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Multiple POVs



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Thu Jul 09, 2009 9:33 pm
Chloe(: says...



So, one of my novels I'm thinking of using the POV of two of my protagonists.

It would be in mostly sequential order, but sometimes I would have to show events that happened during the events in the last chapter. Tell me if I'm not making sense. ;)

I would be doing things like...
Chapter One: Viktor
Chapter Two: Natasha
Chapter One: Viktor
Chapter Two: Natasha
...and you get the idea.

So, would using multiple POVs make it harder to get attached to a character? Or would it make it more interesting?

What are your thoughts on it?

Would you read a book, if it had a plot you liked and was in a genre you enjoyed, that had multiple POVs?
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Thu Jul 09, 2009 11:14 pm
200397 says...



I've read and written many stories that have had multiple POVs, and I think it makes the plot more interesting, especially if the characters are well defined. It gives each event a different voice, and you learn the feelings and interests of the characters better than if it was just one character's narration.

So I say go for it! There's no better time than the present for trying something new! Are you going to post the story on YWS? If you do, I'd like to read it. :)

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Fri Jul 10, 2009 12:09 am
Rosendorn says...



The thing you have to be worried about when switching PoV is to give each character a different voice. What I don't like in multiple PoV novels is listening to different characters describe things the same way. It gets boring, and you loose track that a viewpoint has even been switched.
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Fri Jul 10, 2009 4:54 am
Angels-Symphony says...



Multiple 1st person POV's are really interesting if it's done correctly, so you have to be careful about that like Rosey said.

You have to make sure each character has a distinct voice, manner, or way of thinking so they don't all seem like the same person, and therefore, like robots.

My best advice for you to do is to pick your main character and use their POV for a few chapters into the story and include the other characters' POV's once he meets them or after you flesh Viktor out.

So it would be like-

Chapter One: Viktor
Chapter Two: Viktor
Chapter Three: Viktor
Chapter Four: Natasha
Chapter Five: Natasha
Chapter Six: Viktor

It's back and forth, but your chapters need to always go in numerical order.

I read a book called "Assassin" and it was about a sidestory when Lincoln was assassinated. It used multiple POV's, but it started out with the main character, Arabella, and later started adding chapters of John Wilkes Booth.

Hope that helps ^^

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Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:59 pm
KailaMarie says...



I've done multiple POV's a couple times and I think it helps you and the reader get to know your characters better when you have to actually think from their perspective. I like reading books like that, too.
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Mon Jul 13, 2009 9:32 pm
danster724 says...



I'm writing the Rift with over twelve main characters each with there own point of view. It allows the reader and you as the author to connect to EACH of your characters more than just following a single character in which you and your reader will only connect as much to the central character.
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Sat Jul 18, 2009 7:46 am
mamthew42 says...



I've worked on two projects with multiple PoVs. One only had two, and I was terrified to do it, to the point that I did the one character's parts all in first person and the other's all in third just so readers wouldn't get confused. The other one is the one I'm working on currently and it has around nine or ten PoVs right now. The more I work with the idea of multiple PoVs, the more I enjoy it. It allows for a lot more chances to try out dramatic irony that way, and I get to explore the full picture of the story in a way I've never gotten to before. In my first novel, my villain was rather flat, since I kept in first person perspective with my narrator the entire time, and the villain isn't really seen until the end. In the current one I'm working on, my antagonist is such a complex character that I've ended up replacing him with others twice so as to redeem him more and more.

I personally think that multiple PoVs is a much more fun way to do things that helps you get to know your own characters much better than you would otherwise, but I understand why you'd be apprehensive about trying it out. I'd say the best way to go about it is to jump right in, sink-or-swim style. I've even found that for some scenes, if you subtly hint at whose PoV the scene is from without really going into detail about it, then the PoV doesn't even need to be important. It's just a way to relay the events the reader needs to see.

Also, I've read many books with multiple PoVs and they usually work perfectly fine. The Artemis Fowl series is a good example, since it's well known and relatively simple (in terms of age target, not always in terms of plot). The books can easily jump from Artemis to Holly to Root to Foaly to Butler to Juliet to Mulch to whichever villain it is to random throwaway character you never see again in one chapter, with only a border to tell the reader that there's a change in PoV, and yet it's not confusing that way in the least. In fact, it'd be impossible to tell the story any other way.
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Sat Jul 18, 2009 12:45 pm
Chloe(: says...



Thanks for all the help!

I've decided to do each book in two POVs.
Chapter One: Viktor
Chapter Two: Natasha
Chapter Three: Viktor

Shina, about the fleshing out thing:
That's a good idea, but how about instead making a longer first chapter?

--Chloe
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Sun Jul 19, 2009 12:48 am
GryphonFledgling says...



I've found that I sort of drifted into using multiple POVs without even realizing it and actually very rarely write anything of substantial length in one POV anymore. So yes, it totally can work and I highly recommend giving it a try. It's good for developing voice and also can give your story a cool spin by showing more than one take on the story's events.

A question: is your story in first or third POV? I'm not an expert on first person POV period and I'm not a huge fan of multiple first person POVs, but it definitely can work and I've seen it done well. You just have to make it very clear who is talking, since (unlike third person, where you can refer to a character by name in their dialogue tags) everyone is being referred to as "I" all the time.

Another option there is to use both third and first person POV. An example would be The Bartimaeus Trilogy: there are at least three POVs - the humans are done third person, while the titular djinn Bartimaeus is done in first person. It makes for a quirky read.

Good luck!

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Sun Jul 19, 2009 12:18 pm
Chloe(: says...



Thanks GryphonFledging!

It'll be first person with both my protagonists, but maybe I'll put a chapter of third or first person for my villain.

--Chloe
Formerly known as Vivacious.

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Sun Jul 19, 2009 2:32 pm
Kale says...



So, would using multiple POVs make it harder to get attached to a character? Or would it make it more interesting?

It depends on your characterizations skills. If they're not so good or focused only on one character, then it does make it difficult to get attached to the characters. On the other hand, multiple viewpoints allow for greater intricacies in the plot, and the irony potential is just irresistible.

The thing about multiple viewpoints is that each character is a distinct entity and should noticeably act as such. One way of emphasizing these differences is to mention their differing views on a particular matter or having a conflict arise from their different outlooks on life.

What are your thoughts on it?

Considering that I write with multiple viewpoints whenever possible, I fully support the use of multiple viewpoints. I enjoy complex plots, ideological conflicts, and playing with irony, and multiple viewpoints easily allow for all of that.

Currently, in my pet project, I'm juggling seven recurring PoVs. XD

Would you read a book, if it had a plot you liked and was in a genre you enjoyed, that had multiple POVs?

Yup. Most of the books I read and enjoy contain multiple PoVs.
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