I finished the rewrite on my novel last week and sent it off. And so what does a writer do next? Why, start the next novel, of course. But in my case, I am going back to a novel. 

Here’s the story. I have a full-length novel and a loooong novella languishing on my computer. If you guessed I have issues with completing things, you’d be correct. Because–squirrel! Bright shiny object! Yeah, that’s me.  But I’m determined to change, and to that end I’m taking a class that is helping me to do this.  It is called Write Better, Write Faster, available through the Margie Lawson Writer’s Academy periodically, and I’m loving it. The class helps you boost your productivity through figuring out how your brain works. Not the brains of your writing friends.

Anyway, I decided my next project is going to be tackling the rewrite of the full-length novel. So I bought a three-ring binder, three hole punch copy paper, and printed the thing out. I am now in the process of reading it. Which brings me to today’s topic.

Much to my surprise (its been a couple years since I read this story), the book is written in first person. Turns out I like the voice of the narrator.  But. Yes, here come the buts:

–I’m only a couple chapters into my reading and I’m afraid the narrator may begin to sound self-pitying after a while. After all, she loses her job, and her boyfriend after she tells him she’s pregnant. I’d be self-pitying, too. But readers want strong characters who can rise to the challenges we throw at them, not whiners.

–This is intended to be a romance novel-ish. And the standard convention in romance novels is to write in dual third person, alternating between the male and female love interests. I did this in the novel I just finished and I really liked it. I liked getting to be in the heads of both of them and I think readers like that too.

A dilemma, right?

I think I may have solved it, though I’m going to reserve final judgement until I am finished with the read-through. I think I’m going to go with the dual third-person option.  The thing is, there’s a ton of rewriting to be done anyway. I’m redoing the story in such a way that much of it will be thrown out. So might as well go all the way.

I think. The thought of changing it all makes me a bit faint. But I shall persevere! Or at least let you know my final decision.

Have you ever switched the viewpoint of a character before? How did the process work for you? Leave a comment, or come to the Facebook page and chat about it there.