As of this post, I am currently writing a high fantasy trilogy featuring a group of heroes questing together to save their world against a vicious death cult. This presents a unique challenge in that you really have multiple potential protagonists and you want to portray them all with equal depth and development. So when presented with that conundrum, the question becomes whose eyes do you tell the story through?
How about all of them?
I chose to approach this issue by switching my POV character with every new scene. Each of my characters has a unique voice and way of seeing both the world and their comrades. So I tap into that by following the most important character in a particular scene through the scene and writing from their perspctive. And I decide that on a scene-by-scene basis, so each scene is told from a different character’s perspectve. This is a technique you might want to consider when writing stories about multiple characters.
Do’s and dont’s of switching POV
The biggest rule about writing from multiple points of view is not to disorient the reader. You want to be consistent with who’s head you’re in at any given time. I separate things by scene, where each complete scene in a story is told from the perspective of one character. I try to make it clear early in the scene who the POV character is, and after the scene ends, I put an extra space between scenes to make it clear that there is going to be a change. But there are other approaches. Some writers switch characters within a scene, but they still make a point to separate the segments of the different characters. Just make sure that it is clear who the reader is following around, and when you switch to somebody else.
How to determine which POV to use at a certain scene.
For my story, I look at the scene I want to write and ask myself which character would have the most to say or do in it. Whose perspective would make the most sense and would reveal the most about what is going on at all levels within that scene? I also factor in previous scenes, and whose perspectives I had used previously. These are factors you want to keep in mind for your story. Which of your characters would resonate the most with what is going on at that particular moment in the story?
Managing Interactions
Another thing you need to be cognizant of is how your ensemble interacts with each other. How each character is viewed and presented should change as perspectives and points of view change. Different people view different people differently. To Lois Lane, Superman is her husband, her lover, the father of her child, and a respected peer in the journalism world. That is totally different from how Batman sees Superman, which is also totally different from how Lex Luthor sees Superman. But each person’s view of him reveals more about Superman than if seen through the eyes of just one person. You can do some interestng things with that.
You also want to make sure that your point of view stays consistent as these different characters interact with each other. You don’t want to have Billy be the POV character talking to Jack, but then switch to Jack’s POV mid-conversation. That can confuse and disorient the reader, which is something you don’t want to happen.
Using Stage & Screen as a template.
I like to model my character interactions after interactions on television, plays and movies. I understand most of those interactions aren’t the most realistic, but I enjoy the heightened drama of those interactions, how every character has something witty or profound to say, and how there is very little wasted dialogue and movement. Real life interactions are not nearly as clear cut, and can be very messy, uncoordinated and awkward. Oftentimes people don’t know what to say, or say the wrong thing, or stumble over their words, or make gestures that can be misconstrued. These are things that can be tapped into for good effect, but they can also get in the way of moving the story forward if not handled correctly. I like how in screenplays the most important dialogue and interactions are presented first. So when these characters interact, start with what is most important for advancing the narrative, and branch out from that.
Writing a story with multiple POV characters is not an impossible task, and can be done effectively. The key is to make sure that each character is given an equal amount of respect and care. Your reader should come ou of the story with a deep understanding of everyone in your ensemble. Keep that in mind and you should be able to effectively handle it.
