Comments on: World-building the history of a place http://johndbrown.com/2009/06/world-building-the-history-of-a-place/ Sun, 12 Feb 2012 03:16:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: John Brown http://johndbrown.com/2009/06/world-building-the-history-of-a-place/comment-page-1/#comment-128 John Brown Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:03:33 +0000 http://johndbrown.com/?p=1520#comment-128 I think your question makes sense. But I don't think it requires more than one pov. "Jack walked into the room. It was full of Utlanders. He just hoped these weren't that group of Utlanders who believed..." The main pov character can be aware of other explanations, even if he doesn't believe them. Or if he's not sure which one is right. A good example of one way to handle 2 explanations with 1 pov is Orson Card's STONEFATHER novelette. There are two groups with two different versions of an event. And it comes across in a very normal way. I think your question makes sense. But I don’t think it requires more than one pov.

“Jack walked into the room. It was full of Utlanders. He just hoped these weren’t that group of Utlanders who believed…”

The main pov character can be aware of other explanations, even if he doesn’t believe them. Or if he’s not sure which one is right.

A good example of one way to handle 2 explanations with 1 pov is Orson Card’s STONEFATHER novelette. There are two groups with two different versions of an event. And it comes across in a very normal way.

]]> By: jin http://johndbrown.com/2009/06/world-building-the-history-of-a-place/comment-page-1/#comment-127 jin Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:22:25 +0000 http://johndbrown.com/?p=1520#comment-127 I found the 'multiple explanations for an event' works great when you have 1+ POVs. In Book 6 or 7 of Wheel of Time series, several of the characters refer to an incident that must have happened only a few months ago. Yet different POVs assume different things due to mis/no-communication. Unless the main character is being 'lectured' or 'told' by someone else, when s/he had already mentioned to the readers otherwise, how would you as a writer make sure the readers know of these multiple explanations? I'm not sure if that even makes sense. I found the ‘multiple explanations for an event’ works great when you have 1+ POVs. In Book 6 or 7 of Wheel of Time series, several of the characters refer to an incident that must have happened only a few months ago. Yet different POVs assume different things due to mis/no-communication.

Unless the main character is being ‘lectured’ or ‘told’ by someone else, when s/he had already mentioned to the readers otherwise, how would you as a writer make sure the readers know of these multiple explanations?

I’m not sure if that even makes sense.

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