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Separating points of view

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Circle_Something
Forum Facilitator
I was told recently, if I was writing a story with two points of view (i.e. a female perspective, then a male perspective), those points of view should be separated by some sort of visual device: a line of dots, asterisks, or something like that.

It made me think. If you consider speech to be a point of view, then you should have to put asterisks between each speaker. This would interrupt the flow and isn't the done thing, so why do it with narrative? I'll give you an example, just so you know:

I looked upon her beautiful face. At that point, I knew I loved her.

I looked upon his handsome face. At that point, I knew I loved him.

So, that flows well enough, to me anyway, but if it had asterisks between those two sentences, would it flow better? I don't think so.

The question is: how do you separate points of view? Carry on writing, as I did in that small example, and hope the readers are savvy enough to get it, or use a visual device, which could interrupt the flow?
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If I want a chapter with someone else's pov I always state who it is before I write it. and as I jump from character to character it is different chapters, I never change pov in the same chapter.
Poppet
Active Ink Slinger
You know how I write, I do it like you, because I think using asterisks in stories is distracting. It makes me focus on them, instead of flowing with the reading. Unless you're 'new' to reading, it's not hard to tell who is saying what, where. There is no need for asterisks. Especially if it goes back and forth throughout the story between the readers. What an eyesore to see asterisks through the whole story. It's kind of like seeing lint, it makes you want to pick it off and get rid of it. Distracting little things that make you want to stare at them and pick them off. Make sense? I think so. I'm with you.
Sherzahd
Administration
Quote by Circle_Something
I was told recently, if I was writing a story with two points of view (i.e. a female perspective, then a male perspective), those points of view should be separated by some sort of visual device: a line of dots, asterisks, or something like that.

It made me think. If you consider speech to be a point of view, then you should have to put asterisks between each speaker. This would interrupt the flow and isn't the done thing, so why do it with narrative? I'll give you an example, just so you know:

I looked upon her beautiful face. At that point, I knew I loved her.

I looked upon his handsome face. At that point, I knew I loved him.

So, that flows well enough, to me anyway, but if it had asterisks between those two sentences, would it flow better? I don't think so.

The question is: how do you separate points of view? Carry on writing, as I did in that small example, and hope the readers are savvy enough to get it, or use a visual device, which could interrupt the flow?


I'm not sure there is a 'right' or 'wrong' way of dealing with POV, but there certainly are ways that work better than others. When it comes to POV, there are many differing opinions, so I will merely offer you mine...

You need to remember that when you're a reader, you basically immerse yourself into the story you're reading. It makes no difference what the story is about, your reader needs to identify with someone in there in order to relate to the story and more often than not, it'll be the person whose head they are in the most. Now just imagine having that bond with a character, then without warning, being ripped from their head and dropped into someone else's. At the least, it becomes confusing.

In my humble opinion, anything that makes the reader stop reading so he can scan back over the page to see what's just happened or if he's missed something, makes your story weaker. I have no issue with having more than one POV in a story, but your reader needs clear (yet subtle) warning that you've just shifted POV. And I say subtle because using something like "Jack's POV" and "Mary's POV" at the top of each changing POV is distracting to the reader. Your reader will pick up on the change of POV without the headers.

See my forum post - 'Head Hopping'

http://www.storiesspace.com/forum/yaf_postst278p2_MY-SEVEN-DEADLY-SINS-OF-WRITING.aspx

“Many people hear voices when no one is there. Some of them are called mad and are shut up in rooms where they stare at the walls all day. Others are called writers and they do pretty much the same thing.”
Rumple_deWriter
Story Moderator
Two characters having a conversation would not involve POV shifts (head hopping) unless the narrative includes what they're thinking.

With the exception of the romance genre, most agents, editors and reviewerslook down on 'head hopping' since it can easily confuse the reader about who is the current POV character.

IMO, it can be done effectively (see some of Poppet's work) but using it can be tricky and is, IMO, best avoided. .

Poppet
Active Ink Slinger
Quote by Rumple_deWriter
Two characters having a conversation would not involve POV shifts (head hopping) unless the narrative includes what they're thinking.

With the exception of the romance genre, most agents, editors and reviewerslook down on 'head hopping' since it can easily confuse the reader about who is the current POV character.

IMO, it can be done effectively (see some of Poppet's work) but using it can be tricky and is, IMO, best avoided. .



Thank you, Rumple, I do my very best to make it clear without littering my stories with POV mentions or asterisks.

I've never had anyone come to me and tell me my work was confusing or slowed their reading down. It can be done. It just needs to be done right, as Sherz said.
Rumple_deWriter
Story Moderator
I hear you, Ms P. It's been suggested by some writing 'authorities' that about one POV shift per chapter is optimum.

And I agree with you that a slew of 'shift notifications' can be very disruptive. That said, if you want a POV or scene shift w/o a sign, then it's important to have the location of the new scene and/or the ID of the new POV character established quickly. For instance: ...Mary sighed, turned over in bed, and drifted off to sleep wondering why Jack hadn't called.

Jack gazed around the crowded, smokey bar and wondered why Mary wasn't there.