How to effortlessly change POV?

When I write multiple POVs in stories, I just go with what's needed. If that means sticking with one character for a whole chapter, fine. If it means switching POV three times in twenty pages, okay. All that really matters is keeping it clear whose POV you're in and why it has to be that one for that scene. It's usually best to go with the person whose physical or emotional investment in the event is greatest.

 

You touch on one interesting part of it:

A good rule of thumb is to decide what set of POVs you need early (or else pants your way to an overall decision of which viewpoints to keep and rewrite it all to fit), so you can establish that near the start of the story. Most stories work best if their first few chapters introduce all of their POVs--and especially give the sense of how it's those views' combination (or a single view's focus) that makes up the real story. Plenty of stories have introduced new viewpoints later on, and sometimes it's been worth it, but in general it's better to make that clear when the reader's still settling in.

 

There is a very good blog I go to, to gain an understanding of things like this. It's Emma Darwin's The Itch of Writing. She has written this post on moving POVs.

 

Hi Reilith, my suggestion is to plan ahead so that you get a feel for how many (and which) povs are imperative in moving the story forward. I prefer to have one solid MC as the main perspective, then I'll add in one or two other povs depending on what feels intuitively right for me. If I ever get stuck or start to doubt the process, I go back to writing from the main pov. I also prefer one perspective per chapter.

I believe this is something that becomes more organic and easier to do as you develop your craft. The point is that it always has to drive the story forward, show character goals and development, and not be too confusing. Best of luck.

 

And don't forget, if you try out a scene and POV that doesn't work, you don't have to get rid of it. Think of what filmmakers do with their "deleted scenes" and outtakes: your website and other places are great ways to still use anything you tried that doesn't make the final cut.

 

One of my worse faults is head jumping. I can do it half way through a paragraph and that is soooo annoying when reading. A few tips I'v picked up is at least don't do it in the same paragraph!! Like what others have said, who has the most to gain or loose or even who makes the plot unfolding more interesting. I often stick an extra blank line in or even a few wiggly bits like the end of a section but not end of a chapter?

I love to know what all the characters are thinking and doing so find writing and reading first person a task sometimes not worth taking. A book has to be very good to keep my reading, though I have read a few that are first person but chapters are used to change point of view.

The link butterfly added is a good one. I'v saved that to my favourites.