. Without warning, a breath of fire filled the hall. The knight drew the queen closer. His body curled around her and he bore the brunt of the flames. This heat is straight from the pit of hell. How is he bearing this and not screaming? After all our battles throughout the years, he chose to protect me.
The queen trembled beneath him. Silently, she prayed that he would survive this so that she could reprimand him for his stupidity.
This is great!
Thanks so much, Kevin! :)
This video is the one I was looking for
Thanks for watching! I hope it was helpful!
Frank Herbert was great at this, he was limited to the one character... but you could tell by how other characters reacted exactly what they were thinking. Helps that he had characters called Mentats whose entire ability was to figure those things out though so, it felt right when they knew what was going on.
one thing i thought of is that in omniscient POV *you* as the author are the narrator bc you know everything (not that you need to have everything figured out)
Quick question…Would there be any issue going from 3rd limited to sprinkling in a little omniscient commentary to add a bit of humor, then clearly go back to the actual story with 3rd Ltd? Don't want to confuse peeps, but I would like to add some humoristic takes on things that transpire. Thanks for all you do for us, Michelle!
Thanks for this, but I'm still confused!
Can a third person pov assume someone's feeling through his reaction?
Yeah, 3rd limited (and omniscient) novels say stuff like “[character] looked furious. She sent a plate sailing into the wall, the shards scattering in the air,” all the time.
Is it okay to alternate between omniscient and third person limited (that comes from just one character)?
Finally, I get it !! thanks so much, Michelle - great explanation, particularly with clear examples - so important to SEE it.
Listening to you explain how common it is, I think the reason I didn't 'get it', was that I wasn't aware of the EFFECT that head-hopping had on the story. Like too much salt in the stew, same deal. You can do it, but accept the consequences.
...and here's me thinking I was on my final edit of a 90K+ word story... au contraire. LOL ... sincere thanks.... and yep - cute dog too. :)
I'm so glad this helped, Rico!! :)
When you have a dialogue between characters where their inner thoughts and feelings are expressed in the tag lines, is that third-person omniscient POV?
Hello ! I have a question ! I’m writing a story thats narrated by the MC after the events but i have multiple POVs. Do you think it is possible to write it first person with a mix of 3rd person limited since the book itself is kind of the MC’s diary… I’m kinda struggling right now.. 😅
Michelle, you are a gorgeous!, the topic is crazy though.
Can someone give an example of a narrarator giving their opinion.