I have a very important question to place to all. Im writing a dark, gothic, malicious vampire/werewolf novel with a lot of graphic scenes and tangled backstories and i've recently been researching writing hints and tips. And i've just come across a section about Narrators. It's got me thinking about whether i should have a third character narrator. If you dont know what i mean, i'll try to explain. Even though the story is in third person with multiple POV's i was thinking of placing a monologue at the start of each chapter or each Part (as my book is split into three Parts) spoken by a Narrator about the events that will transpire within the next chapter/part. And maybe have little snippits a bit of the way through the chapter/part. The Narrator is to be a wisened old woman who ends up being a main character through the book, one that appears every so often normally at significant parts of the story. I dont want the readers to realize the Narrator is this old woman in the book, until the end of the book anyway. If you're all still confused about what i'm talking about watch 'Ever After' with Drew Barrymore...it is Narrated, or told by an old woman at the start, has voice overs during the movie by the woman, and is concluded by this woman as well. Do you think this would be advisable, or would not fit the feel of the book? xXLadyFrostXx
i can't stand writers who feel they have to tell me what i'm going to read, instead of just letting me go ahead and read it!... so do most agents and editors, so i'd advise against giving in to that urge...
alright thats a good suggestion...i was going to write all the narrative stuff and then see how it goes...make it so that if i take it out of the story it wont hurt the story at all...but then i think whats the point if i can just take it out and nothing happens. xXLadyFrostXx
Using the narrator device isn't a wrong idea, but I agree with Mammamia - you shouldn't use it to tell the reader what they are about to read. It could be a quote that hints at what's going to happen (Like the way that Herbert starts each section in the book Dune) or you can jump back and forth from the present and the past (interview with the vampire...sort of). Find a few books that effectively use a narrator and get a few ideas. You can still do the POVs like you're talking about - just don't tell - let the redear discover.
yea im starting to see where everyone is coming from, it would get a little annoying to have someone tell you whats going to happen right before it happens. I think im might try and read a few books with narrators and then decided what i want to do. Thanks for the help guys its given me heaps to think about. xXLadyFrostXx
