POV and More (Rox Delaney)

This is the third start I've made on this blog post, not sure exactly what I want to blog about today.  POV is actually our 'topic for the month,' but we don't always stick to the topic.  Hey, we're individuals!

If you're struggling with POV, Joan Vincent has two fantastic blog posts on the subject that can put you on the path to understand.  Check them out!

Recently I've been reading YA novels.  Why?  Well, writing for middle readers (ages 10-12) and young adults is where I began my journey.  My oldest daughter, who is still a voracious reader, was inhaling Babysitters Club books at the time, and I decided I wanted to give it a try.  But instead of sticking with Babysitters Club type books, I searched for other books and authors.  I found some fantastic ones.  Mary Downing Hahn (who I actually met!), Cynthia Voigt, Norma Fox Mazer, Paula Danziger, Lois Duncan, Louis Sachar, and Jerry Spinelli (who I also met).  And that's a partial list, which is growing, now that I've begun reading YAs again.  I already have a favorite new author and am reading my way through her list.

So what does all that have to do with POV?  Books for children and teens are written primarily in one POV.  Not all, just the majority.  It's been quite a shift from romance to YA, but I'm enjoying this newest journey.  I can't think of once that I've wanted to know what one of the other characters is thinking or feeling, even when romance is involved.  If written well, I can guess.

Modern romance novels (especially series romance) also began with one POV--the heroine's.  We often had to wait until the end of the book for the hero's motivations and true emotions to be revealed.  Since that time, romance novels have evolved and now offer both the heroine's and hero's POV.  The hero has become a full and complete character, and we see him as we do the heroine, warts and all.  Suspense books often include brief glimpses into the villains POV.

Outside of romance, there are books that go into the POV of multiple characters.  These are usually books that have more than two main characters, each with their own POV.  Stephen King's The Stand is a popular example, where POV changes occur at chapter changes.  Because his characterization is so thorough and well done, with each character having his or her own distinct 'voice,' there's no question of who the new POV character is at the beginning of a new chapter.

If you're having problems understanding POV, there are tricks you can use to help.  Marking character POV with different color highlighters, as Joan did in her example, will help you see POV switches.  Another way is to write a scene in first person (I and my, instead of she and her), then change it to third person.  While reading published books, try being more aware of the POV of the characters.  Many authors switch characters only at a scene change and never within a scene, while others switch only by chapter.  Others, who have mastered POV switching, can do it within a scene, but most don't do it often.

It's fun to discover the likes and dislikes of other readers (and writers!)  So here are some questions:

In a romance novel, whose POV do you enjoy reading the most?  The hero's?  Or the heroine's? 

Which one do you enjoy writing the most?