is dual POV a kiss of death?

Windcutter

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Especially if it's not shared between MC and their LI?

I've been struggling with a wip recently and then I got an idea that seemed awesome at the time but the more I think about it the more doubtful I get.

The wip in question is an epic fantasy and the story is pretty huge (trying to create the series potential here because it seriously needs that). Originally it was told in first person present time and it had only one MC.
I also had an idea for another story in the same universe that would be set (as I thought) a few ages later, also told in first person present time and with a single MC.

Then I realized that I wasn't developing all the plot threads I wanted in the original wip. I needed something more and I thought about giving voice to a secondary character but that would ruin the suspense somewhat.

And then I realized something else. My second story would actually work much better if it were set not in the future of this world but in its present, right along story one.
Yet the dual POVs would belong to two characters who don't even meet until the very end. They sort of represent two sides of the coin. They are not in love at any point of the story.
I barely remember one or two YA books told in this way, and at least one of them comes from a super hot author who's been called a hit factory in the articles so that's the case of being allowed to break every trend and rule.

What do you think? I'd really appreciate some thoughts and opinions.
 

mystere

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I just checked out How To Disappear because it does exactly that and it looks so fascinating. I think you have to make sure you do it well though.
 

DarienW

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Windcutter, follow your muse! It sounds inspired what you've contemplated, so just see where it goes. I wrote a book and then expanded the sequel into multiple first person POVs--it's the least of the work needed! Get down with your bad self. Any book can be anything as long as the story comes across. If it's compelling, readers will be interested, and meeting at the end sounds like a cool resolve. Have fun with it and best of luck! :)
 

Tim Archer

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Nothing is a kiss of death except bad writing (and sometimes not even then). Go for it!
 

Myrealana

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Write what works.

Don't confuse the reader.

Don't worry too much about current market "rules." Markets change. If you try to bend your creation the current zeitgeist, you may well find yourself left behind in the next wave.
 

Sage

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Even dual POV with 2 first person POVs isn't the kiss of death (unless I wrote it).
 

c.k.archer

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Dual POV is definitely NOT a kiss of death! I for one am currently working on a novel (completely different genre than you, but still) from the POV of two MCs that are definitely not love interests. They hate each other in fact. Do whatever is going to feel right for the story. If it would be told better with the perspective of more than one character, go for it! And especially in a genre like Epic Fantasy, as far as I know, its actually very normal to have multiple perspectives because of the immense world that's being done.
Dual perspective is certainly harder than single perspective, but just remember
1. Don't confuse the reader. It's easy when you have multiple perspectives (even just two) to lose the reader. Especially when you're writing from first person perspective. The important thing here is making sure that each chapter or section of a chapter is explicitly defined as being from the perspective of character A or character B. Ex: In the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness each section that switches perspectives between the MCs is explicitly labeled with their name (Todd or Viola). I do the same in my WIP
2. Always stick with the character that's moving the plot along. Don't meander with Character B for the sake of giving them equal page time if Character A is the one moving the story along at the time. If character A winds up with a tad more page time, so what? Just do what's best for the story and what readers are going to find most interesting.
3. Make sure that each character is given a unique voice and set of characteristics. Not just because that's character building 101, but so that they each feel unique and necessary to the plot in their own way.

Best of luck to you on your WIP!
 

Windcutter

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I've been thinking about the whole thing since that, now I have one more version: make the second character's story a companion novella or a series of them maybe. Like an addition that comes slightly later.

Even dual POV with 2 first person POVs isn't the kiss of death (unless I wrote it).
Did you have bad luck with it?
I actually did mean it to be 2 first person POVs because I seem unable to write in third person anymore.
 

Fuchsia Groan

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My book is two first-person POVs, but they are love interests (although it takes most of the book for my MC to figure that out; they're very much friends first).

The MC's POV is dominant, and the other POV basically serves as a break from all the messed-up sh!t happening in her head. The voice of reason, if you will.

One agent did tell me this uneven split wasn't working for her. My current agent encouraged me to beef up the backstory between the two POV characters, and my editor ended up pushing me even further in that direction.

That example does seem to run counter to your plan. But two disparate, distanced POVs in an epic fantasy sounds interesting to me. With an epic scale, it might be nice to get widely removed perspectives on the action. Maybe the key is making them illuminate each other, so neither feels like a distraction.
 

lizzieamy

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Your idea sounds really interesting, and you should do whatever works best for your story. Don't worry about what other books are doing. Dual POV where the two characters are love interests is perhaps more common but this makes it much more predictable and it can feel as though you are just sitting around waiting for the two to meet and fall in love in 0.2 seconds. It sounds far more interesting to keep the characters largely separate, with their own fully fleshed out storylines. Even better if they can reveal hints about the other story, or mirror each other in some way.
 

allthefeels

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I'd echo the sentiment that it's just important to do it well. I've read a lot of dual POV novels and some of them are great, others aren't. My enjoyment of the book very often has little to do with the fact that there are dual POVs, but when they are done badly, it's definitely a joy-kill.
 

Kjbartolotta

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I personally dislike split POV, but the teens that make up 1/3 of my bookstore's clientele love it. Just make sure the two voices sound different enough and you're fine!
 

Doctor Write

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- - - Updated - - -

Even dual POV with 2 first person POVs isn't the kiss of death (unless I wrote it).

Do you have examples of this to recommend? I have a duel POV story in mind, but assumed it would need to be in third person so as not to confuse readers. Thoughts?
 

MaeZe

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...(unless I wrote it).
I don't believe it. ;)

I have one POV for the majority of my book, then it switches to a transition character, interspersed with the MC POV. The second book starts with a new MC (setting changes) and the transition character is a big part of the story, but I'm not sure if he'll speak from his POV until I write that book, but I think to add consistency he might.

I loved the way The Poisonwood Bible told the story through three of the four sisters and the mother. I don't understand where the "kiss of death" comes from because I don't see it.
 

MaeZe

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Do you have examples of this to recommend? I have a duel POV story in mind, but assumed it would need to be in third person so as not to confuse readers. Thoughts?

Doesn't need to be in third person, in my opinion. Just change chapters when you change POVs and make it clear you've changed characters. That works well.
 

blacbird

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No. The "kiss of death" for any editor reviewing a manuscript is confusion. The first moment that stinking foul creature sticks a snout out of the swamp, it's reject time. And, for many inexperienced writers, multiple POV narration summons that horror directly up from the depths.

Confuse not thy reader. Especially if that person be an acquisition editor.

caw
 

Kayley

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Dual POVs can work well. You'll just want to ensure they are distinct enough, especially in first-person, for readers to be able to identify the POV from which they are reading for each chapter.
 

Claudia Gray

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It can certainly work. The main things to keep in mind:

1) The narrative voices of each POV character need to feel distinct from each other. You'd want a reader to know from only a couple of sentences who the POV character of that part should be. Maintaining that kind of narrative sharpness helps keep things clear for the reader.

2) It's fine to have them not meet until very late in the book, but plant a few story elements that will make readers wonder about/hope for such a meeting. It doesn't have to be about romance at all. Just some shared goal, or surprising mutual acquaintance, or needs for talents/knowledge only their counterpart possesses. Those are pretty literal examples--it could be more subtle than that--but I feel like readers respond to it. Certainly when I've read a book where two characters may be brought together after a time, it's been a motivation to keep turning those pages.

One example: INCARCERON, where the reader realizes suddenly that each of the main characters has half of the piece of the puzzle and not a single clue that the other half could ever be found. From that moment on, I couldn't wait to keep reading.
 

cmtruesd

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I've seen dual POV done really, really right (see Demon King and following books by Cinda Williams Chima). I will say, the dual POV characters DO end up becoming love interests (spoiler alert!), but that isn't until nearly the end of book #2. In book #1, they are simply co-characters, and she does it very well.