How many viewpoints?

pinnate

pinnate

I have three (main) characters in my novel and am writing from their different viewpoints. That's to say, I tell the reader how they feel or think as well as the dialogue with other people.
I've been told that you should only ever write from the inside the head of one character. The others have to reveal what they think or feel through dialogue or actions only. 
This seems limiting but what do fellow writers think?

pinnate

Thanks Tracey,
I've been trying to find some others that do. A Kindess of Wolves does this. Someone suggested Tim Parks' novels.
Admitedly therefore, not that many but I think it depends on the plot. If its about how I love shopping you should concentrate on the shopaholic. In this novel, I have a series of events each more dire than the other (it's a thriller) and how the 3 people react (differently) is important.

amboline

The rule of "only write from one viewpoint" is really for short stories. Novels are big enough to handle multiple viewpoints if you want them, as long as you're able to generate the sense that the reader is moving, thinking and feeling with each of the characters whose viewpoint you're using. The only exception would be if you use a first-person ("I" as opposed to "He" or "She") narrative - though there are tricks that can be used to get around even this restriction.

The key thing is to make each viewpoint strong and distinctive. Use obvious breaks (e.g. the start of a new chapter) when you have to switch viewpoints, and NEVER switch viewpoints in the middle of a scene! Otherwise you'll end up confusing the reader.

dorothyd

I agree with Amboline here, you can have multiple viewpoints but handle them with extreme care.  I just rejected a book in which the viewpoint jumped every other paragraph!

SilentTony

Once again a good point by Dorothy. I would personally never change viewpoint until a new chapter. Each chapter should contain the motivation and forward movement of the story from one viewpoint character. If you wish to change start that in a new chapter to avoid confusion and keep the novel crisp.

Carol

As said, short stories one viewpoint is essential.
Longer novel length, I have to/prefer to write multiple viewpoint, but I am very careful that the change is obvious, and not within a section that starts with viewpoint a.

richt

"As said, short stories one viewpoint is essential."
I think that, like all so-called "rules", this one can be broken so long as you are aware that you are doing it.
Most stories seem to work best from a single viewpoint, but changing viewpoint can work and in some cases is essential.

Carol

richt, I should have clarified that by saying short stories for weekly magazines.
A story of 5,000+ words can be a short story, and its intended destination might prefer the change of viewpoint.

bonnyrose

This is Spiresgate, though I seem to be logged on as bonnyrose!

You asked for examples of different viewpoints by leading writers.

Dickens does it in Bleak House with large chunks told by Miss Summerson (in the first person)but with the rest of it in the third person but obviously more or less from the point of view of the characters on stage.

A better example is Patrick O'Brian in his Aubrey-Maturin sea stories, where the viewpoint switches frequently between Captain Aubrey and Doctor Maturin.

Carol

Spiregate, log out, then log back in and check the correct name comes up beside the log in/log out box.
These glitches occur now and then.

SallyQ

Kate Long's The Badmother's Handbook is told in the first person but from three different viewpoints (they were done in different chapters). Wilkie Collins did it in his novels The Moonstone and The Woman in White.  I've never read all of Captain Corelli's Mandolin but what I remember reading that switched from third person to first person several times. As someone said, as long as a distinction is made between characters, by starting a new section of chapter, it should work.

Having said that I've just read Angel by Elizabeth Taylor. It's told in the third person but the viewpoint is all over the place, changing characters pov sometimes mid-paragraph. It was a good read (about a pretentious writer with some really funny observations) but very confusing when you suddenly realised you were in a different character's head.

dorothyd

I did first person/third person in the duke's book but each change was clearly signalled with a new section. No chapters, numbered sections instead. Then it can work. Otherwise, books which jump viewpoint are just too confusing and I either stop reading or reject them, depending on which hat I am wearing at the time.

Flick

I think everone has covered this point well in their response. The very sad thing is that being careful over POV switches seems to be more important if you are unpublished than if you are published. I've just read three books by three different authors who change within paragraphs. So its one rule for us and another rule for them!

moira

Hi, in terms of published/established authors, there seems to be a mixture of some writing only in one character's viewpoint while other writers use several. As a reader I don't mind which people use and as a writer, I often use multiple viewpoints, although it is important not to confuse the reader as to which character is the 'viewer.'
Although people say you Should/not do particular things with writing it's all down to personal preference and rules are there to be broken when appropriate. I think it's possible to try too hard to get it right within the rules that the creativity gets left behind. Just go with whatever feels right - you can always change it again later.

Zoe

As long as you have definite breaks so as to not confuse the reader I think you should be fine. As for not breaking rules - if we never tried anything new we'd still be writing what they were writing hundreds of years ago and the way I see it Chaucer and Shakespeare had their day already.