Multiple POVs in Your Novel Part One

I hardly ever write from just one person's POV. It's too hard to keep my brain focused on just one character. I have to switch between thought processes, switch between emotions, switch between settings. I get bored writing from just one POV. I tend to get bored reading from one POV, too. I like the ability to see into multiple characters' heads. I like to read their thoughts. But there's a lot of ways to write more than POV. Several ways to write it wrong, too. I'll go through a couple of things to do when writing from multiple POVs and then next time I will get into more detail. This is just wetting your feet a bit. ;)

Keep Them Separate
Be able to write the points of view quite a bit differently. If the characters are too similar and think too much alike, then you will end up with essentially the same character, just with different names. If both the characters are not going to cry when someone dies, or they both act the same way in an unexpected situation, then is it necessary to write from different POVs? I have had characters with the same kind of analytical thinking process, and when editing, I didn't even notice that I had switched characters until half way through editing that chapter. Oops. So that's what we want to avoid. After reading a bit, your reader should be able to tell whose voice is whose, just by the writing style. They shouldn't have to go back and look at the beginning of the chapter to see who is telling this. Distinguish them.

Both Heroes, or a Hero and an Ally? 
When writing from more than one POV, know from the beginning if you want them to both (or how ever many you are writing from) to be the heroes, or a hero and an ally. It doesn't seem like a big deal when you start writing, but towards the middle, if you don't have it set in mind, then your characters end up fighting for the hero spot (in a figurative way, of course. Or perhaps quite literally. In that case, if you want them to fight for the hero spot, then go ahead. XP). If you make them both heroes, then there's two options you have here. 1. make them both have the same end goal, or 2. give them both a goal of their own. In the latter case, you have to be sure that it doesn't end up splitting the story too much. If one hero is supposed to shut down the deadly machine while the other hero is supposed to get the kids out of the prison, then they are working together to get everything accomplished. If however, one is on one end of the world, and the other on the other end of the world, and their goals don't meet up, then why not give them both their own stories? Be sure not to split the story so much, that the readers think they are reading two different stories in one book.

I find it easier to write from dual POV, but some find it easier to write from a singular POV. Choose your comfort zone. Then do research. A lot of research. Don't go into dual POV blind. Your story could end up split, or the characters will compete for the hero "spot".
I'll talk some more next time about how to make it all work together. :)

~Sarah