Good morning, friends!
I re-released a title recently, Secrets From the Edge, and one of the reviews got me thinking. I sometimes do that! π I always find picking reader’s brains interesting, and I’d enjoy hearing from you on something. Hopefully, you don’t mind that I too have opinions about things. I’m an author, but I’m also human. A curious human.
Secrets From the Edge was originally written in 2015. In those days, I never wrote dual POV. I always wrote from only one point of view, and it didn’t occur to me to show the other character’s thoughts. As a reader, I’ve never needed two POV’s, so I didn’t think to do it. I don’t think all books need it. I think sometimes the story is best seen from one character POV because knowing too much about the other character ruins things. For example, I wrote Omega Kidnapped and I didn’t want anyone understanding too much about the alpha, Jack, who kidnaps the omega, Carter. I wanted Jack to seem dangerous. Unpredictable. If you know he has sympathy for Carter, he loses that edge that I felt was necessary to give the story more suspense. But some reviewers drop stars if they don’t get to see both POV’s. That’s frustrating from an author’s side because we don’t do things without a lot of thought. If I don’t give you both POV’s I’ve thought long and hard about that. I MEANT TO DO THAT! π
I’ve also run into this drop-star-thing with epilogues. I NEVER did epilogues when I first started publishing. I don’t really like reading epilogues. None of the thousands of books I read growing up ever had epilogues. If the book ended with the two people in love, I assumed they’d live happily ever after. I didn’t need to see them canoodling and shopping together to feel like they would make it. lol Obviously the modern reader has changed. Many readers drop stars if there isn’t an epilogue.
Let me be clear, readers and reviewers can think and feel however they want. Be sure you read that again because I don’t want anyone misreading that and thinking I don’t think readers have a right to think whatever they want about my stories. Readers have every right to want epilogues and dual points of view. How the book hits them is just how it hits them, and that is that. But, I have a right to feel how I feel too. This publishing thing is a partnership of sorts. Authors and readers need each other. This isn’t a one-way street, and no one side’s opinion means more than the other’s. That’s one reason I like hearing what you guys think; there is no one opinion or right answer here. π
So, where do you stand on this? Do you need or enjoy epilogues? Maybe you can take them or leave them? Do you hate books that don’t have epilogues or dual POV’s? Or do you not care?
Feel free to comment and RESPECTFULLY share your opinions with me! π
S.C.
I do enjoy dual point of view. Sometimes I’ll read the entire book and not realize that it’s single point of view so the telling thing is that what matters is the flow of the story. As a reader I especially enjoy losing myself in the book not worrying about technique or style whatever as long as the book does the job and gives me that “Calgon take me away” feeling. If you don’t know what that means ask someone who is older.
I think that some people use epilogues because they feel the reader wants epilogues in some of what’s in the epilogue should just be in the regular story. There are times when I see an epilogue and I want to just skip it because I feel like the story is complete and there are other times when the story just doesn’t feel complete. I’m not sure whether that’s the lead in to the next story or the stoty just left me feeling that I need more.
Regardless, the story is an artist who creates the story. People don’t tell an artist how to do their job. You either appreciate the art or you don’t and most of the time nobody really wants to know. That’s not what a review should be. I mean really think about it. Would you walk into a museum and say oh that painting is lovely but it should be blue and should have more on the bottom.
You walk in to the museum and you see things you like and you see things that you are not that crazy about.usually, you don’t go into great detail about why you’re not crazy about the art. You just say something like I don’t really understand what they were trying to show in that painting. And that’s that.
Epilogs first- I enjoy that last little tidbit. Like finding a potato chip in the bag when you thought you were done, and feel like you found a treasure lol. But, I don’t need them. I grew up with them in the 70s and 80s horse books. It wasn’t with the exact word “Epilog” but the last chapter was a little bit more, after ‘The End’ was written.
POV- It was Twilight fanfiction that got me so hooked on it. I’d read it before in Young Adult books like Charmed
(all I can think of after 3 hours of sleep) as each chapter had a person, usually up to three, sharing their thoughts as if to me the reader.
But when fanfic authors began to do every other chapter from 2 or more POV I loved getting into the minds of all involved!
I now write fanfic for The Hobbit, all in POV. I’ve tried not to, really, I have! lol But when the gang starts talking, I have to write. I even LOVE to break the fourth wall. I had a ball with that when Fili and Kili were butting into each others conversation with me in my head, until I said, “Guys, how about we do this as an interview? With a reporter type person, Q&A, like that?” And they loved the idea lol
How does one cover their ears when the voices shout, in their head, LOL
So yeah. That’s my take. The idea though that as a reader I would give less stars for that; pish, poppycock, how stupid….OK the reader who read a hot steamy m/m smut book, then ripped the author a new one, with 1 star, for being a SINNER! Huh, since when does reading an entire book yourself make the author a sinner, when she did it…agh, I digress LOL
I will never give a poor review if it is my opinion that I did not like the subject matter. I read the blurb, I read the book, I formed an opinion. I will find a damn way to review such that: This book was well thought out, well written, and if you like this _______, then this is the book for you.” And I leave it there.
If I was mislead, or no warning about trigger subjects like rape, child abuse, or other harmful themes are in there, I will give a scathing review—-AFTER—-I have contacted the author (if I can) and tell them they need to address this immediately. The Escape by Alice Ward, infuriated me. There was no warning on the blurb, and it was suddenly in one chapter, child abuse.
Aaaaaaand I will stop babbling. This is why I write Epic stories 100,000k and have to nearly tie myself in knots to write 300 words LOL
Hope getting into my head wasn’t too traumatic! LOL