# The Dual (or Multiple) POV Novel



## Kyle R (Nov 15, 2013)

Ah, the (in)famous multi-POV. 

Done well, a novel with multiple POV characters can be an amazing feat, giving the reader deep insights into the mind of each character.

Done poorly, the story can end up a confusing, jumbled mess.

Commonly reported difficulties with multiple POV novels include:



POV characters all sounding the same
Difficulty keeping track of multiple story lines at once
Chronological (time) inconsistencies, or confusions
Weakened reader connections with characters (more POV's = less time with each character)
Readers liking one POV more than another, thus _disliking_ it when the author returns to the less-favorable POV character

and more...

So, what do you think about writing in multiple POVs?

Have you done it?

What tips, or things to avoid, have you learned from doing so?

What about the technique concerns you? Excites you?

:encouragement:


----------



## David Gordon Burke (Nov 15, 2013)

Ahhh.  Another thought provoking post from KyleColorado - this is why I come to Writer's forum.
My current WIP has the chapters broken down like this:

First section - Third Person Narrative (in which the majority of the perspective is conveyed with past tense except those events yet to come - future - or repeating / permanent situation - present tense.

Following sections
I give a header -

*Antonia

*Then the POV switches to first person / present / past / future etc. whatever the case requires (usually past)

Then another character and another until that scene / situation plays out.  

There is nothing exceptionally original about this - the format has been used before (can't put my finger on an excact example but I've read thousands of books so.....

The biggest issue is the switch from Past to Present and Future.  And keeping it true from the perspective of the character

Since this is my first 'Fiction' novel I have no idea why I decided to do it this way....that's just the way it worked out.  Next time it will be ONE POV all the way through.  It has been a learning experience.  Hopefully, by the time I do 5 or 6 more revisions, I will have uncovered all the little flaws.

David Gordon Burke


----------



## Sam (Nov 15, 2013)

Every novel I've ever written employs multiple POVs. It's not as hard as you might think. The key part is knowing how and when to switch so that your reader becomes acquainted with all characters in equal measure. The hard part is tying it all together at the end, but if your novel is linearly constructed it's not that big an obstacle. In my opinion, multiple POVs makes the writing far more interesting. Writing about one person all the time would, for me, become monotonous. Once I know a character inside out, writing about them becomes almost boring. With multiple POVs and characters, there's always a surprise waiting around the corner.


----------



## Gamer_2k4 (Nov 15, 2013)

I switch POVs sparingly, and only out of necessity.  If I could, I'd tell the entire story from my protagonist's perspective, but a handful of important scenes simply don't involve him.  There are only four instances of that: two scenes where a character is introduced when the protagonist isn't around, and two battle scenes where the protagonist is fighting somewhere else.

The story didn't begin that way; I had initially envisioned a cast of about six main characters, each getting their own time in the story (in fact, three of the four previously mentioned scenes came from that early planning process).  However, as my writing continued, I found a certain appeal in the efficiency of a single perspective.  I could tell the story at a solid pace, and the protagonist's feelings and emotions became all the more poignant when he's the sole focus.

Could other characters share the spotlight? Yes and no.  They're certainly fleshed out enough (one of the other main characters might become the protagonist of a sequel), but their roles in the story keep them from truly deserving proper focus.  Every character is caught up in a plot too big for them, and only the protagonist is in a position to fight the current.

If I write anything more, I'll likely stick with my current method.  While I'm sure I _could_ write multiple POVs, I don't think it's necessary for a solid story, and I like the benefits of a single POV too much to switch.


----------



## Terry D (Nov 15, 2013)

I write from multiple POVs (in Chase I had at least 10). It was never a problem for me, and I've had no feedback saying it was a problem for readers. Seeing the story unfold through the eyes of several people--and one dog--was exciting for me.


----------



## Grape Juice Vampire (Nov 15, 2013)

At first, I was writing from the POV of my protagonist, but quickly discovered I was only telling a teeny fraction of the story that needed telling. And the other characters were yelling at me to be heard, so getting them to be quiet was a deciding factor as well. (Heh) I find different POVs exciting for the ah-ha! moments that occur for me, and I get to explore different areas of the story world that I might not have gotten to until much later. Like Terry D, I've never had any feedback on problems with it, so hopefully that means I'm doing something right. Even if I'm not, I'm certainly having fun with it.


----------



## Staff Deployment (Nov 16, 2013)

In my last major project, I had two POV characters _at the same time!_ One was first person, the other second (e.g. "I twisted your arm until it broke").

On top of that, there were also frequent (and often schizophrenic) perspective changes, where it would still be told in first-person from the same character, but she would be narrating someone else's third-person story simultaneously (as if she were an omniscient fly on the wall). It got really confusing around the middle, so that's when I started killing everyone off.


----------



## J Anfinson (Nov 16, 2013)

My current WIP is multi-pov, something I haven't played with much before. I like it, but I think I'm switching characters too often. Trying to push through and worry about editing later but its driving me mad knowing its so horrible.


----------



## bookmasta (Nov 16, 2013)

I think multiple Povs can be a great way to get into the head of each character. I've employed it in books before, but only when the plot requires it. Otherwise I stick with one character mostly. When reading, multiple povs can be equally as useful. Then on the other hand, I've encountered personas and traits that I can't stand and when said chapters in the character's view point came up, I found myself sighing and thinking "here we go again." For the most part though, I've found multiple Povs to be fun to write and enjoyable to read.


----------



## Deleted member 33527 (Nov 24, 2013)

One thing I have learned from multiple POV writing is to not write from too many different perspectives. A lot of people might be into it. George R.R. Martin was very successful with Game of Thrones, but I couldn't really get into the constant POV switches. You have to be really careful about it and make sure that the POV switching actually contributes to the story. I've started a novel recently and have decided, after much consideration, to write it in dual perspective. The reason I chose to write it in dual perspective is because I realized that there wasn't just one major character that I needed follow - there were two.


----------



## voltigeur (Dec 11, 2013)

My original plan with my WIP was to have 20 or 30 characters and different points of view. I have tamed that down to 4 story lines and 6 major characters.  Rather than trying to tie them all together at the end the story lines weave in and out together. 

As Sam said, the story has to be planned out. 

I think for one section, I will have to add a 5[SUP]th[/SUP] story line to show the climax of the first book. Not sure how that will work, but since I am writing scene by scene I don’t feel trapped yet.


----------



## qwertyman (Dec 12, 2013)

At what moment does an Omniscient Narrator stop - and a POV begin?
This question presupposes a third person format, as I assume to be the case under discussion.


----------



## Terry D (Dec 13, 2013)

qwertyman said:


> At what moment does an Omniscient Narrator stop - and a POV begin?
> This question presupposes a third person format, as I assume to be the case under discussion.



I've read stories that make the shift you are talking about; from being an omniscient observer to entering the mind of one character and then pulling back again, and I don't like it much. In fact I think it is a sign of poor writing. When utilizing multiple POVs as I do in my novels, I'm using third person limited rather than third person omniscient. There is some care that needs to be taken to stay within the POV of the selected character during each scene, especially when the POV character is interacting with the main character. It is easy to slip into the MC's head without thinking about it.


----------



## qwertyman (Dec 13, 2013)

Terry D said:
			
		

> I've read stories that make the shift you are talking about; from being an omniscient observer to entering the mind of one character and then pulling back again, and I don't like it much.



My question was, how can the reader tell the Narrator has been replaced by a character's POV? I agree Limited Omniscience might make it apparent. Assuming always, the Narrator will be absent for the entire scene, the reader should pick up fairly quickly that a Character's POV has taken over the Narrator's role. 

However, using 'limited omniscient' is a significant loss to the writer as 'Voice' also becomes limited. The exception would be if the narrator is also a participating character. In which case an opposing POV in the same scene becomes unreadable.


----------



## Jon M (Dec 13, 2013)

Terry D said:


> I've read stories that make the shift you are talking about; from being an omniscient observer to entering the mind of one character and then pulling back again, and I don't like it much. *In fact I think it is a sign of poor writing.*


Huh. Curious why you think so. I think the opposite, generally--moving around like that seamlessly demonstrates, to me, an utter mastery of psychic distance. Being locked into a limited viewpoint seems easy by comparison.


----------



## Jon M (Dec 13, 2013)

qwertyman said:


> At what moment does an Omniscient Narrator stop - and a POV begin?


The question is wrong to begin with. There is still only one narrator in an omniscient story, even if we peek into the heads of two dozen characters. You know you are in the head of a character when the narrative is colored by his voice. When the information conveyed is only what the character is able to know. Works best if the omniscient narrator has a rather plain, neutral voice, so as to contrast with.


----------



## Robdemanc (Dec 29, 2013)

I have tried it several times. What I at first found difficult was knowing when to draw the line.  Which characters should get a point of view?  At one point in one story I actually gave a robot a point of view scene!  That was when I realized I had lost the plot and decided to scrap it all in favor of a single POV character.

Since then I have tried two point of view characters in several stories.  The trouble then I found was which character should I use to tell scenes that they both appear in?  Also, it is important to make the POV characters distinct so the reader sees a clear difference between the characters.

I think its quite tempting to give more POVs but if you stick with one or as few as possible then the writer can concentrate on making them the most interesting characters in the story.


----------

