Blog Post: Multiple Points-of-View

[From Our Blog]

Just posted on SuperStack by Claire G – discussions in this thread, please
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Say What?

Writing a novel with more than one point-of-view can be tricky. How can you juggle different personalities and motivations – and somehow use them to tell a balanced, coherent and compelling story? How can you ensure that each character has their own ‘voice’ (something that I find extremely difficult to achieve!)?

But does it make sense to tell your story from multiple points of view?

On one hand, you can offer different perspectives on a narrative which may greatly enrich the story. On the other, you may lose a sense of intimacy. After all, how does the reader know who to root for and care about?

Ask yourself who and when: Why is this character telling this part of the story? What insight or awareness does the character bring? Would this section be better served by writing it from a different character’s point-of-view?

We know that everyone is the hero in their own story, so each character must have his or her own arc. This means the character should have a conflict, whether external, internal or both, and a resolution.



Examples

The Girl on the Train (3 pov characters)

Girl, Woman, Other (12 pov characters)

A Song of Ice and Fire (Lots!)



Experience

I find that psychological novels lend themselves to being written using multiple points-of-view. In them, I can delve into the human psyche and reveal inconsistencies, conflicting thoughts and dark motivations. We can explore the truth from different perspectives. We can judge the reliability of each character’s narrative.

Two of my psychological novels are written using three points-of-view. The other has ten points-of-view (inspired by reading Girl, Woman, Other). Why did I use ten? My aim was to explore a range of vastly different experiences of patients on a psychiatric ward, but I’m not sure I did this successfully. One reason is because I struggled to use a different voice for each character. Another is that the reader may find it difficult to keep track of who’s who, what their arc is and why they should care. There’s also the question of depth – has each character been given enough space in the novel to fully share their story?

Of course, Bernadine Evaristo has proven that polyphonic books can be executed successfully. But, sadly, I’m no Evaristo.



Final Thoughts

Which books with multiple points-of-view have you enjoyed and why?

Have you written one? Why did you choose this structure and what was your experience of the challenges discussed?
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By @Claire G
Get the discussion going – post your thoughts & comments in the thread below…

 

[Hannah F]

I gave up on Girl, Woman, Other very quickly. It started with two POVs both in first person plus didn't use quotation marks for speech. Too early to have a feel for who's who, I couldn't follow whose head I was in and whether they were speaking or thinking. Drove me demented.

My favourite multiple POV novel (9) is Maggie O'Farrell's This Must be the Place. Different POVs were in different chapters, hence very easy to follow. (GOT also has different POVs in different chapters).

I've written in two POVs and three POVs. I too have separated them into different chapters. The majority of the story is in the protagonist's POV, but the others allow the reader to know what the main character doesn't yet know which I've used to increase tension.

 

[James Charles]

Just posted on SuperStack by Claire G – discussions in this thread, please
---

Say What?

Writing a novel with more than one point-of-view can be tricky. How can you juggle different personalities and motivations – and somehow use them to tell a balanced, coherent and compelling story? How can you ensure that each character has their own ‘voice’ (something that I find extremely difficult to achieve!)?

But does it make sense to tell your story from multiple points of view?

On one hand, you can offer different perspectives on a narrative which may greatly enrich the story. On the other, you may lose a sense of intimacy. After all, how does the reader know who to root for and care about?

Ask yourself who and when: Why is this character telling this part of the story? What insight or awareness does the character bring? Would this section be better served by writing it from a different character’s point-of-view?

We know that everyone is the hero in their own story, so each character must have his or her own arc. This means the character should have a conflict, whether external, internal or both, and a resolution.



Examples

The Girl on the Train (3 pov characters)

Girl, Woman, Other (12 pov characters)

A Song of Ice and Fire (Lots!)



Experience

I find that psychological novels lend themselves to being written using multiple points-of-view. In them, I can delve into the human psyche and reveal inconsistencies, conflicting thoughts and dark motivations. We can explore the truth from different perspectives. We can judge the reliability of each character’s narrative.

Two of my psychological novels are written using three points-of-view. The other has ten points-of-view (inspired by reading Girl, Woman, Other). Why did I use ten? My aim was to explore a range of vastly different experiences of patients on a psychiatric ward, but I’m not sure I did this successfully. One reason is because I struggled to use a different voice for each character. Another is that the reader may find it difficult to keep track of who’s who, what their arc is and why they should care. There’s also the question of depth – has each character been given enough space in the novel to fully share their story?

Of course, Bernadine Evaristo has proven that polyphonic books can be executed successfully. But, sadly, I’m no Evaristo.



Final Thoughts

Which books with multiple points-of-view have you enjoyed and why?

Have you written one? Why did you choose this structure and what was your experience of the challenges discussed?
---

By @Claire G
Get the discussion going – post your thoughts & comments in the thread below…

Great post, Claire. My WIP has 3 major, and 1 minor POV (the antagonist). An editor said I should cut the antagonist's POV. I asked how would that worK. She said I could have the others talking about him and what he did. Oh no! Boring and all telling, even though in dialogue...

 

[RK Wallis]

Love the post, @Claire G

I just finished The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I love the 2 POVs and the newspaper articles.

Personally, I'd keep your antag POV @James Charles. I love a good antag POV and they're such fun to write!

 

[Barbara]

Great post, Claire. My WIP has 3 major, and 1 minor POV (the antagonist). An editor said I should cut the antagonist's POV. I asked how would that worK. She said I could have the others talking about him and what he did. Oh no! Boring and all telling, even though in dialogue...

Yikes. If we only hear from him secondhand it would weaken him, surely?

If anything, I'd make more of the antagonist POV. A bigger danger.

 

[Sedayne]

Great post, Claire Lots to think about.

I loved Girl, Woman, Other. I think it worked because the chapter titles made it very clear who's story it was. The fact that the stories interwove and often told the same story twice but from different points of view really worked for me.

I would find a ten POV story appealing.

I haven't read them recently, but I loved the Tales of the City series for having so many characters and voices. I especially liked that a minor character in one book could then become a lead in a sequel - and how that character may not have been particularly likable initially, but when we get their own take on things, we warm to them.

I my own writing, I have some events that are told in the second book from Neil's point of view and then again in the third book from Sarah's view - she thinks she is close to Neil, but he is keeping big secrets from her, so her viewpoint is skewed. The reader would know more than Sarah if they had read the previous book, or they could be oblivious like her if not. The events are the same, but they are related very differently. I don't know if it works, but I enjoy writing the same things differently.

 

[Sedayne]

Great post, Claire. My WIP has 3 major, and 1 minor POV (the antagonist). An editor said I should cut the antagonist's POV. I asked how would that worK. She said I could have the others talking about him and what he did. Oh no! Boring and all telling, even though in dialogue...

I think the antagonist pov would be so engaging. It's good to know the motivation of the characters we are not supposed to side with. It adds significant depth to the story.

 

[Pamela Jo]

It's that unique voice for each character thing that's the tricky part. Maybe a good discussion topic for Huddle.
It's difficult to create a protagonist that stands out let alone make a whole chorus sing. With multiple POV the chapter for each separate character almost has to be approached like a short story?
Maybe a really advanced character Bible?
I think that might help me remember WHY this character is so important to the story. I tend to be a bit of a pantser when it comes to character. They popup and create themselves as I'm writing and so their backstory doesn't get attention. Maybe a good idea to take some time to write down not just physical characteristics but sketch in their lives up to the point they appear? HMMMM.