When is it too late to add a new POV character?

Karen Duvall · Jan 6, 2009

Maybe this thread should be in basic writing questions, but I don't think it's so basic. I've written several books, both in 3rd person and in 1st, and this is the first time I've ever considered adding an additional POV late in the story.

Right now, I have 3 POVs going on: male MC, female MC, and villain. It's not a romance, by the way. Anyway, I'm about 3/4 of the way through, and I'd like to add another POV from a character I introduced 4 chapters earlier. Then I wonder if this would be too jarring for the reader since they've already grown accustomed to only the 3 POVs they've been reading.

This is the stage of the story when tension and suspense are peaking, so I want to reveal more "off stage" action that doesn't involve the MCs and V, but the event impacts the plot. It's an issue of the reader knowing something the main characters don't know. But is this too late in the game to be bringing it up?

Would love to know your thoughts.

Red-Green · Jan 6, 2009

And there's no way to bring in this POV character sooner?

Karen Duvall · Jan 6, 2009

Redzilla said:
And there's no way to bring in this POV character sooner?

She's mentioned several times in the first half of the book, but not introduced until she actually gets involved in the plot. I have no problem introducing a new character at any time in a story, early or late, but it's her POV I have an issue. I could probably leave out the scene and thereby solve the problem, but I think the scene adds to the tension and suspense.

Guffy · Jan 6, 2009

You have a lot more experience at writing than I do so I will answer only as a reader. I have never had any trouble with an extra pov. Used properly I think it only adds to the excitement when you get a bigger picture of the action.

NicoleMD · Jan 6, 2009

Sounds fine to me. If your reader is used to swapping POVs, throwing another in won't be too jarring.

Nicole

Susan Breen · Jan 6, 2009

I think it's okay. I was just reading a mystery by PD James and she threw in a couple of new point of view characters toward the end. It might actually be a nice boost for the reader because it would add a charge of something new.

Karen Duvall · Jan 6, 2009

You guys are awesome! And you make such good sense. Thanks so much for your input. You've really helped me a lot. :Hug2:

kuwisdelu · Jan 6, 2009

Speaking as a reader, if I'm already used to rotating between more than two POV's, rotating into a new one won't be jarring. It's when we've been in only one or two that trouble arises (for me).

rugcat · Jan 6, 2009

If you've mentioned her earlier in the book, you can tweak it so she actually appears in those earlier parts, albeit briefly. For example, she's mentioned as having say, made a fool of herself at a party, you could instead show her at the party, from her pov. You'd only need a page here or there. Then, when she appears later, readers know her voice and who she is.

This can take some tricky sleight of hand, and some clever rewriting, but it can be done.

BlueLucario · Jan 6, 2009

If you really need to do it, then do it. As long as it's important to the story. Make sure it's important for the reader to know and not the author.

Karen Duvall · Jan 6, 2009

rugcat said:
If you've mentioned her earlier in the book, you can tweak it so she actually appears in those earlier parts, albeit briefly. For example, she's mentioned as having say, made a fool of herself at a party, you could instead show her at the party, from her pov. You'd only need a page here or there. Then, when she appears later, readers know her voice and who she is.

This can take some tricky sleight of hand, and some clever rewriting, but it can be done.

Urgh, I'd hate to break the flow of narrative that's tightly focused on the story question in the first few chapters. When this other character is mentioned earlier, she's part of the backstory, so I don't really want to give her too much attention at that point. But her help is desperately needed at the halfway point, which is why she appears on stage then.

Even so, I'll definitely think about having her show up physically at an earlier point. I'm always up for a challenge.

Karen Duvall · Jan 6, 2009

BlueLucario said:
If you really need to do it, then do it. As long as it's important to the story. Make sure it's important for the reader to know and not the author.

It's not so much that I need to do it. I'm talking about a plot point that would most definitely benefit the reader, not me. Why would an author include something that's not important to the story? :Wha:

Most of the time, having an event take place on stage rather than summarized later is far more compelling. A summarized version would obviously lack tension. This is a fast-paced story, but not that fast.

Gynn · Jan 6, 2009

Karen Duvall said:
Why would an author include something that's not important to the story?

I do it all the time in my drafts lol

Clarec · Jan 6, 2009

I think it would work because you've already got more than one POV so the reader is used to swapping. I read a series that is told (3rd person) from one POV but very occasionally the author will swap briefly (still 3rd person) to the husband's POV. I find it really interesting to see into his mind, as it were, and wish she'd do it a bit more often! So yeah, go for it.

Clare

Karen Duvall · Jan 6, 2009

Gynn said:
I do it all the time in my drafts lol

LOL! But you're not making a conscious effort to do so, right? Please say no...

Aschenbach · Jan 6, 2009

You say the new POV character is referred to several times before they make an appearance, so I think it would be fine. The only problem I would have is if they turned up and I had no clue who they were.

I have read several novels that have been livened up by the arrival of a new character past the midpoint. Especially if they shake things up a bit.

Feathers · Jan 6, 2009

My vote: go ahead. For one, people are used to you switching POV's. It may actually be exciting for readers to get in the head of this person, and realize oh yeah, I've heard of her before! She was mentioned earlier! Those kind of discoveries are always kind of neat.

For two, the character was mentioned earlier. This isn't some total stranger we're looking at, here. And for three, readers have gotten pretty used to shifting POV's. Even if your situation wasn't perfect, it probably wouldn't bother too many people.

-Feathers

katiemac · Jan 6, 2009

At the very least, it's a helpful exercise. You might discover some interesting things about your character (like s/he might be useful earlier in the book, too).

mrockwell · Jan 9, 2009

Well, I hate to be the lone dissenting voice here, but I'm currently judging two categories in the Scribe Awards for the IAMTW (these are media tie-in books, like Star Trek, Star Wars, Warhammer, etc.), and one of the books submitted does just this. Even though the book has multiple POVs, I found the late addition jarring. You get to know the characters and become invested in them as you read, and then to have a new one pop up towards the end feels a little too engineered, as if it's more to serve the plot than the story. It was definitely a mark against an otherwise good book, IMO. So I'd advise caution -- either try to get in a few scenes from that character's POV earlier, or find a different way to convey whatever information the reader needs without introducing a new POV late in the book. YMMV, of course, but those are my two cents.

-- Marcy

ChaosTitan · Jan 9, 2009

mrockwell said:
I found the late addition jarring. You get to know the characters and become invested in them as you read, and then to have a new one pop up towards the end feels a little too engineered, as if it's more to serve the plot than the story.

Precisely.

Characters shouldn't be plot devices, they should be integral parts of the story. Savvy readers can usually tell the difference.

DeleyanLee · Jan 9, 2009

If you've already mentioned her earlier, then you've already "introduced" her, so to speak. You might look to see how dramatic and memorable those mentions are and tweak them up a bit so when you finally go into her POV, it doesn't seem so odd.

Personally, I don't like getting a suddenly new POV within the scope of the climax--but any time prior to that generally works.

nevada · Jan 9, 2009

you mention that you could leave the scene out. does this mean that the POV would only be for one scene? cause I would find that really jarring, and as a reader and writer i would question the need for only one scene from someone else's POV. If you introduce a new POV towards the end of the book, which I am not sure about in the first place, but then only give her one or two scenes, as a reader i'm going to be annoyed and puzzled, and as a writer i'll be screaming "cheater!" Again, just my opinion, but are you really really really sure you need it?

josephwise · Jan 9, 2009

A Tale of Two Cities is a good example of this. I think. It's been awhile.

From what I remember, Dickens was never shy about using a new POV character. It almost seems like every chapter was anchored to a different person. Some of them never appeared again. Others came in late, and ended up being intrinsic to the story.

I say, change POV whenever and whereever. Change it mid sentence, for hell's sake. We worry about "jarring the reader out of the story" but POV switches aren't the true culprit.

dirtsider · Jan 9, 2009

Is there a way to 'introduce' her more than just a few casual mentions previous to the jump to her POV? Say, have her talk/be involved with the MC's/V in the scenes/a scene where she was only mentioned? If the answer's yes, then I think this makes it a little less jarring to suddenly be in her head when you need it.

Karen Duvall · Jan 9, 2009

Thanks, everyone, for your great comments. I went ahead and wrote the scene, and I love it! But again, it remains to be seen if it stays once the book's done. It really ups the tension, and builds on an established plot point so doesn't come out of the blue. I can live without it, but revealing the events second hand in conversation just doesn't carry the same oomph. You know? I'll have her POV show up again. Now that I've explored her character this way, she's a nice compliment to the other personalities in the story. Kind of an eccentric old lady with a sense of humor. She has a clockwork cat she's named Sylvester. It's possessed by a demon, and she loves it.

I'd post the scene in SYW, but I don't know if it would help me. Hmm...

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