Context
A key to setting the environment you’re writing in is context. For example, if you have characters named Andrew and Sam, for example, they might have vastly divergent views about… say, a charismatic leader type of guy named Doug. One of them might like him a lot. The other might not care for him at all. The point is if everyone feels the same way about everything, the one-dimensionality of what you’re writing will sink it before the reader has a chance to care.
I came across a super example of this not too long ago. There’s this guy named David Beckham. He’s a soccer player. In 80 percent of the world, he can’t go anywhere without being mobbed. He’s a super star. In America, he’s kind of a minor celebrity.
There’s some controversy right now around Mr. Beckham. He plays for a team in Los Angeles. But, he asked them to lend him to a European team for the off-season. His commitment to his team in America is certainly questionable. A book is being released about his transition to America. It features fairly incendiary quotes from the team captain of the team in L.A.
The thing about it is, there have been several articles lately about this book. It’s fascinating to see the difference in perspective from America to London, England, for example.
From an article on CNN:
National skipper Donovan, who led the United States to the final in South Africa last weekend, said in a new book due out later this month that Beckham had been a negative influence since his high-profile move to the Major League Soccer outfit two years ago.
From an article on BBC Sports:
David Beckham’s LA Galaxy team-mate Landon Donovan has launched a stinging attack on the England star, accusing him of a lack of commitment.
Differences in perspective are part of what makes the real world so interesting. Remember that when you’re creating fictional worlds… depth = good. In the comments, we could discuss the differences in tone in the above two quotes… or not.
Okay, you so say”soary” and I say “sarry”, but all us ought to love the Doug guy! Good post.
I’m reminded of the British-American tension that existed for a guy like C.S. Lewis. In America, his work was pretty successful and he was well liked, but in Britain, it was sort of mediocre.
Do you suppose there is any way to be multi-dimensional in writing? I think Robert Jordan is one of the only guys I might reference as being truly great at capturing multiple ‘perspectives’ in a narrative, without losing the reader – and yet his work is a mammoth as a result, with a thousand loose ends.
Thanks for the post!
Quit trying to drag me into controversy. You are a bad influence on this team, I don’t care how much they pay you.
Sam… it hadn’t even occurred to me… sometimes art mirrors life or something? I’ll have to come up with some totally fake disclaimer.
Todd… you’re right. Jordan does that well. If not for his fatal flaw of over-describing, I’d probably hold him up as the best example of multiple viewpoints in Fantasy. And that might just be my own preferences talking too… maybe the majority of people who read the genre like their descriptive prose in pages at a time. But then, would the environment he created be quite so thoroughly engaging without the description? I go around and around on this one. I’d love to develop some thoughts on how to do it well (viewpoints, not description… although maybe I need to change my thinking on both)without also losing track of the main story arc.
I agree completely about the description thing – It gets to the point where I skip down to find the action or some interesting part about the use of the One Power. Perhaps it is the “waiting” or “wading” through the description which magnifies the rest of the story, gives characters something to swim in? I dunno.
As for viewpoints, my strategy is to try capturing the viewpoint of a character totally unconnected with the main character/plot and force myself to work that character back to the main plot – fit them in, so to speak. I also am not opposed to using crutches like physical twitches (remember Lews Therin whistling when he sees a pretty women, or pulling his ear-lobe)
But then again, I think Jordan probably over-emphasizes character distinctives (like always mentioning Perrin’s eyes or ability to smell, etc…) to both his credit and failing. You needed those elements to get back into a character’s shoes (because you hadn’t heard from them in a book or two), but it was always annoying to continually hear it… So, it may be another one of those back and forth arguments. Sorry to focus so much on Jordan here…