by Lois Winston
This blog is not meant to be controversial. It’s more about my confusion and trying to understand why a style of writing is verboten in one genre but seems perfectly acceptable in others. Let me explain.
There was one author exempted from the head-hopping rule because she “did it so well.” Or so we were constantly told. We were also told no one else should ever attempt to head-hop. As you can imagine, I was thoroughly confused. I bought one of this author’s books to try to understand what it was she did that no other romance author was allowed to do.
Confusion clouded my brain early into the book. Was I reading the thoughts of the hero? The heroine? Both at the same time? I reread the paragraph several time. I flipped back a page and reread. I read beyond the paragraph in question.
If I couldn’t figure out who was thinking what, how was this the one author entitled to head-hop? And why was it considered successful? I continued reading to the end of the book, hoping for better insight and understanding. I found none. I felt like the equivalent of the little boy who blurted out that the emperor was butt-naked, but I kept those thoughts to myself. After all, I was a rank amateur. Who was I to question a rule presumably set in stone?
As I continued to learn and hone my skills, transitioning from wannabe to published author, I adopted the philosophy that any given scene should be in the point of view of the character with the most to lose at that moment. Doing so raised the stakes and built tension.
Still, the warning about head-hopping had become so ingrained in me that I began seeing it in many other books. I found it prevalent, not only in rereading classic literature but in every literary novel and many non-romance novels I’ve read since.
For instance, I’m currently reading a book that landed on multiple Best Books of 2025 lists. (I’ll refrain from mentioning the title.) Many chapters include two, three, or more POVs, often without transitioning with a scene break.
And then there’s the insertion of omniscient POV where a disembodied narrator adds his two cents. This also occurred in the above-mentioned book with an unnamed narrator periodically inserting himself into the narrative. There are times when this anonymous POV tells the reader the thoughts of two characters at the same time in the same sentence. To me, that’s both author intrusion and lazy writing, but this book is not an anomaly. I’ve seen it in other contemporary literary novels. Why is this archaic style of writing perfectly acceptable in literary fiction but not in genre fiction?
In my own writing, I no longer worry about head-hopping. Since transitioning to writing cozy mysteries years ago, I now write exclusively in first person. Head-hopping is a non-issue because I’m always in my sleuth’s head. I just wish my brain didn’t zero in on head-hopping every time I come across it in a book I’m reading for pleasure. It’s funny how certain lessons, even when filled with misinformation, continue to flit around like gnats in our brain.
Meanwhile, yesterday marked the release of Embroidered Lies and Alibis, Book 15 in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series. As in many of the books in the series, the plot was inspired by current events. And although so much of our current events are wrapped around politics these days, I can assure you there’s absolutely nothing political about the plot of Embroidered Lies and Alibis. There’s also no head-hopping.
Post your thoughts on head-hopping for a chance to win a promo code for a free audiobook download of any of the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries.
Embroidered Lies and Alibis
An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 15
A Stitch in Time Could Save a Life…
When Anastasia’s mother Flora is offered a free spa vacation from Jeremy Dugan, a man connected to her distant past, Anastasia and husband Zack suspect ulterior motives. After all, too-good-to-be-true often spells trouble. Their suspicions are confirmed when the FBI swoops in to apprehend Dugan. However, Dugan isn’t who he claimed to be, and his arrest raises more questions than answers.
The Feds link Dugan to a string of cons targeting elderly single women across the country, but his seemingly airtight alibi leaves investigators stumped. Then, shortly after his release on bail, he’s kidnapped. A certain segment of New Jersey’s population is known for delivering deadly messages, and the FBI believes Dugan received one of them.
Meanwhile, bodies begin showing up in the newly created public garden across the street from Anastasia and Zack’s home. With two baffling crimes, no clear suspects, scant evidence, and every possible motive unraveling, both the FBI and local law enforcement are once again picking Anastasia’s brain. This time, though, her involvement is far from reluctant. Will she stitch together enough clues before she or someone she loves becomes the killer’s next victim?
Craft project included.
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USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Learn more about Lois and her books at her website www.loiswinston.com. Sign up for her newsletter to receive an Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mini-Mystery.
