POV question

[D.]

I'm writing an erotica in the third person. I have been thinking about changing it to first person before I publish. My instinct is to leave it as I wrote it but with the popularity of first person erotica I'm tempted to change. Any thoughts would be welcome

[Vicki]

Hi, Deanette! I wrote an almost very sensual novella in first person. I wrote everything in first person. It is incredibly intimate. The problem is not being able to switch from head to head (or pov character). Everything is told from one person's point of view. This doesn't bother me. It does bother some romance readers who want to know what the hero is thinking.

I read a bunch of mysteries and many are told in first pov. It has never bothered me.

You will have to experiment and see which you like best. Maybe have a beta reader or critique partner read to help you.

If you've submitted to publishers or agents, what are they saying?

[Michelle]

Deanette wrote: "I'm writing an erotica in the third person. I have been thinking about changing it to first person before I publish. My instinct is to leave it as I wrote it but with the popularity of first perso..."

Hello Deanette! Welcome to the PP group!
My thought about POV is you have to write what the story speaks. If your gut is telling you to leave it, then maybe you should. Are you writing from multiple POVs in the story? Does it feel richer with them instead of just one? Rewriting into first will be a giant pain in the butt. HOWEVER, if you think the story will be better in First, then go for it. If you wanted to take a scene and rewrite it as first to see how it feels, it might give you an idea what it would be like. Really, it's up to you and what kind of story you're trying to tell.

I hope that helps!

[Rayne]

Deanette, Welcome to the PP group!
You've already received some good thoughts on your idea to switch to first person. Here's my five cents' worth:
You way the trend in erotica is first person. Fifty Shades was in first person. My natural instinct - and remember this is only my instinct - would be to try to be different, to develop my own voice, not mimic what's gone before. Today erotica sells, and I don't think it has to do with POV. Another thing you may want to think about is that first person is more limiting than 3rd, which gives you more freedom to move around scene to scene, the story as a whole.
No matter what you chose, be true to yourself. Listen to that little voice inside. It usually knows what's write. Happy writing.

[[deleted user]]

Hi Deanette,
Welcome to the PP group! I agree with everyone else. Listen to the little voice inside. IMO the POV should be written how it came to you, be that in first person or third. Each story is different.

I hope that helps! Happy writing!

[Alisha]

Hi, Deanette!

So happy to see you here at The Plotting Princesses! I don't think you should start over. Build on what you've written so far. You can try writing in 1st person for your next book and see how that feels. I mostly write in 3rd person. I have one children's adventure book in 1st person. I love to write in first person because it just seems so much faster to me. You can REALLY get into your character's head. It's a lot of fun! But again, if you write in 3rd person, you can switch POV. However, I have seen books written in 1st person that switch POV. For example, I read a book about sisters and each chapter would be titled with the POV of whichever sister. So, Rachel would be an entire chapter of her thoughts. It wasn't confusing because the author made it clear with it each chapter and it was a lot of fun to read too. Play around with your next book and have some fun! I hope you have a happy summer! ~ Alisha Paige

[Sylvia]

HI Deanette!
What a great question. I agree with Alisha (she's a very smart woman) that you save 1st person for your next book. With each book you write, you become a stronger writer. Wait and plan the book to be written in first person, so that your scenes revolve around the point of view character. I have never written first person and to me it would be so hard to stay in one person's point of view. I love the idea that Alisha said about doing first person for one character per chapter. That sounds interesting.
Sylvia

[Rayne]

Jodi Picoult whom some of you may know, multi-published author and a very good one, uses the technique of switching POV with every chapter. She also switches font with each chapter and POV. Because I like her stories, I kept reading, but in the end the POV switch with each chapter became tiresome. It smacks of a trick she's using to be different.
If you were to step out of the mold and "do your own thing," wait till you have a book or two under your belt. Gimmicks are fine for best seller authors, but as a beginner, I'd be careful of it. Readers like their comfort zones, staying with a few POV's. I'm very careful about switching POV unless it makes sense for the depth of the story.
Rayne

[D.]

really good advice thank you very much all

[Liese]

POV is one of the trickiest things to get right when writers begin, but some genres/stories practically require more than one POV. Most romance novels, for example, expect both the hero's and heroine's viewpoints as the relationship deepens. Take a look at other novels similar to the one you're writing and see how they handle it. Not to copy the work, but to develop a sense of publisher and reader expectations.

Best of luck with your writing!
Liese

[Rayne]

I fully agree with Liese. In the very formulaic romance genre, it's a "must" to use the male protagonist POV alternating with the female. As Liese says, it depends on the genre you write in. In my critique group, we had - for a short time - a writer who had scenes in the POV of the lioness :) As I said, she was with us for a short time.
Best of luck.
Rayne