《How to Write Stories People Will Love》Question 23: Changing viewpoints
Advertisement
asks: How do you change viewpoints in a multi-viewpoint novel?
There are a few ways to do this. The most important thing is to make sure it's absolutely clear to the reader whose viewpoint is currently active.
- An easy way to switch viewpoints when there are two main characters is to switch characters every time a new chapter starts. In other words, when it's time to switch viewpoints, you start a new chapter. It's okay to have short chapters. Rainbow Rowell does this in Eleanor & Park, and I enjoyed it a lot. I was never confused who was speaking, even though there were no chapter titles, because the chapters followed a pattern. Each new chapter meant a switch in point of view.
- If you don't like the idea of a switching point of view every time a new chapter starts, you can add a chapter title stating the name of the character who's narrating. This is also helpful when you have more than two points of view to juggle.
- Another popular method of switching viewpoints is an extra gap between paragraphs. Such gaps are often used to signify a new scene. They can also be used to switch to another character, so long as the wording makes it apparent who it is. Be sure to use the character's name in the first sentence.
It's best not to switch viewpoints too many times per scene, or the reader may get dizzy reading it. In my opinion, each main character should express their viewpoint once per scene. After switching away from their point of view, don't switch back again until the next scene.
Advertisement
- In Serial34 Chapters
Apocalypse King: Progression System LitRPG
Hail, Apocalypse King! A LitRPG where the MC fights the System Apocalypse Invaders with military training, dark magic, and a Humanity, Fuck Yeah attitude! Hounded by trauma from combat and his childhood upbringing, Sergeant DeSean Solomon left the U.S. Marines and attends college alone. While at a house party, the world as DeSean knows it ends. All of humanity receives a System notification. Do you wish to be saved from the taint of chaos? A countdown starts. Time is of the essence. To say yes will transform you into a monstrous zealot controlled by a genocidal eldritch invader. To say no is to be marked for the slaughter and forced into a high-stakes and vicious survival game. Even with the introduction of system progression stats, magical powers, and contracts with otherworldly creatures, all signs point toward the earth and its people getting subjugated. Or suffering a worse fate. Unless DeSean has a say in it. When the end of the world comes knocking, it's not a hero or someone with a special bloodline that rises to the occasion. It's a slightly demented Marine Veteran who storms the breach, summoning demons, evoking dark magic, and using all of his military skills and System Skills to bring down the enemy. Posts Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Please click below and enjoy!
8 272 - In Serial15 Chapters
Live Life Homunclus
The end is not always the end. Nothing is permanent, and even death itself is merely a transition. This fact holds true for a certain young man who died quite tragically on Earth. Lucky for him, a new life was just around the corner. A world filled with magic, adventure, and oh so many dangers awaited. Everything would be perfect, if it wasn't for the fact that he reincarnated into a homunclus. An artificial life-form said to possess almost zero combat capabilities. An exemplary example of pure breed cannon fodder. Surviving in a world where dragons roam the skies and monsters stalk the lands, wasn't this a bit too unreasonable?
8 187 - In Serial25 Chapters
Astoria
The adventurers of heroes and villains weave together in the world of Astoria. Start with any series. Later on, they'll weave together, much like the Marvel universe. Series 1 - THE MERCHANT WHO WOULD BE KING Hadiin is sick of being poor and surrounded by a growing pool of billionaires. Life is unfair. Then a mysterious being offers him a chance to go to another world where he can be anything he wants, a world with magic and skills and potential. After seeing everyone else get rich, he decides it's his turn. As he starts a new life as a merchant in a fantasy world, he meets a dragon sorceress, a Lady vampire, and runs afoul of a former adventurer who is as much gangster as merchant. Series 2 - LOVE AND GLORY Ai is a deaf student in the musical arts program at Kyoto University. Yeong, an aspiring teacher and part of the archery club, is a university exchange student from Korea. They meet under the cherry blossoms along the Philosopher's Path and sparks fly—only for both to find suddenly themselves in another world, surrounded by corpses, a magical ritual gone very wrong. With the help of a knight commander and a star mage, they stumble into mystery and a new life.
8 256 - In Serial11 Chapters
Craftsman
Its 2020 and a new VRMMO game is about to hit the market. It's revolutionary and freeform game systems claim to enable you to do anything you desire! 3x time compression guarantees that everyone from students to doctors to athletes will have time to play it. Jaden is only interested in one thing though. Crafting. This will be a VRMMO crafting story. Fights will be almost entirely powered via Jadens equipment. slightly advanced real-world tech. Relevant Keywords: Blacksmithing, Alchemy, Crafting, Gathering, Gadgeteer, Enchanting, Magic Im a fledgling Author with minimal experience (mainly my other hiatus story here on the site) so any feedback is extremely helpful. I do have a discord server that can be found in my bio if you would like to interact with me and others reading the story more directly (alternatively you can also PM me on here or comment). updates should be every day or two, but my discord is where you can find out if I won't be posting on a specific day.
8 69 - In Serial56 Chapters
The Start of a Unusual Life in an Alternate Reality(Soul-AR. You know like solar)
"You ever wake up and just know that day is gonna be f****d?" Our protaganist is dealing with what we like to call, "Summoned Hero Syndrome", its when someone is kidnapped to an alternate reality/world/plane/or dimension and they start to narrate their life as if its a book. This is a story of his minds auto-biography. A story of action, adventure, intrigue, gore, comedy, videogames, references, and possible sexy fun times. A.N: This is my first story and possibly my only one and it may never become finished. Please excuse any spelling and grammar mistakes. Im doing this on my phone and i hate the small ass keypad. Hope you enjoy readings and even if i may not like it feel free to give your opinions and CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISMS. I dont care for those who are being assholes that are non-helpful. I only care for the people who are helpfull. So if ur a smartass be so while helping. Also idk if im gonna add a harem. Some stories should have em while others shouldnt cause they cause a huge detraction, hope im using that right, from how good a book can be.
8 171 - In Serial36 Chapters
The Shy one (Domani Harris story)
Domani Harris Is What every one would like to say .."The Quite Type"...He had Been told Lies all his Life to Cover Up the Bigest One of all , himself©2016 "The Shy one" Domani harris story @Domanitheking
8 82

