BE MY GUEST: How to choose a Point-of-View for your novel: Bonnie Trachtenberg

These days, I see 90% of novels written in first person. It makes me wonder is it because this way is easier to convey the story to readers or writing in 3rd person makes the novel boring? Which is better: writing in first person POV or third person POV for novels? While I was looking for an answer to my question, I came across Bonnie whose first novel is in first person POV while her second novel (under editing) is in third person POV. 
So, I thought what would be better than asking someone who has the experience of both styles. I was delighted by her wonderful response and want to share it with all my readers and aspiring authors. 

Guest Post:

First Person vs. Third Person Point-of-Views 

By Author: Bonnie Trachtenberg 

I’m thoroughly convinced that one of the biggest reasons would-be authors never make it through page one of their would-be novels, is the daunting and confusing first step of choosing a point-of-view. It’s something most book readers aren’t even consciously aware of, despite the fact that it hugely determines how they will relate to the characters and to the story as a whole.

First person offers a single-eye view of the world through the perspective of one character, who is also the narrator of the story. In third person, the author tells the story in an “anonymous” voice, and is afforded the advantage of tapping into more than one character’s head to convey thoughts and feelings.

For my debut novel, "Wedlocked", I did not have to struggle with the decision of which view to choose. Wedlocked is based on my own true experiences, namely my impulsive, brief and disastrous marriage after years of struggling through singlehood. Telling the story through my main character’s point-of-view was a natural choice, since Rebecca is really me with a few tweaks. But I soon learned of the great disadvantage of choosing first person: the story could only go as far as my protagonist’s own eyes, ears and experiences. Rebecca had to be in every scene!

Luckily, I overcame this obstacle easily, as the story had Rebecca remembering the events of her life from a future place and time. Her perspective was enough to convey what I needed to, and her vibrant and witty personality carried the story with ease. However, there is something else writers of first person stories need to look out for. It’s important to make sure your tale isn’t bogged down by “I” this and “I” that. It requires some creativity to make sure you don’t fall into that annoying trap, but it’s surely doable.

In my second novel (as yet un-named and in the editing phase), I knew first person wouldn’t work nearly as well as third person. Why? Because I had two characters whose heads I intended to pry into, and they weren’t even going to meet until about one hundred pages into the book. Thus, I chose third person, even though the thought of it worried me. I’d never written that way before and wasn’t sure what obstacles I’d face. Would I be able to make it as funny as Wedlocked? Could I convey the distinct personalities of the main characters as clearly? Happily, the answer is yes!

As the “anonymous voice” telling the story, I could still communicate the characters’ colorful personalities and humorous thoughts (albeit third hand). Dialogue wasn’t an issue because it’s the same in both point-of-views, and the advantage of not having to have my main character in every scene was a liberating adventure for me.

Now, to complicate matters, a writer’s decision regarding point-of-view doesn’t stop there. You are also required to choose either present voice or past voice. Is the action happening “as we speak” or are the events being told from a time in the future? Most novels use past voice and it’s a good thing. It is not common for authors to successfully employ present voice, as it can be quite jarring to the reader if not used adeptly. I briefly considered using present voice for Wedlocked, but luckily after a few arduous and uncomfortable pages, came to my senses.

Now, let’s say like most authors you choose third person, past voice. Guess what? You’re still not done making point-of-view decisions. Now you need to determine if your story is going to be told in limited, objective or omniscient view. (See why so many writers give up before they start?) In limited view, the reader is limited to just the perspective of one main character (although it can be modified, as my second novel takes you inside the head of two main characters.) In objective view, the reader doesn’t see any of the character’s views, thoughts or feelings, but instead observes the story only from actions and details. And in omniscient view, the reader is privy to every character’s thoughts and feelings in the scene, a prospect that scares off many new writers.

Just remember, you don’t have to make a final decision that’s set in stone before you begin writing. I learned that it’s okay to make an educated guess as to the best view to take and if you run into serious problems you can always go back to the beginning and change it. Trial and error is not against the rules and can be a great way to figure out the best mode of telling a story.

I think most authors still use third person because it allows for more versatility and complex storylines. Nowadays though, the use of first person seems more prevalent than ever before. Maybe that’s because a whole genre was founded on the basis of it. I am referring, of course, to Chick Lit. Ever since Bridget Jones began scrawling in her diary, millions of female readers have been swept into novels with the aid of that personal, intimate voice that speaks so well to them. Now the prevalence of first person has stretched beyond Chick Lit into other women’s fiction too. For example, I have been told by several readers of Wedlocked that it was Rebecca’s wit and exasperation at her circumstances that made her so much fun as a narrator and so easy to relate to. That says a lot about the appeal of first person, but ultimately it’s your unique story that will determine which point-of-view is best.

About the Author:

Bonnie Trachtenberg is the author of Wedlocked: A Novel. She was senior writer and copy chief at Book-of-the-Month Club and has written seven children’s book adaptations. She has also written for three newspapers and penned countless magazine articles. Visit her website at http://www.bonnietrachtenberg.com/

To buy her book, “Wedlocked” on Amazon, click here. 

Are you writing/written a novel? Which POV you opted for and why? Or if you are someone who loves to read novels, tell me which POV you enjoy more? Share your experiences in the comment section below.

Book Review: Wedlocked

Book: Wedlocked

Genre: Chick Lit / Contemporary Fiction / Women's Fiction

Author: Bonnie Trachtenberg

Cover Critique:

The cover of the book is so funny. The couple wearing handcuffs on wedding day perfectly fits the title and theme of the book. Since pink and aqua are both my favourite colours, I love it.

Review:

When we say, “Relationships are complicated”, we are usually thinking of either love relationships ending in marriage/divorce or lasting friendships getting sour. But there are other relationships which are as strong and sometimes full of complications. We do not choose them, we are born tied to them. Yes, I am talking about parent-child relationship, which has its turns and twists especially when children grow up and want to make their own life decisions, sometimes parents are so imposing or dominating or just too over-protective to let go of things and face the fact that their children are adults and should be given space and understanding, even confidence to make important decisions of their life such as: which career to choose Or who should be their life-partner. They think that just because they have given birth to them, it is their right to control their lives forever! I am not saying that all parents behave that way, but some do! I see some of you can relate to what I am saying. 

This book explores such a chaotic relationship between a mother and a daughter (the main protagonist of this story). Rebecca is a 30 plus woman who wants to try her luck in Hollywood. One of her great passions is to become an actress but her mother strongly disapproves of this because she belongs to a traditional family who find it against their ethics and morals. Nonetheless, she follows her interest but partly as a revolt to her mother’s decision. She feels suppressed and longs for her mother to back her up in her career move but nothing of that sort happens, rather this issue causes them to drift apart as they end up hardly speaking to each other for a year.

While things remain topsy-turvy between the two, she keeps struggling for her dream role by working as a part-time waitress and looking for that golden chance to make her a star. Her (failing) attempts end up in depression and she starts seeing a psychologist who makes her realize that she is doing things half-heartedly and out of grudge for her mother, not because of her passion. Find out whether her dream of starring a big role gets true or not. Most of all, does she manage to patch up things with her mother or things go insane after that.

Besides her acting career, there is another typhoon going in her life, her wedding with the wrong guy, Craig which follows another roller-coaster ride, full of (mis)adventures and mishaps. It gets quite ballistic at the end but then the author finally manages to pull all strings together which saves it from getting off the rail. The story gets interesting when she gets away from that “psycho”, lands up in the arms of a flirtatious movie director whose charm makes her blind – well, “love is blind” so not much of her fault. But is he “The One”? or is there someone else waiting to be discovered by her. Read the book to figure out who is her “true love” and does she get to have a “happy ever after”.

I managed to read this book in just two sittings as I found the plot and the storyline well-drafted and well-executed though there were a few clichés and hitches here and there but overall, the whole thing turned out just fine. The author narrates it in a hefty fashion in the start but after a few chapters when you are totally engrossed in the story, you get used to it. In the middle, it gets better as the writer gets hold of her initial inertia and gets in the groove. Since this is Bonnie’s first novel, I would say it is a good attempt though there is always room for improvement. The few tweaks in writing style (such as more use of smart dialogues and keeping the pace of the story even from beginning to end) need to be taken care of, to keep the readers at the edge of their seats.

The book is easy-to-read as it is not overloaded with characters or viewpoints. It is written in first person POV. The secondary characters such as those of Rebecca’s sisters, her parents, her boyfriends and even of her best friend and therapist, Karen is sketched nicely. They all provide a direction to the story. I really liked how the character of Craig was shown, in spite of his weaknesses and craziness, it was not all-evil. The author kept it genuine and believable. I also loved the main character of Rebecca who goes through a lot of upheavals and learns to survive and make right decisions for herself. Even when she is vulnerable, she is smart and it shows the strength of her character.

The book is written from a mature perspective. It is engaging and heart-warming while making you learn a thing or two about practical life. I can see that Bonnie has put her heart into it and surely does not disappoint the reader/critic in me. I hope that her next endeavour will turn out to be more exciting than this one. All the best, Bonnie!

Review Girl Rating: 8/10

“I would like to thank Bonnie Trachtenberg for sending me a free paperback of her book, Wedlocked for the purpose of reviewing it on my blog. To buy this book on Amazon, click here. You can also buy this book direct from her website, by clicking here.”