How POVs Does Your Story Have?

[Legacy]

How many points of view does your story have?

For example, in my fic, the entire story more or less is through Milo's point of view. I don't switch off. Everything happening is seen through his eyes.

Do you guys use this approach, or do you switch off between characters?

Which way do you think is easier, harder, better?

 

[Necrozma]

I started off my story "Essence of Life" with Gabe's (protagonist) point of view, though as I progressed I found it harder to write the story as I couldn't focus on the characters who aren't around Gabe but are important for the plot.

So, the chapter one was entirely in Gabe's point of view. In the second chapter, I switched back and forth between the narrator's and Gabe's POV only to completely switch to narrator's POV in the third chapter since it was quite easier for me that way to capture the emotions of Gabe and people around him.

Basically, I tried out both POV's but I ended up preferring the second one. I guess the POV from the main character was quite harder for me to write. I personally think that the narrator's POV is easier, as the character's POV only allows the writer to get into the mind of the main character himself, and not the other ones. That is, unless the protagonist has the ability to read minds.

 

[MuddyMudkip]

I usually prefer Third-Person Style over First-Person, though I now have a sudden tendency to write in the latter form as well. Generally, I just go with what feels more comfortable and what, in my opinion, goes with the mood, flow, and overall plot of the story.

As far as switching POVs between characters as well as the narrator style goes, I'm not that inclined to doing it. But, again, I do switch views if I can't help myself I see it sort of fits with the fic.

I would recommend to avoid switching POVs unless "utterly" necessary - especially if you switch between characters. Sometimes it just gets confusing, even if you do include something like, "___'s POV" before the switch itself. The signal, though sometimes/usually helpful, can be a bit distracting at times (especially if it is used much to often/too much switching of POVs) - it, somehow, pulls the reader's attention away from the story itself, breaking the flow.

In addition to what Tsutarja has said above, the Third-Person Style of writing is easier to use for most people - unless they're really used to writing in First-Person Style. In the narrator's POV, you get to explore everyone's emotions and points of view - somehow as if you were combining them. If you tell the story from just one person's POV, it would probably make the story harder for you to write and for you to express yourself. See, if you write this way, you limit yourself to only the protagonist's emotions and "world". Switching back and forth, and all around doesn't help either.

 

[Drakon]

I go for 3rd person omniscent but one of my Poké Wars expanded universe stories is a hybrid; 3rd person omniscent then first person.

 

[Kayi Rowling]

Mine is a limited third-person POV (think Harry Potter) almost all the time, which implies that the third-person is used but it has the knowledge and feeling boundaries the first-person does. I occasionally deviate into second-person (difficult to pull off, but pretty neat; used in Vuvuzela), first-person and omniscient third-person, but they're not my favorites

As to how many POVs my stories tend to have, it generally depends on the quantity of characters that are important: Kisses has Crystal and Silver (Gold's POV is ignored), Kawaii Kyuremu! has Kyurem, and Garnet and Cherries has Silver and Giovanni (with Silver's being the framing device).

 

[UB-01 Kenobi]

I do 3rd person limited with the main character for the most part, however when I'm writing a scene in which the main character isn't present, the POV is usually that of another member of the main cast. (Think Eragon/Eldest/Brisngr. P.S., can't wait for Inheritance coming out November 5th. That's such a lame title, though. Couldn't CP think of anything better than the series name?)

 

[Flaze]

I use omniscient third person all the time it just seems a little easier than first person to me. For my POV in my story I usually stay on Reggie's point of view but if there's chapter that's related to a different character's back-story I'll switch to their POV or like I'm doing in the recent chapters in which it takes place in a whole different time.

 

[an illegible mess.]

In my story Razayka, I switched out from Razayka (the main character), Keenai (the supporting character) and Dolosus (the antagonist). It was pretty easy as certain chapters were on there point of view and I usually separated them with paragraphs. Sometimes, some of the chapters were focused on mainly one character that I had never focused on before. For example, I focused on John and Tora in Chapter 8 and some parts of Chapter 9. I also focused on Kage on Chapter 9 too. I like to change the POV's of my characters because it gives the reader a chance to find out more about them and get more attached.

 

[Mr Metagross]

I've read books where they are told from the perspective of a couple of other characters who are vital to the story. My fic has no such alterations, which I think is a problem. I found that if the reader doesn't enjoy a certain character's POV, and is more desperate to get back to the main character, then they'll be forced to read through every POV until they get back to the main storyline. It works like a charm and I'd recommend it to any writer.

 

[Hector]

Confessions takes place in the first person, and only from one person's point of view (the "protagonist" James). POV is played with a bit when James looks back on past memories because he's watching things play out from a third person omniscient view because he knows what's going to happen already.

 

[Kantomasta]

I do first person alot, but i switch between charactors when i do. However my new fic will be Third person. Third person POV does seem to be easier though.

 

[AetherX]

I write almost completely in first person. I find it easier, as I kind of live in first person. Weird, I know.

Occasionally, I have X.5 chapters that deviate from that POV and go into third person from the perspective of a totally different character. He has a completely different storyline that starts out with only having minor consequences in the main plot (and vice-versa, with the main plot affecting him) but the stories gradually begin to intertwine.

Given that I'm only working on a single fic right now, I find it to be rather refreshing to change up POVs every once in a while.

 

[Ian D.]

As many as proves necessary. Currently in this MayNoWriMo work I'm doing, I've gathered up a total of three different PoVs, all from the protagonists. I plan to have small sections of their points of view alongside the other not-so-important-but-still-essential characters all through out the story, a lot of different ones incorporated into one chapter.

 

[Lugion]

Depends on the story

Stainless Steel is third person, limited, and only from Steven's POV.

The Gray Dawn will have multiple POVs, but each scene will be from one specific one, so it will still be third-person limited, much like my Transformers series. The novel I'm writing is also in this form.

Some of my older stories were in third-person omniscient, but it didn't really go over well.

 

[Aladar]

Well, quite a lot actually. But I make sure it's in a way that doesn't confuse the readers.

In Crossroads each new arc is told from third-person POV of a different main character and every arc finishes with an Interlude- a chap told from first-person POV of the arc's hero. Plus, there's at least one or two occasions in each arc when the POV is told from a third-person secondary/minor character POV because there are things that need to be told/seen/happen without the main characters knowing it.

 

[moosie]

In Taking Flight, almost all characters with importance will get a point of veiw, and most of those are first-person too. In Pocket Fire (Pokémon-Icefire series mashup), I'm using third person omniscient.

 

[Data_Error]

Typically, anything I write is told through a single point of view - swapping between multiple "viewpoint characters" wears down your sense of continuity or, occasionally, can be hard for some readers to follow. Occasional, short side-stories from other viewpoints are good additions, but I wouldn't make a habit of doing it in the story proper. The fic that I want to write someday has been split (in my head) into three shorter, related stories for that very reason - each of the characters is worth following, but writing one, continuous story from three very different viewpoints is hard to do well.

The writing style differs depending on what character I'm writing for, but I tend to gravitate toward a subjective, limited third person view - the character is referred to by name, but otherwise the narration is limited to the character's knowledge and thoughts. I usually end up with a stream-of-consciousness narration and sometimes slip into modes with less knowledge of the character's inner thought, awareness of other nearby physical action or even first-person speech, but I try to stray from an omniscient narrator. It keeps the focus away from the individual character, which is not the goal.

 

[The Booty Warrior]

I'd say different POVs should really matter when it would fit the style of the story, like maybe if it was like a story being told Rashomon style or something like that. Or, it could help provide different views to the sides of a conflict.

Or, as mentioned above, it can be used for the side-stories of another character or two.

I'm keeping a minimum of two POVs in my current fic at the moment, as these two are the main opposing forces in the conflict.

 

[Shinneth]

My writing styles have varied over the years. Usually I write third-person narrative, but one of my better stories is notorious for switching between two characters' first-person POV. My latest one, however, is a spin on the third-person narrative.

In all my other fics, I've always clearly written out a character's thoughts using italics and ' ' marks instead of traditional quotations. But for Trifecta, I've completely avoided straight-out writing a character's thoughts (even in episode adaptations where a character is thinking in the script) in favor of a more commentative narrative. It's hard to explain, but it's done in a way that doesn't exactly break the fourth wall, but rather commenting on how a certain scene is done as you're reading it, with the intention that the reader and the narrator are reaching the same conclusions at the same time.

I'm not sure what made me try this out for just Trifecta in particular, but I've gotten some positive comments from it. And I'm not sure what to call it since it isn't strictly third-person POV... "commentative narrative" is the closest I've seen to an accurate description.

Look at me, befuddled by my own writing.

 

[Composer]

I tend to just tell the story as if it was some sort of tale since it is based on past and events long before those in games.

The first few chapters will be focusing on Oak,but as I progress there will be chapters from Rowan's point of view,showing his more complex and calm nature,his thoughts and views of the world.