Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones

Middle Grade Fantasy

Published in 1982 by Macmillan Children's Books, reprinted in 2008 by HarperCollins Children's Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers LTD

Book 3 of The Worlds of Chrestomanci

Perfect example of effective omniscient narration

When an anonymous note is sent accusing a member of the 2Y class at the Larwood School of being a witch, magic begins to appear at an alarming rate. In a world where magic is punishable by death, the students must decide to hide their abilities or embrace their magic. But the real question is, If everyone is a witch, why are they being hunted?

Things to Emulate

This is a novel with a large ensemble cast and no definite protagonist. While there are characters that feature more prominently than others, the reader gets a glimpse into the inner thoughts of many of the children at Larwood School and a fair number of their teachers, often on the same page. This makes Witch Week a rare example of omniscient narration in middle grade fiction.

Witch Week is constantly shifting its focus, the unknown, all-knowing narrator hopping from one character's thoughts and perspectives to another's. In the first twelve pages alone, the reader experiences the inner musings of ten different characters. While this could feel jarring or like over-explaining, instead it adds to the central idea of the narrative: Everyone is connected by the same secret.

This central idea is never stated outright, but is woven into the fabric of the narrative. The connection between the dozen or so focus characters lurks under the surface. If the reader doesn't have access to a character's thoughts, it identifies them as separate from the main group, even if the reader is only aware of this on a subconscious level. This positions Chrestomanci as an outsider when he appears, as he is the only significant character whose thoughts remain hidden from the reader. This distance enhances the mystery of Chrestomanci that Diana Wynne Jones has carefully crafted throughout the series.

The narrative kicks into gear in the first couple of pages. Mr. Crossley discovers a note: SOMEONE IN THIS CLASS IS A WITCH. In a world where being a witch is punishable by death, this is a serious accusation. What follows are snippets of several children's journal entries, giving the reader insight into how their minds work and clues as to who the witch could be.

Because the reader is in their heads, the reader is closely connected to each of these characters, more so than if the point of view was more focused. This could reduce the suspense, but as it becomes clear that most of these children possess magic, it ups the stakes considerably. Because the reader feels connected to each character in a way they wouldn't be with a more focused viewpoint, they aren't invested in just one kid, they're invested in all of them.

This omniscient style also gives the impression that there is some greater power holding everything together, subtly foreshadowing Chrestomanci's appearance to save the day, which is the central premise of The Worlds of Chrestomanci. This feeling of an omnipresence is one way Chrestomanci's appearance feels earned, as opposed to a deus ex machina.

Not only is Witch Week an excellent example of omniscient narration, it is also an excellent example of how a simple style choice can strengthen the themes and ideas of the narrative. This is something that most readers won't be consciously aware of, but it helps to make the novel feel more cohesive and complete.

Even with the connection to the themes and climax of the narrative in Witch Week, omniscience is difficult to pull off well. It is easy for it to feel like head hopping, which pulls the reader out of the narrative. Wynne Jones has avoided this in several ways:

1. The story opens with the children writing in their journals. The reader gets to read what they have written with a short piece of commentary following each. Since each character has their own unique way of writing, and anyone can read a journal entry, this eases the reader into the omniscience by giving the reader touchstones to help identify each character once these distinct sign posts have been removed. It doesn't hurt that each entry is written in a different front, giving a clear visual cue that the viewpoint has shifted.

2. Wynne Jones never switches between characters within a single paragraph.

3. Each paragraph that changes the focus character makes it clear in the first sentence who the reader is now following:

   
   

   Charles slid jubilantly down the rope—so fast he was reminded again that it hurts to be burnt. He had to blow on his hands to cool them. After lunch was the time. He could sneak up to the dormitory then.

   
   

   After lunch proved to be important for Nan too. At lunch, she managed to escape Karen Grigg and Delia Martin by sitting at a table full of much older girls who did not seem to know Nan was there. They towered over her, talking of their own things. The food was almost as bad as yesterday, but Nan felt no urge to describe it. She rather wished she was dead. (Chapter Seven)

   
   

4. Wynne Jones primarily uses this omniscience to present parallel actions, as can be seen in the above quotation. With the exception of the journal entries and the climax of the narrative, she rarely jumps into a different character's head when they are all in the same place. This helps to separate the thoughts of the characters so the reader doesn't get confused.

   
   

While there are more sophisticated uses of the omniscient voice, what makes Witch Week unique and impressive is that Wynne Jones is writing for a young audience. The use of omniscience is incredibly rare in middle grade novels, but Wynne Jones has faith in her young readers' ability to handle more complex writing techniques. By following specific rules to keep the characters' thoughts distinct and by having the omniscience emphasize important narrative themes, Wynne Jones has structured her novel in a way that provides an excellent introduction to a difficult viewpoint.