: Re: What is "head popping" and why is it bad? Most of my writing experience has been with first person, nonfiction stories. Now I want to try some fiction. I'm working in third person, but I'm

@Debbie451

Vote Up Vote Down

I would find it annoying, or annoyingly convenient, to be switching POVs repeatedly, particularly just for one sentence.

I think even when you have an omniscient narrator, you need to stick with one person per scene, or per beat. When you read a story, you are kind of sitting on the shoulder of whoever is the focus of a scene, and if the POV jumps from A to B repeatedly, as the reader you don't know who you're supposed to be traveling with.

If you want the reader to know what Character B is thinking at that moment, either Character B has to display it (expression, body language), say it out loud, or communicate it somehow (write it down, sign it, text it). Otherwise you have to wait for the next scene or the next beat for the focus to switch to Character B.

The purpose of the omniscient narrator may be to give us access to the thoughts of all the characters... but not necessarily all at once.

(0)

Login to post a comment!