Michael Parker - Author Interview: Narrative Style

Which narrative point of view (first person, second person or third person) do you use most in your fiction, or do you often use different points of view for different stories, and why?

Third person. It helps to include elements of the story that would be difficult in the first person. It also helps to build the story in my opinion.

Do you use present tense or past tense most in your fiction, or do you often switch tense for different stories, and why?

Past tense. It’s natural to speak to somebody in the past tense when recalling a story or something that has happened, that’s why I use it.

Pick one of your published stories. What combination of point of view and tense did you use for this story, and why?

No point of view in any of my stories. They are just that: stories that are a figment of my imagination. A bit like a young kid at school writing a story for English homework perhaps.

To what extent is the vocabulary and manner of speech of the narration in this story different from your own everyday expression, and what does this contribute to the story?

I used to swear a lot, but over the years, and since becoming a born again Christian, I try very hard not to swear. And for that reason I have taken it upon myself to limit the amount of bad language in my novels. This might sound incredible, but a writer should be able to use the English language expressively without resorting to effing and blinding all the time. I only use those words sparingly now.

Did you tell this story with one narrator or multiple narrators, and why?

N/A

Did you make the narrator of this story a character involved in the main action of the story, or did you make the narrator one which is not a character in your fictional story world, and why?

N/A

What is one of your favourite fictional stories, in which you think is narration is written well, and how would you describe what makes the narration work so well for you as a reader?

I have read too many novels over the years to give an adequate answer to that question, but I think C.J. Sansom takes a lot of beating these days.

Do you usually provide direct access to the thoughts of characters in your stories? If so, do you usually provide access to the thoughts of one character or multiple characters in a single story or point of view, and why?

Always direct access.

To what extent does the narrative style of novels you read have an impact on why you read them, and why?

It’s important that I am happy with the narrative. C.J.Sansom is a good example of good narrative. His books are like a window on the world about which he is writing. You can almost smell the flowers as it were.

Author website: www.michaeljparker.com