Which POV?

[Dark Huntress]

I have a chapter where all three of my main characters will be in the same scene. I am not sure how to handle the dialogue or thoughts of each.

Each character will see the event happening in different ways and since they are all main characters I don't know the best way to handle the POV.

In this case, which POV would you use?

 

[Reaver]

It depends... which POV have you been using so far?

 

[Dark Huntress]

It depends... which POV have you been using so far?

Third person

 

[Reaver]

I see. Limited or Omniscient?

 

[Dark Huntress]

I see. Limited or Omniscient?

I have been using limited.

 

[Reaver]

Okay, then. In my opinion, you should keep to the 3rd person POV, except switch to omniscient. This allows you to really describe what's going on in the character's thoughts, feelings, etc. If you suddenly switched to first or second person POV, it could mess up the pacing of the story and confuse the reader. For example:
If you've just put character A in the scene with characters B & C and the next thing you write is : "I came into the crowded bar and sat down at the only empty table." The reader would say: Who the hell is talking here?

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

Stick with 3rd-limited, but pick one of the characters to show the scene from, if you've been using strict 3rd-limited up until this point. Or you can switch from character A to character B partway through the scene, if you want.

 

[Reaver]

Stick with 3rd-limited, but pick one of the characters to show the scene from, if you've been using strict 3rd-limited up until this point. Or you can switch from character A to character B partway through the scene, if you want.

I'd personally go with what Mr. Clayborne says here, Huntress. He's helped my current and past WIP immensely. He is what the ancient Egyptians used to call "Pretty Damn Smart".:smile:

 

[The Din]

I agree that Clayborne's seems the best option. If you really want all perspectives, there's nothing stopping you from swapping characters more often, say every paragraph. Just be sure to differentiate (leave a blank line, start each paragraph with character's name, etc.)

That's what I would do in a battle or something, if I had a few more POVs.

 

[aderyn]

I agree that Clayborne's seems the best option. If you really want all perspectives, there's nothing stopping you from swapping characters more often, say every paragraph. Just be sure to differentiate (leave a blank line, start each paragraph with character's name, etc.)

That's what I would do in a battle or something, if I had a few more POVs.

I agree try the paragraph idea, I've seen it before and it works.

 

[CMSikora]

Most, if not every scene has a focal character. A character whose thoughts are more important to the reader comprehending the story. The focal character can change easily with the use of a break in between paragraphs. In a YA High Fantasy book called The Demon King, the two main characters meet for a short time. The book is written in 3rd person limited, but the POV between them switches. I love how it happens. How the author shows us Han from Raisa's point of view, and Raisa from Han's point of view.

A recommend you try this. Pick yourself a focal character and remember you can always switch if you have to.

 

[JCFarnham]

A Scott Westerfeld trilogy (The Alt. history 'punk books Leviathan, Behemoth and Goliath) deal with two point of view characters very well. A switch comes sometimes with each alternate chapter in some parts of the books but mostly sticks to "whenever important for the story." I don't remember the two povs switching within the same chapter, but if we, the reader, needed to know the other character's view on an event happening in the other pov the next chapter would begin shortly after the previous scene (in-universe time).

If you don't wish to do it that way, another different idea is one I picked up (I believe) from Orson Scott Card's Character and Viewpoint. In an example or two its suggest that if you are working with 3rd limited you can't rightly skip smoothly within a scene with the two povs in, but you can always play the same scene over twice from the other's pov.

I don't know any successful books that use this technique, but I trust that if Orson says so it probably can't hurt (Whether you agree with his opinions on writing or not, you can't deny his ability to sell )

Other options have been discussed. The one last thing I will add is that if you routinely switch between the points of view throughout the story, why would you suddenly play the important scene from just ONE pov? There would have to be a pretty decent explanation. I would seriously consider using all povs in this scene if it really is that important to the story, other wise you're effectly promising the reader one thing then withholding information at a crucial juncture. Not always such a good thing to do.

As alway "it depends".