Mastering Multi-POV | How to Write A Multi-POV Book
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- čas přidán 8. 07. 2024
- How do you tackle writing a multi-POV book? I'm not an expert but I DID majorly level up writing The Bitter End, and came out with some tips & tricks to share.
In a too-long but hopefully-helpful video, I'm going over potential pitfalls of multis, thoughts on number of POVs and tense, and then finally offering as much concrete advice on WHERE and WHEN and WHY to switch POVs in your book, and HOW to differentiate character voice in multi.
As always, everything is time-stamped so it's easy for you to skip ahead or around to what you're interested in. I share a lot of examples from my writing process of The Bitter End to better contextualize... you can skip anytime I start blathering about my book :P Or, if you're here for the Alexa bookish content... this is a double feature!
I was recovering from illness when I filmed this, so forgive the slightly scratchy voice... and more edits in this one b/c I had to cut out all the coughing!
00:00 Introduction
01:38 Pros of Multi-POV
03:46 Pitfalls of Multi-POV
09:48 How Many POVs is Too Many?
12:19 Dual vs. Multi
18:01 1st vs. 3rd
22:38 Formatting & Character Weight
26:48 Choosing & Switching Between POVs
34:03 POV & Narrative Function
37:13 Inflection Points
40:14 Character Voice
42:09 The Fatal Flaw/Want
45:42 Biases
47:10 Word Choice & Thought Process
50:55 Humor
53:49 Hobbies & Background
01:01:05 Internalization
01:04:11 Fix it in the Edit
01:09:15 Good Crutches
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Please forgive me for how annoyingly long this video is. I have lost my (marginal) talent for brevity... but there are timestamps so you can skip as needed!
Long is good! (Granted, I haven't watched the video yet😅)
We’re frothing at the mouth for this ☺️
We haven’t watched a how to video from you for ages and im grateful that this is a long video from you!
I'm only sad it's not longer 😂 I love feature-length film Alexa videos.
I prefer videos that are long, especially from you, Alexa! You are well-spoken and keep me engaged.
please keep giving us these feature film-length videos. please - the writing community of youtube
An HOUR of Alexa Donne? Heck yeah!
Definitely not complaining here too!
The Call by, Peadar O'Guilin. It's set in Ireland, 25 years after the fairies cut the island off from the rest of the world, and every teen is randomly pulled into the fae lands and must survive for 24 hours. The main story is told from one character' pov , but each time a person is called they get a chapter. Amazingly done.
I really love when the reader knows more than the character so I like switching pov's when the words and actions of the non-pov character will mean something different to the reader than to the new pov character. Even better if they completely misinterpret them and the reader can say 'nooo! you foooool!'
I was just thinking about changing my novel to be single POV as I wasn't sure the dual made sense and bam - i'm sold. single POV it is
I have a spreadsheet for character voice. What phrases does this character tend to repeat? What do they reference frequently? How do they greet people? What are their most common word choices for various situations? Sense of humor, dialect, what wouldn't they say, etc. Obviously, you want to give them a few options for things or else they'll feel one note and repetitive. You don't have to stick to it religiously, but it's useful to reference when editing.
I can see myself coming back to this video over and over, thank you so much!
I clicked on this video so fast. And I love a long video. Can't wait to dig into this.
I use multi POV on my first draft as a way to get past writers block. Even if I don’t end up using the POV chapter having a different character explain the scene can help me figure out what happens next. If I keep it Multi POV depends on the story, first drafts are rarely what it looks like at the end, and maybe it’s a crutch, but as long as I edit out the parts that are weakly written I find it to be a useful first draft tool. Sometimes I even keep it multi POV, though usually only two or maybe three POVs, rarely do I do too many more than that.
Perfect timing. I am writing a multi-POV YA mystery/thriller with some horror elements.
Same! There are a few points I needed. Time to edit! ❤
What is it about?
ALEXA IS BACK!!! And it's a long'un!! You're spoiling us! ☺️
Oh, how wonderful timing. I am working (trying to) on a main-dual POV with a few intermissions by other characters for exposition and backstory/info. Hope to learn a few tricks here.
Although, I think for the niche I am aiming for it would work, but, I don't really encourage how I am doing it for others.
Yay! Always excited to see a new Alexa video in my alerts!
Yaaaay! New Alexa writing tips. My story is just dual pov but I feel like this should be hella helpful
This is perfect for me who is preparing to write a novel with four first person POV's. Thanks!
I clicked so fast my finger cramped. LOL
I'm so happy to see you making videos again! I'm working on my first novel, a dual POV romance, and your videos are at the top of my arsenal when I need help. Thank you!!
Golden Angel does a fabulous job of multi POV.
THE GODS HAVE BLESSED US
Settling in for an unexpected, but not unappreciated, Alexa Donne podcast lol
This video came to me at the right time! 🙌🏻 I’ve been toying with the idea of trying dual pov for my next WIP. I’ve been hitting a wall trying to move through the middle (those dreaded middle sections!)
After watching this video, I gave it a shot. I rewrote one of the scenes and it unlocked the rest of the story for me. Still have a long way to go in this first draft but it’s given me new hope! 🎉
Yay! I'm so happy to hear this!
the thumbnail is thumbnailing
I thumbnailed too close to the sun.
Great video! Every minute of it is packed with great advice!!!!
Never apologize for a long video! I love your craft videos and I could listen to you talk for hours! :) So happy to get more videos from you, especially about your writing process.
I can’t believe you’re back, i love listening to you, even for hours
This video is perfect timing! I am also currently writing multi POV and it is kicking my butt ya'll!
I'm so excited for this 😭♥️
So excited to see you back, and with an hour long video? You spoil us.
1000percent would watch this movie. I would buy it right now if I could!
OMG Alexa, I just queried your agent! I gushed over how much I love your channel and your books in my query letter. I’m not sure my work is her cup of tea but she reps my genre and she’s awesome so I thought, we’ll give her a try and if she doesn’t like it, she’s still awesome because she’s YOUR agent. I took a year off from querying and I’m jumping back in with a splash today. Excited to have a finished project to query. And I’m going to watch this while I work on my queries!
i love the long videos! this is coming right on time for me, sitting here frustrated trying to think through some of these structural things. thanks for the ideas and food for thought!
I am peppering my story with multi pov. Similar to the book I am reading right now, The Picture of Dorian Grey. I am changing occasionally briefly to another character at the end or during a chapter. This is great information. Thanks so much. ❤
I'm so happy, you're my favorite CZcamsr
As someone who's recently, for fun, counted _every single character_ to compare with writing friends and come up with oh, _128_ (granted, this is across worlds) this is greatly appreciated insight
I'm having a heck of a time juggling povs haha
One tenuous strategy I've come up with is linking the 'side/importantish characters' with _at least_ the previous/previous couple of chapters beforehand. Since there is way too much happening behind the scenes to miss out on, which tie into the overall grand Plot
Ah, i love this. I just started a Second Attempt at original fic (a stand-alone that feels most marketable). Which is multi pov (if I’m not trying to Omni “head-hop” (not actually but like, close Omni vibe (??)), I have at least two main povs). So I am SO happy right now.
Yay, the queen has returned, so missed you.
yayayyyy give it up for another long video i love it
Thanks for this advice, Alexa. I'm working on a first person dual narrative at the moment, and your video really helps to enhance it. I'll drop everything watch your video.
just what I need for my romance sci-fi fantasy! Thank you!
Been missing your “how to” writing videos!
How’d you know I needed this!! I’m revising my first book and this was a question that kept popping up. Thank you!
I'm doing a cowboy story with 5 POVs, one is Ray, who wants to be sheriff and is from the sunny side of the planet, one is Aurora a travelling musician who has been swallowed by the woods, Noctua a cowpal (they're nonbinary so not a cowboy or cowgirl) from the dark side of the planet and soon to be refugee in the sunny side, Shye, a shadowfolk who hates the dark side's tribes and the secondary antagonist, and the trees, the main antagonists who speak up only every 8 chapters for a one page chapter, and their chapters will be written in red, just to get the horror inspired theme more across. I originally had more, but the woodland creatures don't need one and neither does Lyra, or the ghosts. And this video was incredibly helpful for that.
Beartown by Fredrick Backman (author of A Man Called Ove) is one of the best multi pov books I've ever read. Disclaimer tho, it's literary, so its focused on the human condition and their inner worlds, not like a fantasy quest. There’s 30+ povs, but still obvious main characters, and every pov is so well done (check tw tho). Anxious People by him is another one, with maybe 10 ish povs, and has more of a plot (mystery) that it's following.
Great timing! I need a refresher on multi POV for some nonlinear storytelling I have planned:) Love your videos, Alexa!
Thank you so much for posting stuff like this, you have really helped me. And this kind of video was actually what I was looking for recently! 😂❤
I’m writing a book where it’s kinda similar to the fall of the house of usher format. I have different parts/sections that follow a certain character and they usually end up dying at the end. They are also all stranded on a luxury yacht and are constantly arguing or splitting. So yeah 👍
Love this video. Thank you.
Just the video I need rn 😭😭🙏🏾
I'm doing a dual pov, both first person with one a male addicted to something and another a female with past trauma, making their povs inherently different. It's fun to write different people from first person. You get to explore different aspects of yourself as well!
Simone Leigh is a good author for multiple POV. I have enoyed her books, however i have to admit that I've had to go back to the. Hapter header to realize whose POV I am reading. So she hasn't nailed the different voice. Still great books.
Thanks for the video. There is one pitfall I have recently discovered about first person multi-POV - and first person in general, but multi_POV emphasizes this pitfall. So the pitfall is that besides all the wonderful qualities that first person pov has, it is also kind of a cheat to get around the "show, don't tell" rule. You are literally inside someone's head, listening to their thought process, so it is only natural that you will have a more "direct access" to their thoughts and feelings. For that one person the "show, don't tell" rule is partially suspended - for example it makes sense to just write "in this moment, I've realized I loved her".
Now, already in the case of the single first person pov this can lead to a pitfall where a writer is satisfied with just telling that and doesn't work to show that feeling of love in any other way. However in first person multi-pov this pitfall grows. Let's say a writer would like to explain that other character's feelings in this scene were different then what the protagonist assumed, or that they have a backstory that justifies why they acted the way they did - why put in an effort to setup a situation where that could be shown through external actions or dialogue, when they can just headhop for one chapter and explain everything through internal monologue? I see this happening quite frequently among young writers and usually the more POVs, the more prone they are to doing that.
i missed your videos. im glad youtube recommended this one otherwise i wouldn't have known you started making them again. I'll definitely watch the ones from a month/two months ago too!
Ohhhhh *grabs popcorn and notepad* go on
That thumbnail rocks ❤ lol
Love your tips. They have helped me immensely.
Though the random cat tail in the background stole the show. 😂
THis has been incredibly thoughtful. Ben very very VERY slowly working my way through a draft... I don't intend to publish, it's just a challenge to complete something. So at this point I'm just trying to get through it which.... we are not talking how long this is as I do very little planning so I have pages and pages of tangents that I might only take two things from if I edit.... but I defiantly will use this if I do go back to chop this down into something manageable. Mostly with voice/ perspective. Current struggle is two teens I /know/ sound too old but it's a result of having to raise themselves a fair amount and finding that balance where it's still true but making them still feel like young teens. This started as two POVs...ended up as four with... I think one or two parts where I may have put in a random pov because I needed to explore what happened at this point even if it manners just as a reference...
The only book I ever read where the multi-pov really was the best way to go was "Her Sister's Keeper." by Jodi Picult. Each member of the family needed to be heard for the story to be told properly...
Is it okay if you have, say, 4 POV's - but one of them is a main character (60% of the chapters) and the other 3 are minor characters whose POV's take up the other 40% of the book? Also, at the end of my book there is a big battle where I NEED to switch POV's in the same chapter to show what other characters are doing. Is this ok as long as it is clean and makes sense?
Is “gimmicky” your new crutch word???? 😂❤😂❤
I was also wondering if you are sick when you were filming this video I could hear a raspy tone to some of the words I hope you are feeling better and taking care of your health! It didn’t bother me at all just made me feel worried. Multi point of view scares me 😱 and will definitely have to try it when I write my second book
I'm using mul5t POV for a romance. How I've done it as I write an event happening to one character Ii write the other character. So i think it has prevented a lot of head hopping in paragraphs.
I'm writing a multi first person POV and sometimes there are multiple head hops in 1 chapter. I use their initials as a break but I'm not sure if that's annoying or not. Sometimes it's too short to comprise a single chapter.
Is it still considered multi pov (I suppose technically it is) when 85% is 2 characters and the rest is some others (like the villains pov sprinkled in occasionally? I'm writing a sci Fi thriller and most of it is from the two main characters pov and I have some smaller chapters where I have the main ppl from the opposing factions plot their stuff. Also one or two one-off povs that show how the common folks see the world my story takes place in. It's a little Dan Brown ish. Think daVinci code where he goes to the albinos head, the bishops, the two policemen, the nun, the butler and some others as well
I am not sure of I’m not just mishearing but what is sff books? Is this science fiction/fantasy? Honestly, I didn't know what this meant until I turned on subtitles then googled and even that gave me different results lol.
Yes, it's Science Fiction and Fantasy. I should have said it fully and not just the acronym!
@@AlexaDonne no problem! Thank you! great video!
Do you think doing one pov from one character then half way through the book switch it to another pov or do you think readers would be upset because they don't see it coming? 😮
I think you answered my question 😊
A,B,D,C I feel like I'm learning piano here...😂
My first novel has 14 POV's 😮 I'm still working on rewriting it so I don't have any advice on what to do about it 😂 I was inspired by books I read as a kid like Animorphs and the Boxcar children, but thoses maxed out at six. More than 12 can mean not enough time to develop. I'll let you know when I figure it out.
I might be there with your 14 povs (or more XD) Good luck to you, writing friend! May we conquer this character soup
Also same. I hate pranks and don't find them funny 😂
Happy to see you back, Alexa!! Do you think we’ll ever see a video on writing a multi-timeline novel?
Oh my god oh my god oh my god ☺️
Yeah, I hate, as I reader, replaying a scene in a different pov. Unless it’s revealing something. But if it’s a straight copy except for character thoughts…I’m skipping.
When I write, I pick the pavers pob for the scene. The character who will react most interestingly, or meaningfully to the story.
God it’s an hour this is heaven 🙏🥰