Don't want Ted to think we are letting the side down....

[chelsfield]

So, has anyone ever started a piece of fiction, and suddenly half way through, get a brain wave that would require major changes from the beginning? Example: I have been working on something with the very strong first person narration of one of the characters, and suddenly thought the narrator should actually be someone quite different. Only the reader will think it is the first narrator right up until the gery end. 

Got that?

My dilemma is whether I should rewrite from the beginning, or continue following the plot until the end and then rewrite, trying to obscure the narrator. 

Ever have annoying problems like that?

[djmills]

No. :-)

I sometimes combine two characters into one, because there are too many characters to track through the story.
But, mostly I loosely plot the whole story main points, but leave the characters to add the detail for each section. More fun that way as I find out how the story goes while I write each sentence. :-)

And I don't use first person, because I don't like reading that. I prefer close third person for reading as well as writing.

So, if you are bored with it, start over with different main character. Or finish first draft with current character because by the end you may be happy with your main character and first person narration. :-)

[chelsfield]

Hi dj

Thanks for that. The surprise change of narrator is interesting to me, so not bored, just a bit daunted not only by the revision work but by handling it in such a way that the reader is not alerted too early. Frankly, I don't think I am that talented!

[djmills]

So the reader is not alerted too early, I use a point of view character with the least knowledge of what is happening. That way, readers won't get spoilers while reading from "inside the head of the least knowledge character". The reader will be as surprised as the POV character. :-)

Or, I use the antagonist as POV char if I want to show setting up the main character for a "big fall". That way the reader knows what is coming soon for the main character (protagonist). That adds suspense, like in a movie when the camera zooms in on a ticking bomb counting down minutes, then back to the characters talking about something else altogether while unaware the bomb is even in the room. :-)

[chelsfield]

That was my original intention, to have the main character come in for a big fall. But then I thought, I could make the fall bigger by having someone else usurp her position as the protagonist. Or is that antagonist?

[djmills]

The narrator (POV character) does not need to be the protagonist. The narrator could be the sidekick. Or the antagonist.
Like Dr Watson (POV) is the narrator in Sherlock Holmes.

[djmills]

I just came across this article on POV.
penultimateword.com/editing-blogs/how-to-write-deep-pov-its-all-in-your-perspective/

However, it still has errors!

Such as, do not use italics for thoughts. The only thoughts are inside the head of the point of view character, and as such are normal font. :-)

And using thoughts helps to distinguish between characters, like repeat words, curse words, rearranging sentences. Like some people say No? The question mark helps to identify another nationality character. Or, "No way, mate!" showing a more laid back character. :-)

[chelsfield]

"No way,mate" or that person is British or Australian....

[djmills]

Definitely Australian, like me. :-)

[Ria Stone]

Apr 16, 2018 23:31:08 GMT -8 chelsfield said:

So, has anyone ever started a piece of fiction, and suddenly half way through, get a brain wave that would require major changes from the beginning? Example: I have been working on something with the very strong first person narration of one of the characters, and suddenly thought the narrator should actually be someone quite different. Only the reader will think it is the first narrator right up until the gery end. 

Got that?

My dilemma is whether I should rewrite from the beginning, or continue following the plot until the end and then rewrite, trying to obscure the narrator. 

Ever have annoying problems like that?

Oh yeah, probably two years into writing Gina's Dream, I finally crystallized a better theme for the story. Tried to edit story to enhance the new theme. But, by that time, I knew the entire story needed to be rewritten and I just didn't think I could do it

Regarding your dilemma. Not sure I understand. 1 character is the narrator, now you want to create a new narrator as a 2nd character? Hmmm. In a sense, you are disguising the 2nd character to make it appear they are the 1st character?

To me, the choice to rewrite or complete the story and then rewrite would depend on where you are in the story. If you are in the early part of the story, rewriting makes sense. If in the last part of the story, completion makes sense, then return to the beginning and edit/rewrite. To me, that seems like a natural progression.