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2 POVs

Fyle

Inkling
Basically, my question is not about how to write a chapter with multiple POVs, but if it bothers readers.

I notice in a few of my chapters I have 2 POVs, I start the chatper with one, and then the second half of the chapter switches to another.

Generally characters that were together and part ways - I don't jump to a random place far away or something completely different. The content is always clear as to the physical actions and what is happening.

So, do you mind 2 POVs in one chapter, or would it be best just to condense down to 1 POV? (some exceptions will be made in cases I am certain are working, but I have others I am undecided on that could be consdensed to 1 POV)

thanks
 

Caged Maiden

Staff
Article Team
I sure hope not. I wrote my latest novel with multiple POV characters and some chapters use three PsOV. I think it depends on how you transition. For example, in my story (where each chapter is a day), I might open the morning with a character running from the guards at 2am, but then the second scene is a character arguing with her friend in the afternoon, and then the final scene is a cliffhanger, where another POV character eavesdrops on an important conversation late that evening.

I don't think the switching is troublesome in concept, because I've done it and feel very confident in the execution, but I think it relies largely on the reasoning for the switch. I've rarely done a true switch in a single scene, but for the one I remember most clearly, I show a young lady preparing dinner for her husband, anticipating his favorable reaction (after their troubled marriage got off on the wrong foot). I'm in her head while she comes up with the plan to surprise him with a home-cooked meal, then I go to his head until the moment he sits down and takes a first bite. Then, I switch back to her after a page in the husband's head, after he's thought how terrible the food is but he doesn't want to offend her. When we're back in her head, she muses about how clever she's been and how her plan surely worked perfectly, and she sort of briefly revels in her small victory (while the reader knows how unimpressed the husband is). The reason I did that specifically in that scene, was because I had already used both characters to set up the mile-wide gap between their personal goals and how they felt rather indifferent to each other. But I wanted to use the scene to specifically show hoe very different their takes on the immediate circumstance. I didn't think it would have worked as well if I just let the scene happen, and then referred back to it later from one or the other of the PsOV. It was a choice to explain the contrast and it had an immediate consequence for both characters and I wanted the reader to be privy to both thought processes at that moment.

If a writer chose to show multiple scenes that way, I believe the effect created in showing a single scene from multiple PsOV would be rather lost by repetition. It would soon begin to confuse the story. If a writer is running two groups of characters or two characters separately, I think using two or more PsOV within a chapter is perfectly fine, because each "scene" shown by differing PsOV would be different, right? Different events, or whatever. I mean, sometimes two things are happening simultaneously and it's rather disjointed to do a chapter break and try to explain "this is happening at the same time as those events I already showed you". I think it's perfectly reasonable to use multiple PsOV within one chapter, but it has to be for a reason, either for flow or timeline consistency, or intended result (as in my example above).
 

Devor

Fiery Keeper of the Hat
Moderator
I think on this it's more about consistency and execution. I think a sudden switch in POV can be jarring if readers aren't prepared for it. So if you're thinking about adding it in a later chapter, there's that extra challenge. If you're thinking about doing it often throughout the story, I think that's a style a lot of people can pull off well.
 

X Equestris

Maester
It sounds good to me. But like Devor said, consistency is important. Whipping new POVs out of nowhere can be really jarring.
 

Tom

Istar
I think chapters should be defined by POV. If you have a chapter that contains two separate POVs, I'd advise you to split it into two separate chapters to match. That seems the most logical course of action.

However, if you do want to feature two POVs in one chapter, keep in mind that that can be jarring and confusing. It's best in that instance to clearly indicate where one POV ends and another begins, usually by using a scene break or something along those lines.
 

T.Allen.Smith

Staff
Moderator
There are plenty of successful books that have multiple POVs within the same chapter. It's perfectly acceptable, but as always, whether it works or not, depends on your execution.
 

Fyle

Inkling
Thank you very much for all these replies.

In this case, it seems pretty clear that it is acceptable. Looks like there is not much division in opinion on this one.

I was thinking along the lines that as long as it is clear - and there is no confusion. I am happy with these responses and would agree.

I think this say it : I think on this it's more about consistency and execution.
 
If you would like to see what (in my mind) is one of the most graceful executions of this in lit, you could look up the book "Stones from the River" by Ursula Hegi. It's (mostly) about a young woman with dwarfism in Bergdorf (or maybe it was Dusseldorf) in Germany. It's Historical Fiction (about the early to mid 1900's- I think it covers from about the 20's into the 50's or so but I can't remember exactly. WWII is definitely a big part of it). By asking about multipovs I'm assuming you've never read the book so let me be the first to highly recommend it. It's older now (probably around 20 years) so you should be able to find it very easily on Amazon or probably at your local library as well.

It's an excellent book for character study but if I remember correctly, the transition between characters was done simply by leaving a blank line between the scenes.

I think the only time it is frowned upon is when you switch back and forth during the same scene. When I do multiPOV I prefer to use one pov per chapter but in the future, were I to become more ambitious, I think I would use Ursula Hegi's formatting.

It's a great book on its own but if you're interested in learning how to go about it I would say start here.

***If you do choose to give it a go just know that (like all intricate novels) it takes awhile to set the story up. You might have to push past the first few chapters but it only gets better from there.
 
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However, if you do want to feature two POVs in one chapter, keep in mind that that can be jarring and confusing. It's best in that instance to clearly indicate where one POV ends and another begins, usually by using a scene break or something along those lines.

I think something else to take into consideration would be whether the POV's are being presented as First Person (which would be very confusing unless it is an Epistolary) or Third Person Limited. As long as it is 3rd Person Limited and the scenes are very clearly defined, it should reduce some of the confusion though this might admittedly result in massive chapters.
 
As noted, consistency and clarity are the two keys here. It needs to be absolutely clear where the POV is switched (preferably through a scene break, but there are other clever tricks that can be utilised). And your spread of POVs needs to be consistent. If you have six chapters from character x, only to shift to character y for half a chapter, as a reader that makes me feel like the POV choice is sloppy, and like character y isn't really important, it's just that you can't figure out how to show us this important scene through character x. I'm also that annoying reader who keeps track of POV progression, notes patterns and sits there thinking, "Haven't heard from character z in a while..." :)
 

Fyle

Inkling
As noted, consistency and clarity are the two keys here. It needs to be absolutely clear where the POV is switched (preferably through a scene break, but there are other clever tricks that can be utilised). And your spread of POVs needs to be consistent. If you have six chapters from character x, only to shift to character y for half a chapter, as a reader that makes me feel like the POV choice is sloppy, and like character y isn't really important, it's just that you can't figure out how to show us this important scene through character x. I'm also that annoying reader who keeps track of POV progression, notes patterns and sits there thinking, "Haven't heard from character z in a while..." :)

This sounds good too. thanks!

And yes, a scene break is always used.

I have a few chapters that I need to tell the events with split POVs so, I wanted to confirm here that this was okay and at least most writers/readers would find it acceptable. Seems like i got the answers I was hoping for!
 
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