This is from a reply I made on the ABNA 2012 Forum, entiled “Why can’t we switch POVs every other sentence?”. It attempts to explain my inter-character dialog Point of View shifts.
I almost invariably present dialog from the perspective of the person speaking, or thinking. I have a couple of reasons for doing this.
First, it shows the reader what the speaker is seeing, why they think they are seeing that, and how they feel about it – all without any need for extensive exposition, or explanation.
Second, it shows the “action” from multiple different angles – something I consider vitally important in any work about individual character (which is what I choose to write).
The veracity of eyewitness testimony is a fallacy, most witnesses tell what they “think they saw” – while stating it as fact. What they are actually describing as indisputable fact is seriously corrupted – by faulty memory, faulty understanding, personal agenda, and a desire to tell something exciting and relevant.
Many term this technique (if it can be called that) “head hopping”. That is an inappropriate description. In my opinion, it is better described as “head borrowing”, or possibly “head burrowing” since it lets the reader get inside the characters minds. A huge benefit to this, for the reader, if that the reader gets to see the “real truth” from every characters perspective while the characters themselves are limited to only their own point of view.
Finally, as I have most likely stated before, writing is an art – not a science. If writing was a science… well then, computers would do a better job of it than any of us wouldn’t they?
Art is at the discretion of the artist, not the audience – who are entirely free to dislike it.
If you’d like to experience my writing first hand, or first head, hop on over to Beltamar’s War – where you’ll find yourself in the head of Adelmar as he relives his memories.
