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Okay. I have checked the FAQ Index and found something similar, but not exactly an answer to my question, so here it is:
I am writing a novel in third person (deep POV) with one exception. I have 4 POV characters: Heroine, Hero, Villian, Diary. The diary is written in first person, so I figure it counts as a POV character.
While I do not limit myself to one POV per chapter, I do limit myself to one POV per scene and have been told I am skilled at making those switches clear and using them to the advantage of the story.
Here's where it gets tricky: I don't want the villain to be identified until the climax, with the exception of readers knowing that he is a male. I've written my first draft of my first chapter and had it critiqued by my critique group who agreed with me that it was unclear that I was switching to a new male character in the scene where I introduce the villian. I don't want to give my villian some sort of cutesy nickname, nor give the reader any other identifying markers because the villian is "on stage" with the Hero and Heroine in multiple scenes as a seemingly benign character. So any identifying body marks or clothing choices would be a dead give away. I don't currently have any plans for the Villian to talk with anyone during his POV scenes, although he will be doing more than just sitting there brooding, hence the need to show his POV.
My plan is to add one scene from the Villian's POV to the end of each chapter, but I need a way to que the readers that it isn't the Hero.
Suggestions?
I am writing a novel in third person (deep POV) with one exception. I have 4 POV characters: Heroine, Hero, Villian, Diary. The diary is written in first person, so I figure it counts as a POV character.
While I do not limit myself to one POV per chapter, I do limit myself to one POV per scene and have been told I am skilled at making those switches clear and using them to the advantage of the story.
Here's where it gets tricky: I don't want the villain to be identified until the climax, with the exception of readers knowing that he is a male. I've written my first draft of my first chapter and had it critiqued by my critique group who agreed with me that it was unclear that I was switching to a new male character in the scene where I introduce the villian. I don't want to give my villian some sort of cutesy nickname, nor give the reader any other identifying markers because the villian is "on stage" with the Hero and Heroine in multiple scenes as a seemingly benign character. So any identifying body marks or clothing choices would be a dead give away. I don't currently have any plans for the Villian to talk with anyone during his POV scenes, although he will be doing more than just sitting there brooding, hence the need to show his POV.
My plan is to add one scene from the Villian's POV to the end of each chapter, but I need a way to que the readers that it isn't the Hero.
Suggestions?