Animal points of view.
Ok, I know great authors have done this successfully, like Nora Roberts. And I tend to enjoy it, but I’m dubious about doing it.
In my Heart books, which are romances, I’ve stuck to only 2 points of view, the hero’s and the heroine’s. And as much as I love the cats and other Fams, I WILL NOT be doing their points of view. I mean, I might extrapolate how they might think, and show it in dialogue, but do we really know how they think? I don’t.
In the Luna books I’ve used more than one point of view. In Guardian of Honor, there was Swordmarshall Thealia, heroine Alexa Fitzwalter, hero Bastien Vauxveau, and Singer’s Representative, brother to the hero, Luthan Vauxveau (a future hero if I’m able to sell the next three).
In Sorceress of Faith there is the heroine, Marian; the hero, Jaquar, and a Sorcerer’s and Sorceress’s point of view (I think. I might have only used the Sorceress).
BUT, in the Luna books, I’ve been setting up the flying horses, the volarans, as being somewhat sentient (more than the Fams), as I develop them in Defender of the Flight, I’ll decide whether or not they get a point of view.
Thus the topic. Now the questions (probably a better topic for Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Books)…is animal point of view something you like? Good writing? Effective? Interesting only if they are more mentally developed?
May you nail point of view today.
Robin
In my Heart books, which are romances, I’ve stuck to only 2 points of view, the hero’s and the heroine’s. And as much as I love the cats and other Fams, I WILL NOT be doing their points of view. I mean, I might extrapolate how they might think, and show it in dialogue, but do we really know how they think? I don’t.
In the Luna books I’ve used more than one point of view. In Guardian of Honor, there was Swordmarshall Thealia, heroine Alexa Fitzwalter, hero Bastien Vauxveau, and Singer’s Representative, brother to the hero, Luthan Vauxveau (a future hero if I’m able to sell the next three).
In Sorceress of Faith there is the heroine, Marian; the hero, Jaquar, and a Sorcerer’s and Sorceress’s point of view (I think. I might have only used the Sorceress).
BUT, in the Luna books, I’ve been setting up the flying horses, the volarans, as being somewhat sentient (more than the Fams), as I develop them in Defender of the Flight, I’ll decide whether or not they get a point of view.
Thus the topic. Now the questions (probably a better topic for Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Books)…is animal point of view something you like? Good writing? Effective? Interesting only if they are more mentally developed?
May you nail point of view today.
Robin
posted by FantasyAuthor RobinDOwens | 4:38 AM
3 Comments:
Hmm.... Interesting question. I don't think it is really a question of like or dislike. If it's well done and "different" enough from a human POV, falls within the range of thinking that I would associate with that particular animal, sure I could go for it.
The problem lies in how the animal thinks. I mean, given the difference between how human men and women think...how do you stretch that to animals? I mean do male volarens think different from the mares?
I did read some scifi where the hero had a pack of sentient dogs of various breeds. Each dog had a different personality and the dialogue within the mind was funny. Would that fly for Volarens? (pun, LOL!) Probably not.
Having read GOH and anxiously awaiting SOF, I don't think you need a volarens POV to get them across. Catie B has never given us Sabata's POV in her White Gods series, right? And yet we know what we are supposed to know about Sabata from Val, and animal body language. Granted she cannot really take us into the mind of a White god because they are a god.
So, what is the focus of the story? Is it that Volarens are sentient/intelligent/partners in fighting off Llandrana's foes or that the Llandrana's are not sentient/sensitive enough to recognize that the Volarens are sentient/intelligent/partners in fighting off their foes?
If it is the first, then you would need Volaren POV. If it is the second, you don't.
Just my opinion,
terri
Thanks Moonhart, you helped me define it...the Lladranans are slow to recognize that the flying horses are sentient...
Robin
You're welcome!
(((Robin)))
moonie
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