The Question Is...

[paragraphs]

I have three characters who will eventually meet.  Two girls and a boy.  Do I want to write separate stories for these characters, or weave them all together into one story, which would boot me out of the realm of YA because of the length?

Current ms (almost done) - MC is a 16 year old girl, miserable refugee kid from Dakarai (forbidden country - no one goes there) who has long felt out of place in her adoptive home, and longs to, and dreams of, returning to Dakarai where her brown kin and flat eyes don't make her different from everyone else  Growing up, her father forbade talk about Dakarai, but for some reason her uncle, in secret, taught her the songs of their people - mostly childrens songs aka little lesson songs  - and thus kept the language alive in her.  While traveling with her half-brother's and his mother's people on the river separating Dakarai from their home, the ship is attacked by terrible, fierce beasts and the Crimson Riders - the Rex of Dakarai's warriors.  As the only Dakarain on board the ship she is separated from the others, but then escapes thanks to help from two slaves, but not until after she is given a choice--be a slave like the others, or become a Rider.  She learns later that the Rex has horrible plans for the people she once couldn't wait to get away from.  Her brother and the others are taken deep into her enemy territory.  She must find her brother - vows to - and must deal with the reality of finally returning home, her dream (and the theme of the book is woven in there).  And a bunch of other stuff. Lots of stuff.  She eventually discovers that she wasn't just a refugee - NOT A CHOSEN ONE THANKS - but she isn't the only child rushed secretly out of Dakarai when the Rex took over.

As it stands now, hers is the only POV in this book (third person), and at the end, she will start looking for the others like herself.  And that is the quandry - I *could* do this multiple POV and write the other two characters like her in the first book, weaving their journeys to the same end, or I could write each POV in their own book (and the last have all their POVS?? that would be weird).  Or, I could simply add a 2nd pov in the second book, add the 3rd in the third.  Would that be weird?  First book - 1 pov.  Second book - 2 pov (with current MC the lesser POV).  Third and final book - 3 pov (with the 1st and 2nd POV the lesser POV until they all get together in the end)..

Comments

[used_songs]

I personally like the idea of interweaving the POVs throughout all of the books in the series. I always feel weird when I've fallen for one character and then they are not the center of the sequel. It takes me a while to forgive the author and learn to like the new central character. Plus if you're interweaving, you can do all kinds of lovely parallels.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

I agree with that - and lol that is why it keeps bugging me that this is the route I should go. I'm going to finish what I'm doing first -- not sure if other writers who write multiple pov have done it like this (one pov then decide hey I want more!) but who knows.

I think it is interesting you use the word 'forgive.' :) Don't make the readers angry!!! Did you know going in (in reading the first book) that the next book would have a different POV? I know with the Divergent series, as soon as I heard what the author had done with the first books' MC, I was out. (Well the writing didn't hold me either but that is another story).

[used_songs]

I didn't know, and maybe that's why I had to forgive the author. I'm always more interested in characters than plot, so it's hard for me to change characters. I like the Tara French mystery series, but it's always hard for me to start a new one in the series because she shifts her focus to a different character in that world.

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

I love multiple POV character books because you get to see the world of the story from numerous vantage points.

Do you think the book would benefit more from introducing your primary character here and telling her story? Or would it be richer if you added the other viewpoints as well.

I think it would work just as well introducing other characters through other books, but I think it boils down to the story YOU want to tell in the first novel.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

I think it would benefit yes - OH the work that would involve. :) I love multiple POV for the same reasons - realizing this week most of my favorite fantasy authors write in multiple POV, and thinking of where I want this to end up in the final book, and then realizing I want to hear these two other characters' voices. Ahh I love my brain messing with me. First goal is to finish what I've got started. I think I can't really make a wrong decision.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Why don't you do what pleases you most, and take a look at it then? Once you've got something to work with, rewriting is usually easier than that blank page.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

I am near the end of the first book... it wasn't until getting toward the end and realizing where I want to go next that I though t hmm, you know, if I also write this and this pov too, wow that would be so much fun and would make the story so much more interesting... :)

This book has been such a process of trying different things and some experimentation.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

That's pretty awesome!

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

If anything it has kept me sane while dealing with my often overly-stressful job. :)

[pir8fancier.livejournal.com]

I have never understood why, but some readers loathe first person POV. Just be aware that this is a deal breaker for some folks.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Oh I am sorry I am not clear - it is all third person - I was referring to the 1st MC's POV, the 2nd MC's POV.... :) It is all in third person. It did start out in first person but I didn't change to third because of that bias. Especially in YA first person is adored. And some of my favorite adult fantasies are in first (Robin Hobb, Jacqueline Carey for instance).

Clear as mud eh?

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

Each book adding a new POV is exactly what Patrick Ness did in the Chaos Walking Trilogy, and I really liked it. His main character stayed the focus of the story, but the other POVs added depth and complexity.

I think multiple third is more what we are used to, at least in adult novels. I don't know about YA, though. It seems that they stay more focused on one character. But Chaos Walking is YA, too, so it can be done successfully. :-)

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Be still my heart really!? I am leaning that direction as it would work really well with the plot, so am excited to hear it has been done. Now I want to find that trilogy. Thank you!

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, do that. It's a read totally worth it.

[theemdash]

FINISH THIS DRAFT FIRST.

But if you want my opinion, I'd add a POV in each consecutive book. You need to consider how long your story is and if adding two POVs to the first book would make it too long, you can't do that with this story. You'd need to completely reconceptualize the story to make 3 POVs work.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

That is what I decided to do, and it makes me very excited as it truly works very neatly to do exactly that. The second story expands from the first just the right way to make it a natural route to take. It definitely helped getting everyone's thoughts! It also makes me very excited to start #2 - even though, more than likely, I have at least a couple more months writing to do on the current one. I'm fine with that though. No rush, having fun. :)