But not my reading time.
In my never ending quest to become a better writer, I thought I'd revisit some classic Nora Roberts. Who could be better than the Queen of Romance to show me the perfect turn of phrase or character arc. The Washington Post calls her "The most successful novelist on planet Earth." Except I found something else that early Nora was the queen of.
Head hopping.
I've been reading so much contemporary, contemporary romance that jumping back just a few decades to the mid-1980s seems so... dated. Granted, she still wrote strong heroines, even then. But she liberally hopped around in the heads of minor characters to reveal plot points or opinions that the reader would have no other (easy) way of gathering.
So I have to ask, when did this expectation from publishers (and readers) change? Are there many older works of romance that jump between POVs and let minor characters get a thought in edgewise? Does that fall into the "omniscient narrator" thing we're warned against in writing classes?
Do you notice it when you're reading? Because authors still do it.
I fully admit, I don't like the head hopping. I recently chastised a fellow YA author in my review of his latest book for including a few instances of jumping into the secondary characters' heads for a sentence or two in order to reveal an important fact to the reader. He followed up with an email to tell me "he didn't have another way to get the information out there." I disagree. It might be harder on the writer to come up with an alternate scenario, or take more words, but that's our job. To create the world we are portraying down to the last detail, so how could anything be "impossible" ??
What's your take? How do you avoid it in your own writing? Do you cringe when you find it in books you're reading, or take it in stride? Have I taken this writing rule too much to heart?
I guess I have more questions than answers when it comes to including multiple POVs in your story, and hoping that someone else can explain it to me.
In the meantime, Happy Writing!
Katie - this is a timely topic! It's funny but with Nora's stuff I don't notice the head hopping as much as I do with other authors. When I was first writing I head hopped A LOT. I didn't even realize it. A kind editor pointed it out and then I started to restructure my writing to 2 POVS in a chapter, one in the beginning, a break, then the other. In all honesty I found this hard in the beginning. We're used to watching movies where the POV is on EVERYONE in the scene, so it seemed natural for me to write that way. Big nonononononono for editors now. Personally, I feel Nora can keep head hoping because to me it's seamless, but with everyone else's writing - including my own - it's better to keep to one POV at a time. Easier for the reader to keep track of who's POV we're in, and easier for the writer to keep track of who's POV she's writing in.
ReplyDeleteGreat topic and food for thought, my dear - as always!
Exactly. I'm not talking about having more than one POV - that's normal. I love the he said/she said back and forth where you get different perspectives on the situation.
DeleteI'm talking hopping into the mailman's head for a sentence or two because he knows he just delivered a package next door and saw your husband sneaking out the back door. Or jumping perspectives back and forth during a dialogue - each scene should be in one POV.
I used to head hop, because I didn't know any better and for me, especially with sex scenes, I wanted readers to know what each character was thinking and feeling, not just one. But then I learned craft and learned how not to do it. That being said, there are certain authors who do it well--Nora Roberts and Julia Quinn come to mind. I attended a workshop with Julia Quinn and she taught me how to do it within the occasional scene if necessary. It's still not something I do often. And it really bothers me when other authors do it.
ReplyDeleteI have to mention this, Jennifer...I love showing the POV with the hero and heroine in a sex scene, too. Often times, I'll begin the chapter (where I know they'll have sex) with one POV and then half way through, I'll switch into the other character's POV. Sometimes I'll create a scene break. This is the only time where I'll have two POV's, but I'm not head-hopping.
DeleteI hear you both about the sex scenes, and agree with Mary's way of solving the issue. Again, I don't mind multiple POVs. It's the hopping back and forth that makes me crazy, lol.
DeleteThis is one of my big pet peeves! As an editor as well, I often have to point it out. There is ALWAYS another way to convey information. To me, head hopping is jarring. I admit, I'm not a Nora fan. Head hopping is one of the reasons. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alicia! I'm glad you could stop by and chime in!
DeleteHead hopping is a weakness just like passive voice or any other failing a good writer strives to overcome. It does jar me a bit. In my own writing it’s most difficult not to head hop in sex scenes because as a reader and as a writer you do want to know and express what both H and h think and feel in the moment but I have seen it done well.
ReplyDeleteOkay, you inadvertently struck on a minor pet peeve of mine... with H/h - who is the big and who is the small? and why is one "dominant" and one "submissive" ? Does it vary by who's the Main-main character (M/f or F/m) or is it always one way or the other? Can someone explain the nuances?
DeleteYep. Been there, done that. As a reader I don't mind head hopping--if it's done in a smooth and logical manner. As an editor I mark it on a manuscript but when it ends up giving me whip lash--that's a hurl against the window deal.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Kate
I'm with you in the hurl against the window. Or wall, mostly, as windows are costly. Walls don't break as easily when my iPad slams into it.
DeleteI grew up reading Nora Roberts so head hopping doesn't bother me at all. She does it pretty seamlessly. Even in other author's work if its done well and give me needed information. UNLESS it really takes me out of the story, which rarely happens. In own writing I struggle with making sure there is no head hopping, but alas I miss the mark occasionally. Bless my editor.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that in some books I've ready, I find myself wondering what other characters are thinking, especially where there are strong secondary characters.
Wondering about the other characters means it's good writing - you care what others are thinking. Maybe the author could've given you more clues, but maybe they're saving the secondary character for a book of their own :-)
DeleteGreat topic! I don’t do it, but until recently I always wrote in 1st POV and changed at chapter breaks or other breaks. I don’t particularly like it as a reader unless it is done very well. I agree with you, Katie, that there are other ways to convey the information.
ReplyDeleteSee, I was wondering as I wrote this post if first person POV gained popularity because it's so much easier to stay in one perspective if it's first person. I remember my mom saying she hated romances written that "newfangled" way.
DeleteSorry to say, but Nora still continues to "head hop" in her stories. The first book in her last series had me groaning and trying to figure out who was thinking/speaking that I gave up reading the book. It was a struggle. If done properly, POV shifts can work in a scene. The trick is learning how to place and use them. Great post, Katie.
ReplyDeleteSo maybe I won't try current Nora then either. Thanks for that info, Mary!
DeleteTerrific post, Katie. I went back recently to re-read a very old favorite, one I read in high school when I haunted our small town library (I think many of the books were donated from peoples' libraries when they died. Okay, maybe not, but there were a lot of old books.) Anyway, one of my favs was a historical kind of mystery-suspense with the romance almost a sideline. I was shocked to realize how much head-hopping went on in that!! Goodness. I didn't remember that happening--I remembered the vivid characters, the wonderful action, the exciting plot! But it was hard to read now. Naturally we're cautioned not to do that these days, but I do agree with Mary that POV shifts can work in a scene if done the right way.
ReplyDeleteI didn't mean to imply the entire book should only be in one POV. I've even read first person POV books that title the chapters with the narrators name and successfully pull off two character first person narration. Not simultaneously, which would be very confusing head hopping to be sure!
DeleteI think Nora Roberts is proof that head hopping is ok and can add to a story if done well. I recently completed a manuscript in which I have 8 points of view. I asked my beta readers and none of them had an issue with it. I think head hopping in this story adds to the suspense. I love the idea that rules like “don’t be in more than 2-3 POVs” can be broken to build a stronger story. Now whether my editor agrees remains to be seen😬
ReplyDeleteI think that rule can be broken if done well. Look at movies like Crash, or Love Actually, or Crazy Stupid Love - multiple viewpoints and storylines that tie together, but well-defined points of view in each.
DeleteGood luck with your manuscript!
I'll be honest. I can't read Nora, and the head-hopping is why. The few of hers I have tried to read, I didn't feel I got enough of a sense of the characters, enough to make me want to keep reading (nobody kill me. lol). Though I certainly did it when I was a new writer. But it's definitely one of the big things that will make me stop reading a book. Now, a well-done switch, say, in the middle of a chapter is fine, when you get solid chunks (3 or more pages) of one POV. But the back and forth type stuff...nope. Drives me up the wall. lol
ReplyDeleteTotally with you. Thanks for joining the conversation!
DeleteIf the do it as seamlessly as Nora I'm less likely to notice it. If it's a omniscient mystery (think Clue) okay I can deal. But otherwise it's SO HARD for me to read. Especially when the POV character "knows" something they can't or "sees" something they can't. Just no. Can't read it. I won't finish a book with it.
ReplyDeleteDo I do it when I write? Lord, I hope not. And if I do I hope my CPs and editors slap me with the book. LOL
But now that we have had this conversation, it will jump out at you even when Nora does it. Trust me. I might not have noticed it in her work, except I'd just had that long back and forth with another writer about him doing it in his work. And then there's the Queen of Romance doing it too...
DeleteI hope your CPs don't really slap you
Great post Katie! Head hopping drives me nuts! It didn't used to and some of my favorite romance authors head hopped. So of course when I first started writing I head hopped to. Until my editor informed me it was a no-no. :) Now I can't stand it. I have trouble reading the book and tend to scream at the characters. Multiple POVs are fine but head hopping, not so much.
ReplyDeleteGood subject, Katie. Before I learned the "rules" of writing, I didn't notice or even knew the term head-hopping. I read for the story, for the author. I suspect many non-writers don't notice POV hops, or if they do, they don't realize it's become a no-no. Seamless changes in POV can be done. I've seen it done well, and I've seen it done poorly. And I hope I can find poorly done switches in my own writing, for the current book I'm writing has many POV's, all demanding their turns!
ReplyDeleteI see the term head-hopping as negative, and that you are jumping from one head to another without appropriate transitions. I write from the POV of both my main characters, but I make sure I separate them well, and the reader should not get "lost." I don't see a purpose for pulling in any additional characters as far as showing another point of view, unless it is the nefarious villain, maybe. But even then, I've never done it personally and don't see myself doing it.
ReplyDelete