I have a novel written with three POVs. It turned out to be one of the better ones that I have written with several different POVs. But I have co-authored several novels where I have written up to six POVs at a time, in the same novel. That was FUN. I thrive off writing multiple POVs. Actually, I write so many multiple POV'ed novels that I can't just stick with a single character and write the whole story like that. I find it impossible. My whole writing "career" has been spent developing multiple MCs and Allies for the same novel. I write short stories all the time in single POV. So I know I can do it, but I do not enjoy it. And I am now currently working on a novel written with eight POVs. I am way excited.
But how does one start? Do you just start writing several characters? Give them a each a chapter, or a section of a chapter? How do you know you're doing it right? Perhaps there isn't a right or wrong way to write multiple POVs. But I have some suggestions.
Give them a voice.
I think the biggest factor in having MPOVs (Multiple Point of Views) is keeping a different voice for each of your characters. I mentioned this back in part one, but I want to expound a little.
"Voice" is the personality of the character. It is how the reader reads your work. One of my own personal problems when writing MPOVs is that I write them too similar. Each will have their own separate backgrounds. Each will have their own unique fears. But maybe two or three of them will have something major in common. Like their favorite food. Or they all know how to fight really well. I accidentally add something like that into the stories, and suddenly they all don't have their unique "voice". They have all merged together. Some people will be similar. After all, you meet people with the same interests as you on a daily basis, so it shouldn't be too odd for a character to meet another character with similar interests. Making them drastically different might be hard to tie into the story line. Perhaps the reason they all can fight so well is because they have all been trained up in a top secret Black Ops, but are just now meeting each other. They need unique voices, but they also need similarities that tie in.
Give them a face.
Each of your characters should have different features, different body build, and different heights. Having two blond girls who are 5'5" and can fight really well makes them too similar. Like I mentioned above, I am working on an eight POV novel. I tried to make them all look different in their features. I have a couple different nationalities. I have them each have a talent that doesn't top the other person's talent, but nonetheless, everyone's talents are important. If two of the characters know how to disable a bomb, fight off the bad guys as they are disabling it, and can do it all in under thirty seconds, then maybe there isn't a need for both characters to be in that scene. Their faces go beyond just their outward appearance. Their hearts, souls, and dreams make us their faces.
Connect the characters.
I have read novels and watched movies where there is two or more separate individuals who each have their own POV and their own stories inside a book or movie. Their lives seem drastically different and they aren't connected in any way. At least not until the very end where then they somehow have a connection. You end up left being confused and feeling indifferent towards the plot. It weakens your story when you can't discretely connect the characters. Don't flash it in the open. Let your readers find most of the connections, but make them obvious enough where you don't leave the reader confused. Lacking to have a connection between the characters early on in the novel can cause your reader to put your book down and never pick it back up again.
Next week I will try and do more on giving each of your characters their individual voices. but until then, I bid ye a good night. :)
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