SHIFTING POINTS OF VIEW
By Simon Wood
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© 2006 Simon Wood. All rights reserved.
For more information about the author and his work, please visit www.simonwood.net
Cover art: Julie Wood © 2009
SHIFTING POINTS OF VIEW
Weaving multiple viewpoint characters in and out of a story is like standing trial and knowing what the judge, the prosecuting attorney and all 12 members of the jury are thinking. Each person is witnessing the same information, but his interpretation is different. But it’s not like you can crack in to everyone’s mind simultaneously. Even if you could, it’d be impossible to comprehend what 14 people are saying if they’re all talking at the same time. Just visit your average Kindergarten classroom.
Allowing multiple characters to tell your story can add depth and insight that a first-person point of view may not be able to convey. Most stories have plenty of characters with their own tales to tell. Multiple POV characters add depth to a novel. Suddenly the story is being told from the perspective of multiple witnesses, all putting their distinctive interpretations on events. But the inclusion of multiple voices can bring with it its own problems. Those multiple points of view can get out of control and turn the story into a mess. In a novel, just like in a conversation, not everyone can speak at once. There are plenty of ways to give each character a voice without having them talk over one another.
1. Use chapter and/or scene breaks
Breaks are simply a literary device, but an effective one. They allow you to draw a line under where one POV character leaves and another enters, which gives the reader a clear indication that something has changed. Let’s say a chapter or scene is told from the perspective of one character. The reaction to this chapter or scene would have the most impact if it were told from a different character’s point of view. To suddenly switch from one character’s point of view to another’s could jerk the reader from the story, but a chapter or scene break would be the perfect signal to the reader to let her know something has changed.
For example: With a heavy heart, POV character, Molly, tells David on his 21st birthday that she adopted him as a baby. The chapter ends on this bombshell, and the next chapter begins with David’s point of view and his reaction to this revelation.
2. Change spaces
As simple as it would be to break for a new chapter or scene every time you wish to switch from one character’s point of view to another, it may not be convenient to do so. The story could end up as a series of short scenes and chapters, possibly making the flow of the story choppy. Additionally, a chapter and/or scene break might kill the tension you’ve just built. So instead of breaking for a new chapter or scene, change the scene’s location for the next point of view. This can be as simple as having the characters switch to another room.
Returning to the previous example with Molly and David, instead of having a chapter break when Molly tells David that he’s adopted, you could switch locations. David reacts violently to Molly’s news and storms out of the house leaving Molly behind. David is alone and in a new locale when his POV scene kicks in. Although there’s been no physical break in the narrative, the reader is fully aware that the point of view has switched to David.
3. Pass the baton
Another way of switching points of view seamlessly is to take the relay approach, where one POV character hands over the baton to another. This is achieved by using a pivotal point in the scene as a tool to hand over the point of view.
Consider a scene where two POV characters are on the phone. While the characters are speaking, keep the scene restricted to one POV character, but when the call ends, switch to the other character’s point of view.
Alternatively, use a setup in dialogue to pave the way for a POV change. Consider the following example. A POV character says, “What’s your take on this, Bob?” This is an open invitation to switch the POV to Bob’s character and take the story in a new direction.
4. Mix perspectives
We’re talking about managing multiple points of view, but which perspective do you incorporate? You aren’t condemned to use multiple third-person perspectives for your POV characters. Using a mix of first, second and/or third person makes for a clear change of point of view.
Several authors have used this technique to their advantage. In Harlan Coben’s Gone for Good, all the scenes featuring the protagonist’s point of view are in first person, while all the other POV characters are in third person for their scenes. It makes for a unique style and makes it impossible to confuse POV characters. The first-person narrative brings the reader closer to the protagonist, and the third-person perspective keeps the reader at arm’s length from the other characters.
This same approach can also be applied to experimentation with present and past tense for POV characters, although it’s risky. In Michael Gruber’s Tropic of Night, the story is told in third person, past tense, except for a character in hiding. That character’s POV scenes are told in first person, present tense, in journal fashion.