Just putting out a feeler on this one. I've been challenged with creating a deeper understanding and exploration of the motivation and 'layers of meaning' that underpin the crimes in my novel.

I'm looking at ways to achieve this. One is to restructure lots of the existing scenes - and write some major new ones - to make space for the exploration. This daunts me a bit but I'm all for a challenge if it's the best way forward.

The other idea I have is to write a sequence of new 'standalone' chapters from the pov of the killer and/or other characters. At the moment the whole story is told from the pov of my heroine (in third person).

I've read a number of contemporary crime novels recently where every sixth chapter or so is told from the killer's pov (or appears to be, sometimes it's a red herring and the pov isn't the killer's but someone else's). This can be a great technique for keeping the reader turning pages - glimpses of the crime unfolding while the witless hero/heroine is elsewhere or before the action really hots up in the main plot - but how effective do other people find it? How difficult might it be to pull off? Is it a sneaky way of avoiding the real work, or might it in fact be harder work, dovetailing this 'second' consecutive timeline/plot with the main one?

All views welcome - good, bad or indifferent. Thanks!

Hmm - that is a challenge.

It's difficult to say without knowing the book and not being too familiar with modern crime writing.

I suppose the traditional method was 'the parlour scene' where the great detective displays his genius or else the written confession in which the murderer conveniently tells all?

I think having another POV that is the killer's could work - it builds the suspense but then - as you say unless there is a further twist - there isn't that tension of not knowing who the killer is.

If you are going for psychological motivation the parlour/confession doesn't work that well because all it gives you is the motive and an explanation after the event?

As you say - you could re structure and write in new scenes. I'm facing something not dissimilar (is that a word?!) in that I'm trying to get closer to my 'hero' and write from his POV - yest I still need that outside take on events - another camera.

Does it have to be one character? Can you have a series of characters that have their moment in the spotlight - each reveals part of the puzzle - and it could be different media - letters - articles - interviews - adverts - whatever?

Good luck - I'm sure you'll find the way.

Sarah

Thanks, Sarah. I think the parlour scene is pretty much frowned on these days, certainly in psychological thrillers. I wouldn't reveal the identity of the new pov, not immediately anyway. I'd write it as "he" or "she" in the third person without giving too many clues as to their identity. The clues would keep pace with the unfolding action in the main story, sometimes providing extra evidence, sometimes contradictory evidence. The idea would be to add layers that contrast and compliment the main action. Thomas Harris does this very effectively in Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs. But I'd seen it done badly, too, which is why I'm approaching the idea with caution.

I like your idea of multiple povs and different media.

Good luck with your own depth-adding!

Tiger

Thank you

Sounds like you already know where you are going with this one - any technique can be used badly but it doesn't mean it can't be used well?

You go for it.

Sarah

Thanks, Sarah, yes I had a jolly good think about it overnight (the reward of insomnia!) and have a much clearer idea in my head now of how I might go about it. Still interested in other people's views, though.

Yes, I faced this one with my novel. I had written the first draft solely from the MC's POV, then I started adding in chapters with other POV's, weaving them into the time line. I ended up with 3 main POVs. The MC still v.much dominates the story line, but it is interwoven with two of the protagonists, who are themselves working in opposition although apparantly in conjunction. And occassionally a chapter comes in an outside character's POV. It's been a great strategy for building tension, for keeping the reader ahead of the hero, for showing the dark shapes in the forest before the hero goes strolling by. I've been surprised by how these 'additional' POV characters started taking on a life of their own and have become intrinsic to the whole story as things progressed. All in all, I hope it's a richer tapestry because of this. Ho hum, time will tell...

That sounds very exciting, Kath! It's interested that it was a strategy you adopted late into the ms - and that you felt it worked so well. Best of luck with the end result and thanks for sharing the experience as it's bolstered my resolve to give this a go.

Sarah