I recently read these two series back to back. The first is Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken.
In Darkest Minds, the US government inserted a chemical into the water system which gave children different powers as they approached adolescence, if they survived at all. Their solution was to put them in camps to "heal them." Parents were told it was a viral outbreak and, fearing their children would die, had to turn them over to be cured. Of course, the government had other plans. Each child developed a different power and was assigned a color at the prison camps: Greens were ultra smart. Blues were telekinetic. Reds were fire throwers. Yellows could emit electrical charges and affect electrical systems. Oranges could control minds.
Ruby (one of the few Oranges left alive) and her allies Chubs, Liam, and Zu attempt to avoid recapture to free the kids still being held in camps. They encounter various antagonists along the way with the overall goal of overthrowing the main antagonist, the corrupt president who weaponizes them instead of "curing" them.
Bracken's effective descriptions of kids forced into camps resonates with our daily news. It is a chilling reminder that once we accept any justification for imprisoning people, it can lead to further justifications for doing so.
She deftly captures teenagers forced to grow up before they should have to in a world where adults can't be trusted.
The second series, Insignia by S J Kincaid, dispenses with illusions of government and openly places the power where it really resides: with corporations who own the most resources and have the most money. Multinational corporations control the solar system and use taxpayer funded militaries to fight a proxy World War III in space.
Tom Raines is a scrawny fourteen-year-old outlier with high level virtual reality gaming skills. He is drawn into a government program where teenagers are implanted with neural enhancements that give them superior strength and senses and neural ports that allow them direct access to computers.
His contempt for authority and rules gives him an edge when fighting. But it also makes him the perfect weapon against the multinationals.
Kincaid does an excellent job of crafting realistic teenage interactions between Tom and his friends Wyatt, Vikram, and the opposition's best, code name "Medusa." They may be thrust into an adult situation, but they still read like teens. I think she did an excellent job of presenting a young man's point of view and voice.
With anxiety-provoking daily headlines, one might ask, "Why read dystopian fiction. Isn't it depressing?"
My answer is this: they give me hope that heroes will emerge and send the message that we can save ourselves if we have the will. I need to see the good guys win.
When I started my young adult series Mythikas Island back in 2008, I had the same message in mind: that the children are our future and they have the power to change it, no matter how badly the adults have corrupted it.
We need to invest in our young people instead of dismissing them. They are far stronger, more creative, and more impassioned than they get credit for. They can make a difference. It encourages me to see so many young activists, inventors, and business entrepreneurs making waves in our world today. I salute and stand with them.
How many point of view characters should a story have? The answer is: how many do you need to do the job?
When you choose one POV, the verbal camera records the entire story through a single character's lens. The reader can, in essence, become the character. This creates a very intimate experience. Many readers enjoy it, others don't.
The difficulty is that the reader cannot know anything the character doesn't see, hear, overhear, intuit, or conjecture. Benefits of a single POV is just that: limiting what the reader knows. You can create a sense of claustrophobia or terror. You can utilize an unreliable narrator. The reader follows the clues along with the character, leading to twists and surprises.
Sometimes you need to shift the verbal camera between one or more characters so the reader is privy to information the main character is not. This can add to the suspense factor if handled well.
There are several ways to utilize multiple points of view.
One method is to pull the camera back to third person distant or omniscient point of view. The verbal camera is not connected to any one character, so it can zoom in and out anywhere at any time. It can record the conversations, actions, and thoughts of any character. The key is to keep the reader aware of the camera's shifts.
Another method is to switch between several first-person accounts or third person point of view narrators.
Think of it like a relay race. Each member of the team should have a purpose and relate their portion of the the journey. There should be a good reason for them to participate. Whether it is different combatants, friends, foes, antagonists, or love interests, their scenes should count.
In a Con, Heist, and Prison Break you may wish to switch between participants whether it is members of a crew or friends and foes implementing a con. A single POV may not be enough to pull off the stunt.
In a Literary Drama, you may shift between family members, friends, foes, or even try to gain empathy for the antagonist using his POV.
In a Mystery, the reader usually experiences the story along with the sleuth, but you may have more than one investigator. Some mystery writers like to show the antagonist's point of view in a few scenes and show the murderer killing the next victim.
In Thriller & Suspense tales you may want the reader to have information the main character does not. You can supply this by moving the verbal camera between characters, often at a remove in third person.
In a Historical or Western tale, you might shift the verbal camera between struggling townspeople. You can explore the different sides of a racial or ethnic divide. You may switch between your protagonist and other characters involved in subterfuge, love affairs, espionage, or intrigue. Using more than one POV or omniscient POV, allows the reader to traverse areas beyond the main character's domain.
In a Horror story, we a rarely experience the swamp monster's or ghost's point of view. But you might wish to move the verbal camera from victim to victim or explore the sadistic antagonist's rationale or the haunted location's backstory with verbal film clips
In a Team Victory, you may wish to include both coach and team member's POVs, perhaps even their competitors' behind the competition efforts to win.
In Romance, the reader normally sticks with the protagonist, but you can move the verbal camera to take in efforts by the love interest or the friends who support them (and have their own romantic interests) or foes who work behind the scenes to break them up. The caveat is to follow the expectations of the subgenre or imprint requirements.
In Fantasy and Science Fiction, it is common to move beyond the protagonist as the main battle encompasses different layers of conflict and multiple fields of battle. The antagonist is often a POV character as well as key allies on both sides of the central conflict. There can be multiple teams competing against one another. Secondary characters may have hidden motives and shifting loyalties. Focusing the camera on their efforts can illuminate or mask the reader's understanding of what is in play.
Like a relay's hand-offs, transitions between team members should be smooth. Avoid giving the reader whiplash by rapidly switching POVs within a scene. It is critical that the reader can tell which team member is holding the baton. Make sure you clarify each hand-off with transitions. It is a good idea to switch scenes when you switch points of view. Some writers using omniscient move within the scene, but they are also often guilty of head-hopping.
It is a cop out to throw POV characters in for a scene or two to avoid the hard work of presenting the information to the reader through your existing team members. It is like tapping a member of the audience to run a leg of the race.
Also avoid the urge to add a secondary POV character because you enjoy him and want to gift him with a moment in limelight. If he isn't part of the relay team, give him his own race in another story. Otherwise, the reader wastes time trying to figure out why that bit player was crucial and waits for him to return. Annoying detours take the tension out of the race.
Each team member should progress the story and add new information. Repetitive actions and information reveals are like watching replays. Unless reviewing the information twists it or sheds new light, it isn't necessary. That's not to say a group cannot meet up and share what they (and the reader) have learned. They can. But keep it short and simple.
It can help to list each player and jot down notes about their part in the relay. What actions do they take? What information do they discover? How does the character help or hinder the progress toward the overall story goal or specific conflict? How does his participation affect the speed and trajectory of the story?
At the end of the first draft, if you find a character's POV doesn't really add anything, either cut him or rewrite his part to give him a valid reason to participate.
All of the POV team members can meet up at the end for the celebration or be dismissed along the way, but don't forget to wave goodbye to them. Make sure the reader knows the character has exited the story and avoid "But what about Bob?" dangling threads.
Further Reading:
Understanding Scene Goals
Do You Need A B Story?
Stirring the Plot: Friends and Foes
