Ask Jerry
POV
Asked by Tom Hayden on October 28, 2020
Hi Jerry
Thank you for all you do in teaching great writing. I'm amazed at how much you do. I'm learning so much my head is having trouble remembering it all. My question has to do with “point of view.” Randy Ingermanson states: “'character synopses' should tell the story from the point of view of each character.” I realize there are a number of characters in a novel and some might have a brief engagement. But I thought “point of view” should be from one main character. Perhaps he's not referring to “limited POV.” I'm a bit confused. Thanks again for your help.
Jerry's Answer
You're limited to one POV perspective character per scene, Tom, but I prefer one per chapter and ideally one per book. But I have used as many as five in one novel when necessary.
The key is to make the POV character your main character whenever possible, as it should always be from the perspective of the one who has the most at stake in each scene--and if that's not your main character most of the time, maybe he shouldn't be your main character.
If and when you do move from one perspective character to another, be sure there's a clean break in between so it's crystal clear to the reader. You might use a centered typographical dingbat like * * * and then begin the new section flush left and identifying the new POV character plainly, like, Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Buck Williams sat hunched over his laptop ...
Better yet, start a new chapter with a new perspective character.