I just cut down & rewrote a page that I had thought was IM, but probably reeked a little of narrative/telling. I tried making the character’s “observations” sound more like they were coming to her in real time, adding some “show” instead of “tell” about her general, overall impression of another person. It may stink even more now, I don’t know. I’ll let it simmer a while and go back and hack on it again.

I like the way W. Dale Cramer handled his third person, single POV character in “Summer of Light”. It seems pretty close; you almost have to do a double take to see if it’s first or third person. Which may be why the guy gets away with lots of contractions. The character’s fairly sarcastic attitude is a steady voice all throughout the book. (And pretty dang funny. I like the way the character mentally Re-Names things/people he doesn’t like, then it/they are referred to that way from then on. The chainsaw chapter had me giggling out loud, and I don’t giggle.)

Also, I have read that the reason newbie writers are told to stay with one point of view is that it is easier to focus on the main character, and its one less thing to learn while learning to write the first novel.

I too used to have (and may still have at times) trouble in dropping out of first or third person POV and into omniscient POV. Upon re-reading old stuff, I noticed I tended to do it witout knowing, like it sneaked up on me.

I think that the main thing you have to keep in mind is that if you’re using first and third person POV, you should ONLY write about what that character knows, sees, feels, hears, etc… As soon as you write about something that your character couldn’t possibly know, see, feel, hear, taste or smell than - BAM - you’re out of that character’s POV and into omniscient.

Again, as always, the way I see things.

Also go back and reread Randy’s discussion on dialog from his newsletter a little while back. There’s a good example of closeness in the Dilbert/Bossbert point of view versions of the dialog.

I keep in mind something Stephen King wrote in his book “On Writing”: Never lie to your readers. They can always tell.

It’s written with alternating POV: first person singular for the heroine, and third person singular for the villain (and mostly at Randy’s level 2 for interior monologue).

The result, for me, was feeling closer to the heroine (which was good; it helps you to root for her) and somewhat more removed from the villain, though one is left feeling uncomfortably close to his thoughts at times.

However, as a reader, I really prefer the closer IM 3rd person POV. You almost need it to get emotionally involved with the characters. I think a lot of the literary fiction you read in school lacks that and that’s why those books are so hard to read. The narrator (author) is trying to be literary and fails to make you care.

It’s actually harder to write in only one POV. You have to be more vigilent because it is easy to slip into what everyone is thinking. I’ve read books where I knew what everyone in the whole village thought! And the book was just released last year in CBA. Very frustrating for us writers who are trying to write tight and write well.

Great examples!