Christine Johnson - 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?

Traditionally, I've used third person past tense in my stories. I like the close third POV because it allows me to follow one particular character, but also to give a view of the book's happenings that is wider in scope than the protagonist's personal experience. Interestingly, I recently began a project that works best in first person, which isn't something I've done before. It's scary to shift POV when one feels so comfortable! Sometimes, though, the story or voice calls so strongly for a particular structure that it would be a disservice to the project to hammer it into a different style.

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

In third person, I prefer to write in past tense, though in first person, I think present is the ONLY way to go. I dislike first person past tense a great deal. As a reader, it creates the foregone conclusion that the narrator came out of whatever story they're telling. It bothers me particularly when a story involves an actual life or death struggle. It feels like a spoiler in verb tense form.

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

Both Claire de Lune and Nocturne are written in third person past tense. With the structure of the story (mystery elements, trope recreation,) and pace of the novels, they both needed third past's ability to fill things in with a few quick brushstrokes. It just felt right for the voice and the story.

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 think all of my characters/novels are in a different voice than my own. My characters don't sound like me. It's much like being able to hear how your best friends would say something - how they would react to the situation. It might not be exactly the words you would say, but it seems obvious when you know a person - or a character! - that well.

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

Claire de Lune has a main narrator with a number of asides from the rogue wolf in the story. Again, the mystery element made it necessary to break from Claire's experience, and the 3rd person POV allowed me to do it more smoothly, I think. Nocturne, however, is narrated entirely by Claire.

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 charcater in your fictional storyworld, and why?

I think third person automatically takes the narrator our of the main action, though a close third makes the reader feel involved enough to keep the story

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 particularly admire stories with unreliable narrators, as it's so hard to keep the reader involved in spite of not quite trusting the source of the story. RJ Anderson's ULTRAVIOLET is a fantastic example of this style.

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?

Occasionally I do, though I feel it's important to limit it in a third person POV narrative structure, and then only for the character that is the focus of the close third. In first person, it feels more natural to me to have access to direct thought.

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

Actually, it doesn't. A well-written book of any narrative style is enjoyable. Other than my gripe about first person past tense, I like books of all styles, and even books with that structure are worth reading if they're otherwise interesting. Perfect example? Meg Rosoff's HOW I LIVE NOW. Hate the tense. Love that book.

Author website: http://www.christinejohnsonbooks.com/



Vicki Delany - 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?

I write three completely different styles and sub-genres of crime fiction, and the narrative style varies depending on what suits the book. The Constable Molly Smith books (From Poisoned Pen Press) are in the style of the traditional police procedural/village format. A multi-person, third-person POV works best, I think, to show the situation from many angles and how individual characters are responding to the situation.

The Klondike Gold Rush books (From Dundurn Press) are primarily first person, as they are quite light-hearted. It’s much easier to write comedy in first person – you can poke fun at your protagonist without appearing to be mean-spirited. The protagonist in these books is intended to be somewhat, shall we say, confident in her abilities, so I think she might be a bit over-bearing if presented in third person. On the other hand, because of the time and the setting of the books, I needed another character’s POV to go to places that a woman of the times would not. So the character of her 12 year old son and the NWMP officer are in third person.

My newest standalone, More than Sorrow, is one person, first person POV, because I am attempting to achieve an intimacy between the reader and the character.

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

I always use past tense. I find present tense very rarely works in fiction.

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

I’ll pick my forthcoming book, More Than Sorrow (Poisoned Pen Press, Sept 2012). The main part of this book is almost exclusively first person POV, past tense. The book is standalone suspense, a modern Gothic. I am hoping to achieve an intimacy between the reader and the character. The character is a journalist wounded in an IED explosion in Afghanistan attempting to recover at her sister’s organic vegetable farm. She suffers from TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and her injury is central to the story and to the character’s actions and development. I never considered telling it in anything but first person, because first person is the best medium to give the reader a glimpse into what is happening inside the woman’s damaged brain, and her attempts to deal with it.

I said ‘almost exclusively’ because there are a couple of very short passages in which we see Hannah Manning, the protagonist, as others see her. Damaged and struggling.

There are, however, flashbacks in this book to a Loyalist woman, a refugee from the American Revolution. This story is told in third person, deliberately to avoid confusion with the main story.

As in all of my writing, the tense is past tense. As a reader, I find that present tense unless done extremely well, can be off-putting and have an air of unnaturalness about it.

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?

The character in this book is a modern middle-class Canadian woman, same as me. Her speech and vocabulary is therefore very similar to mine. I have written books where the narration is historical or for someone much younger than me, so it was a relief not to have to worry about the character’s speech patterns or words. In the flashback sequences, the narration is slightly more formal than I would use, as the character is a well-educated, upper-class woman of the 18th century. Care needs to be taken that the language is formal but not so stilted or proper as to be off-putting to the modern reader.

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

In this book there are two narrators for each section of the book (18th century and contemporary). That, I believe, leads to an emotional intimacy between the character and the readers that is difficult to achieve if other characters keep popping up.

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 storyworld, and why?

The narrator(s) is the central character. We see all of the action and all of the other characters exclusively through her eyes. Again, this was necessary to achieve a strong degree of emotional intimacy. The reader (I hope) can really feel this woman’s pain and her terror that she will never get well.

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?

In all of my books, whatever type, I provide direct access to the thoughts of the POV character at the moment. Whether it’s Molly Smith worrying that she’ll never make a good cop, or Fiona MacGillivray reflecting on her tumultuous past, or any one of my other characters worried that they’re making a mistake, or even what to make for dinner, I believe that the most important action of fiction is to give a glimpse into another person’s mind.

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

Narrative style is critical. I don’t usually read a book for the action or the dialogue, but for the characters and what they have to say.

Authore website: http://www.vickidelany.com/



Barbara Freethy - 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?

I use third-person point-of-view, and I alternate points-of-view between the main characters. My stories are complex family dramas, often encompassing two or more generations. Like with a real family, every member has their own version of past events and I want to give each an opportunity to share their story.

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

I write in past tense. My stories often involve events of the past visiting upon characters in the present. I want the story to have a sense of timelessness and past tense seems the most appropriate.

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

In JUST THE WAY YOU ARE, sisters Alli and Tessa have been estranged since Alli seduced Tessa's boyfriend, who she has since married after becoming pregnant. The sisters and the man between them must confront the betrayal and lingering emotions when their grandmother falls ill. The story is told in third person and Alli, Tessa, their grandmother and Alli's husband all narrate from their points-of-view.

Because the story takes place a long time after a pivotal event – Alli's seduction of Tessa's boyfriend - it was important all the characters tell their version of the story. They each have differing ideas about who was in the wrong but these opinions change during the story. This growth and nuance would have been lost in a single or first-person point-of-view narrative.

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?

The characters in JUST THE WAY YOU ARE come from a similar ethnic and class background to me, so to that degree our vocabulary and manner of speech are similar. However, my characters have very specific life experiences. Tessa is a single, jet-setting model and her sister Alli is a hometown girl with a family, so they see the world differently from me and from each other, and that specific worldview and life experience is reflected in their speech.

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

Multiple narrators, so each could tell conflicting versions of the same past event which has affected them all to this day.

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?

All my narrators are connected and involved to the main action. I like to write stories where the narrator has a stake in the outcome of events.

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?

Almost all my stories provide direct access to the thoughts of multiple characters in their third-person point-of-view. I write stories that explore family drama and dynamics, and I like the important characters to have their moment to shine. Every reader also comes to the story with a unique point of view, and you never know which character- the black sheep, the matriarch, the golden boy - they'll relate to and root for.

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

I like novels of all narrative styles, but complex family dramas are my favorite, which is probably why I write them. I like stories where nobody is wrong or right even though they might believe they are wrong or right. Real life is more complicated than that, and I like stories that reflect it.

Author website: http://barbarafreethy.com



Nancy Kilpatrick - 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?

I use different points of view. Usually the story screams for a particular POV. Most stories are 3rd person, single character POV and I suppose most of my short fiction is in that POV. But I've written a lot of first and also second person, as well as third with multi-characters. I have discovered that sometimes switching a POV will enliven a story that feels a tad dull.

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

Most of my writing is past tense but I've written several short stories in present tense, and one in future tense.

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

I have a series of novels called Power of the Blood. This is a vampire world with unusual vampires. The four volumes have different perspectives, depending on what I was trying to do. Child of the Night is from the POV of Carol only, in the 3rd person. It's crucial to keep this to only her POV because the other main character Andre has a secret which cannot be revealed until almost the end of the book. Near Death is a 2 character POV in 3rd. This story called for that because of how the characters Zero and David interact. Reborn is 2 character POV in 3rd but one of the characters, Karl, is dominant. The other, the half breed boy Michel, only has the stage at the start and in two chapters towards the end. The reader needs to know things the dominant character can't be present for. The 4th book Bloodlover is a 2 character POV in the third but was originally written in multi-character in the 3rd. I revised this book quite a bit and decided that having the two main characters, Julien and Jeanette, only made more sense; the other characters didn't appear beyond their usefulness so giving them a POV set the reader up for an intimacy that didn't follow through.
An independent novel of mine, Eternal City, is a multi character POV in the 3rd. The setting is very fixed in this novel which allows the characters to all have their say, and there are many.

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?

The characters all have personalities, especially in the novel series, and I wanted to keep each distinct so that even if I didn't add a dialogue tag, the reader would know who was speaking or thinking. I don't speak like any of the characters in any of my novels or short stories and yet they come from me so there are fragments that seep into the story which are undoubtedly me, more or less, depending.

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

Eternal City is multi character POV. The reason is that there needs to be many perspectives on the setting which is like a character. The setting is a domed gated city on an island in a large lake. The perspectives are from the locals, from the authorities (the law), the summer residents, their children who play a pivotal role in the outcome, and from the man who runs this city, and others. All are focused on this one place and that allows for a multi narration.

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 charcater in your fictional storyworld, and why?

All of the characters are involved in the story and make the story work.

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 suspect most writers would say, as I will, that all the narrations are well written in all the stories. There is no particular one that stands out. I can give an example, but it could be any number of stories, but this one happens to be the anthology my eyes fell on as I scanned the shelves with anthologies I've been in--Xanada 3, edited by Jane Yolan. The story is "Your Basic Unsung Hero". The narrator is the Death character we meet when we die and he/she/it is coming onstage to give us some crucial info about the afterlife. It's a light and breezy narration, meant to be humorous, with some important information imbedded in what the character says. I think the nature of Death and the mystery of the afterlife, if you believe in such, requires a certain delicacy in writing so that what the writer (in this case me) wants to get across can happen and is palatable for the reader.

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?

I don't 'usually' do anything. In Eternal City, there is direct access to the thoughts of all the characters because the novel is 3rd person and direct thoughts are a way to get close to the characters and feel intimate without the forced intimacy of 1st person.

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

I'd say that everything I've ever read has had an indirect impact on my writing. Reading, for a writer, is learning. Other writers do things that bring a kind of Ah Ha! moment, and then we realize that we, too, can do that. I've discovered a few things reading the work of others. Of course, every writer translates to their own style and the material they want to write about. As they say, there are only 36 plots and you can find them all in Shakespeare. Nothing is new and nobody is inventing anything. But we all shift around what exists and tell it in our way and that's what makes it unique. And some writers really do awaken other writers. For instance, Perfume, by Patrick Susskind. That novel uses the olfactory nerve for narration and it was an eye-opener for me and blew me away. That has integrated into my writing because I think about using the sense of smell whereas before I read Perfume (many years ago), it didn't really occur to me.

Author website: http://www.nancykilpatrick.com