When did Head hopping become a dirty word?

I was reading Christopher Moore's latest novel, Sacre Bleu, the other day, and I suddenly realized that on one page he had three POV's. Count 'em - three. I didn't notice because it bothered me, upset me, or confused me. I noticed because recently there has been such a brouhaha about head hopping in the writing community, to the point where publishers throw  your work back and pontificate, "Thou shalt not headhop!"

But seriously, wtf?

Some might argue that Christopher Moore's a best-selling author and his publishers let him do what he wants because he knows what he's doing, blah blah blah. I suspect it's more than that, though. I think this is a phenomenon that is not exclusively, but largely, relegated to the romance writing community. I don't remember seeing it as an issue somewhere else. So what are publishers saying? Romance readers are too stupid to follow a change in POV?

What is head  hopping? It's supposed to be illogical changes in POV that impede the reader's understanding of the situation and the novel. But it has grown to encompass anything more than one POV per scene.

When I was first learning to write, many years ago, back in grade school, you know what they called that? Third person omniscient point of view. So, what changed?

Like I said, I had no problem with following Mr. Moore's story, despite switching POV's. If he were a struggling young author, and this was his first work, would he be so lucky as to escape censure? Hard to say, isn't it.

Now, having said that, no, it's not all right for one character to know what another one is thinking just because the author knows. Real life doesn't work like that. However, people do make conjectures and guess - and yes, assume - all the time. It's human nature. We think we know it all.

I'd like to know who decides these things, and what do they base their decisions on? Like the spacing thing. I was taught to have two spaces after a period, one after a comma. Now it's all one. That took some getting used to and I had to ask why? Did reducing that space save on paper or what?

The same with this new anti-head hopping campaign. Some people don't do it well, I admit. But t hen again, some people can't write, not matter what their POV. So that means everyone needs to be tarred with the same brush?

I think it should be a case by case basis. If it works, don't throw it out because someone has decreed that it's not in vogue at the moment, not allowable.



I can remember a time when everything was written in past tense, usually third person. Then first person present started popping up, and although at first I balked, I got used to it. Not only that, I decided to try it. And now it's one of my favorite POV's.

Not everyone is going to write the same way, or read the same way. But the point is, if you like it, if you can do it well, and if your readers enjoy it and follow it, then why not? Whoever came up with this no head hopping rule should find other pursuits to occupy his time.

What are  your thoughts on so-called head  hopping? Find it confusing? Embrace it? Or do you even notice it? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie