What do we think of POV writing?

[Finchbearer]

Reading an article on why limiting POV to one character, say, per chapter, lacks the reader space and freedom. I’m currently writing between two POV’s - not strictly alternating, but firmly within one single POV for any given scene. Now I’m questioning everything.

 

[Prince of Spires]

It's all a mater of style, what you're trying to achieve, and personal preference.

The thing is that most readers wouldn't know a POV if it hit them in the face. The wouldn't notice if you cheat in one chapter a bit and tell us something a POV character can't know. I once got questions about the POV in a chapter, because it felt wrong to the reader. Reason was that I had named the chapter after a different character (which the POV character meets for the first time halfway through the chapter). They thought the POV would be of the new character, while it was completely in the original character's POV.

So don't worry about it too much.

It's also not as black and white as people make it out to be. It's a spectrum. You can go as deep into a character's head as you'd like. Some writers really get you all the way down into a single character's head, living and feeling the story through that character. Others use POV mainly as a vehicle for the story and don't go as deep. They're very different and have very different effects on the reader, even though technically they're both 3rd person limited.

At the same time, don't believe all the people who tell you 3rd person omniscient is dead. It's still out there, and it still gives great stories. It's just slightly less popular at the moment. And I mainly think that's a writer thing, where authors get told you must write in 3rd limited to get the most emotional reaction out of a reader, and we all just follow each other. It's also completely wrong.

So write your POV the way you like and as matches your writing style. Just be consistent within one book (or series). That would be the only rule to really follow I think.

 

[Finchbearer]

Well I am indeed writing close third limited (present tense) for this project - however with the caveat that I’m employing free-indirect style to convey interiority, and writing causal observational inner thoughts, rather than confessional…

But then, for example, say DH Lawrence, with his Chatterley, who just takes us around the houses, mostly Connie’s POV (Lady Chatterley) but then it might go into Clifford’s, or Mellors or Mrs Bolton, and then might veer off into a moralistic essay, so then I’m like, am I really being bold enough??