is dual POV a kiss of death?

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Messages
29,138
Reaction score
8,563
Location
Toronto
Website
ktcraig.com
I've written multiple books with dual POV first person. One of them won an award. One of them has three POV first person characters... This one isn't published yet, but betas love it. I love reading multiple POV too... It isn't a kiss of death at all. Nothing is, done well.
 

Roxxsmom

Beastly Fido
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 24, 2011
Messages
23,083
Reaction score
10,780
Location
Where faults collide
Website
doggedlywriting.blogspot.com
I've read fantasy novels with multiple first-person povs. It can work very well, imo. As with any other choice regarding narrative viewpoint etc., it should be chosen because it's the best approach for the story you want to tell.
 

easywriting

YA Author
Registered
Joined
Dec 19, 2016
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Location
USA
I think the most important question here is what do you lose if you take away the POV of the non-MC? Is it absolutely vital, from a reader's POV, to hear what the non-MC has to say? And if so, why isn't it the character a main character?
 

Will Collins

Will Collins
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 24, 2010
Messages
1,235
Reaction score
35
My YA Fantasy novel is dual POV, but the two characters aren't in a relationship.

I don't see how just having a dual POV would be a kiss of death. But if the two characters were in love with each other, then I could see how it could get repetitive/boring to a reader who wants more in a book than just romance.
 

iszevthere

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
320
Reaction score
15
Not at all! My favorite duology, "A Time for Dancing," and its sequel, "The Farther You Run," are both written in dual POVs. They are stories about loss, grief, and friendship. Many books I've read with multiple POVs, however, come off as, "the author cannot figure out who her protagonist is." This is prevalent in YA and annoying. It makes the writing seem weak. I have done this in a story I wrote because I couldn't figure out who the protagonist was, and the story wound up my most successful. I was surprised, flattered and grateful.
I think I contradicted myself. It's rarely successful, but when it does work, it is amazing.
That was way more negative than I intended. Sorry.
 

HaleeW

Registered
Joined
Jan 6, 2017
Messages
26
Reaction score
1
It all comes down to good writing. Some readers will prefer a single pov and others will prefer dual. I prefer dual myself. I think it makes telling the story easier and I like getting inside more than one head.
 

s_nov

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 23, 2017
Messages
224
Reaction score
20
I don't think it's a kiss of death at all! As long as the voices are distinct, it could work. I would recommend reading the sections out loud to make sure that they sound distinct.
 

Linnet_Crawford

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
98
Reaction score
19
Location
Canada
Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials is a great example of multiple third-person POV that works! Books two and three primarily switch POVs between the two protagonists, and it never feels weird.

I do agree that multiple POVs (esp. first person switches) can be tricky to pull off, though...
 
Last edited:

Madkei

Registered
Joined
Apr 23, 2017
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Follow your instinct. That already sounds like an interesting read. I actually think your ideas for having them never fall in love and not meeting until the end makes it more interesting. There's too much negativity associated with multiple POV, which could stem from a lack of well-written examples. Go forth, and become a good example!
 

RMLavender

Registered
Joined
Mar 1, 2017
Messages
15
Reaction score
2
Location
The Wandering Lands
Website
www.intheleaves.com
His Dark Materials is a great example of fantasy story structure and POV because it uses the development of the story and world to enhance the POVs. The first book starts out as Lyra's story and her POV, with a very specific/contained adventure, but then the last chapter literally opens up the bigger world and reveals the more epic story, so when we get to the second book we're expecting larger scope and the added POV feels natural. And then the third book opens up the world and story even farther, adds more POVs. It's a great example of how POV interplays with the larger structure of storytelling. Not that you can only have dual POV if the scope is so big - sometimes small scope stories with close character exploration can do dual POV really well, but I think it's much trickier.

In general I think there needs to be a good reason for multiple POV. Is there a bigger world/story to tell by spreading the narrative across multiple POVs? Or is the development of two or more characters complex enough that it needs to be shown closely in POVs for each one? Unnecessary dual POV will stick out like a sore thumb and the novel will could clunky/disjointed.
 

Cekrit

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 28, 2017
Messages
150
Reaction score
16
Location
MA
Website
www.amazon.com
You could write separate novels, one from each persons perspective and then tether the endings from each persons perspective.

then write a third book from the third person joining them, or just write 2 more again from each persons perspectives
 

PickleHeartsBooks

Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2017
Messages
40
Reaction score
3
Location
Ontario, Canada
I read Church of Marvels last year which follows three different people who don't meet until more than halfway through. It's not told in first person, though, but I don't think that would make a difference in your case. It definitely sounds intriguing, and I think it would interesting to read from two completely different perspectives