For novel writers

[Sundale]

In my sci-fi, I weave in and out of a few main characters. *wait's for people to quiet down.*  Yes, I know, and I'm well aware of all of that.

There are a lot of problems doing this however, and I may yet change exactly when and how often I "change heads".  One thing to do if you're going to do that, is be clear in no more than the second or third sentence who's head we're in.  You might get the fourth, but by then you had better have made it clear it's a new head at least.

Also, each POV must read different.  It's a new head after all.  Jane doesn't think the same way Jannet dose.  They'll noticed different things, think differently about the same things, ect.  You also need to be careful not to change heads too many times.  It's like a sudden, jarring, turn in a roller coaster.  If done well, they can add the right element to the ride.  But have too many, and it starts hurting even the most tolerant of riders, and they hit the emergency stop (Translation:Stop reading).

Like anything, it's a tool that can be used well, over used, or not quite used right.  Be careful, be diligent, and you should be fine.

[Angelia Almos]

I just had someone ask me about this the other day. I honestly do whatever works. Sometimes I switch back and forth several times within a chapter. Other times it might be chapter by chapter. And other times I might be with one character for several chapters before switching to the other POV. There aren't any hard and fast rules. Due what the story and your characters demand.

I also know writers who switch back and forth within paragraphs. I have not mastered this style, but those who can do it well have a lot of fans who prefer to know what all the characters in the scene are thinking. I can think of several who do this in direct violation of the no head-hopping rule we hear so often.

[spellbound]

I hate when POV changes chapter to chapter. It seemed okay with Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper, but I hated it with George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice Series I read the first and refuse to pick up the others. I also hated it in Abraham Verghese's Cutting for Stone. You should have heard me ranting the whole time, but the writing was top notch enough I forced myself to get over the anger that welled and even bought the book. I've recommended it to many others. My copy is actually in somebody else's hands right now and not on my shelf. However, I'll never pick up another book by him except to re-read this one.

Now for within the chapter, I've no say either way. So the books I've read that do weave the changes must do it well enough it doesn't anger and frustrate me.

Anyway, calming down, that's my take on changing POV.

[Marly]

  My recent novel had only one POV, though initially I intended to have two.  I got so carried away with my heroine that I decided to leave the hero’s side out of it.   With this next novel I intend to have the male POV as well.  I may do more than one POV in one chapter, and like Angelia, I’ll go with what the characters and the story call for.  (Though I don’t know if I’d like more than one POV in one paragraph.  In fact, I don’t think I would. LOL)

For me, two POV in one novel is enough.  More than that, and I lose interest.  It’s hard to get involved in the story when you’re constantly being shifted from one person to another.  For me, it makes it much more difficult to care about the characters.