Switching pov's

There are no nonos. Do it well, and it will be allowed. I would have no problem with it as a reader...if it is done well. I say go for it.

I hope it's not a no-no because I do it all the time. I think it adds texture and can keep the narrative flow from becoming monotonous. But like KTC said, do it well.

CheshireCat said:

If it works, it works.

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It really is as simple as that. Forget about the people who say never write in a certain way. That doesn't mean forget about the rules. It just means don't be afraid of stuff like this. If it doesn't work, you'll know about it.

I wrote my current WIP in two 1person POV's like yourself. I found it interesting though I have changed the whole work to 3rd person.
It is not a nono at all. i just saw a book [forget its name] written in three first person accounts.

I was going to start a thread on this, but I think it might fit here well.

When you do read a book in multiple-first-person POV, what do you, as a reader, think is the least jarring way to move to a different POV? Name the chapters for the POV character? Use context to allow the reader to figure out whose head they are in?

With third person, this isn't an issue, since you generally name the POV character within the first couple of sentences (Bob wiped the sweat from his brow and gazed across the field.). But with first-person, it's always "I". This makes me think that unless you always start a new POV with dialogue ("Bob," Jill said to me, "are you finished plowing the field?") it would be easy to confuse the reader, if it takes them two paragraphs to figure out whose head they are in.

I've only recently been interested in writing in multiple first person, but there are so few examples out there. For anyone who reads (or writes) this way, how do you (or the author) identify the POV character, and why?

Thanks!

Some will probably jump all over me for saying I like Ethan Hawke...but I do. His ASH WEDNESDAY was written in multiple 1st person. One chapter would be the male character FP POV, the next chapter would be the female...etc, etc, until the end. I thought it worked really well. Made me consider doing the same thing. I think switching with chapters is probably the least jarring way...for me anyway.

The only one I can think of is Time Travelers Wife, and it was handled with the names of the POV character as chapter names.

Antonio Lobo Antunes (Portuguese) often, if not always, uses multiple ist person POVs in his novels, which I find completely riveting, if a trifle confusing at times. He sometimes changes POV in alternating chapters, but sometimes even in alternating paragraphs!!!!! Sometimes even interspersing a present account with something that occurred in the past. Sounds confusing, but I love it!!!!

Siddow said:

The only one I can think of is Time Travelers Wife, and it was handled with the names of the POV character as chapter names.

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There was one book with four 1st person narrators -- I forgot the name of the book, but I got confused because the voices were not always distinct enough.

House of Sand and Fog was told from two 1st person POVs, I believe. That one was done very well -- the two characters are very distinct.

I've done a couple of books with multiple POV.

One had 6-8 characters. The MC was in 1st person, the rest in 3rd.

Each time I changed VP I'd make a clear break, identify the character and even added in a location.