Okay so if I do something like that I should basically create a new paragraph? What just struck me is couldn't "A gypsy?" . . . be in Sondra's point of view since she hears him? Or does that not apply? I'm trying to get a hang on this! I just never thought POVs would be this complicated and hard for me to understand.
They're not really that complicated, but you're confusing yourself by misapplying terminology. Let me basically repeat what some of the other posters have said.
Let's stick with the coffeehouse scene, since that seems to be popular. Imagine that you, Quentin, are in a coffeehouse. Anything you experience is from your POV. That means anything you see or hear (or touch or smell or taste)
can be reported from Quentin's POV. In addition, anything you think or feel is by definition from your (Quentin's) POV.
Now, if I (Andrew) am also in the same coffeehouse, some things could, alternatively, be reported from my POV. Anything that
I see or hear or touch or smell or taste
can be reported from Andrew's POV; anything I think or feel is by definition from my POV.
To stay in one POV, restrict yourself to those things THAT CHARACTER can see or hear or touch or smell or taste or think or feel, and NOTHING ELSE.
So. How about a few examples? Let's say Quentin and Andrew are sitting in a coffeehouse.
The coffeehouse was dim and dingy, with only a few customers.
This description is something anyone could see. Either Quentin or Andrew could have seen it, so this sentence could be from either POV.
The cappucino machine hissed in the background.
This is something one would hear in the background. Again, either Quentin or Andrew could have heard it, so it could be reported from either POV.
"What size?" the barista asked.
This is dialogue, but presumably anyone could have heard it. Yet again, it could be reported from either POV.
"Large and black," Quentin said. "A real man's coffee."
Again dialogue, but again anyone could have heard it. Even though Quentin said it, either character could hear it, so once again it could be reported from either POV.
"That'll give you back hair, you know," Andrew said.
Same as before. This time it's Andrew's dialogue, but either character could hear it, so it could be reported from either Quentin's POV or Andrew's POV. Note that, so far, there is NO CLUE as to whose POV this scene is told from. The entire scene up to here could be from Quentin's POV, Andrew's POV, or even from a third, as yet unmentioned, person's POV (but let's ignore that possibility). The reader doesn't yet know.
Andrew wondered if Quentin would be dumb enough to believe him.
Here, at last, is something that's clearly from Andrew's POV. Quentin wouldn't know what Andrew is thinking, so this is certainly from Andrew's POV.
"You're full of crap," Quentin said. Andrew usually was, he knew.
Here's a mix. The dialogue *could* be from either character's POV, but the thought (Andrew usually was, he knew.) is clearly from Quentin's POV. That makes this pair of sentences in Quentin's POV (and I'm head-hopping, by the way).
Mary, at the next table over, arose and tiptoed to stand behind Quentin.
Here's a new twist. Mary is being quiet and standing behind Quentin, so, presumably, Quentin CAN'T see or hear her. Since this action takes place without Quentin noticing, it CAN'T be in Quentin's POV, so it must be in Andrew's POV.
She threw her hands over Quentin's eyes and asked, "Guess who?" Her hands were calloused and smelled of lotion.
This one's kind of subtle. This first sentence could be in anyone's POV, but look at the second sentence. Because Mary's hands are on Quentin's face, he can FEEL the callouses and SMELL the lotion. Andrew might know about the callouses and the lotion, but he would be unlikely to notice them at this time, while Quentin, who is experiencing them, WOULD be noticing them. That makes this Quentin's POV.
"Mary!" Quentin stood up and hugged her. A crumb of Danish hung unnoticed from his lip.
An interesting twist here. Quentin doesn't notice the crumb of Danish, right? So this can't be from his POV; it must be from Andrew's.
Quentin was glad to see her.
Something Quentin feels, and so must be from his POV. Contrast that to:
Quentin smiled, looking happy to see Mary.
Subtle, but remember that you can't see your own face. Either Quentin or Andrew would know if Quentin smiled, but Quentin wouldn't think that he himself "looked happy." Only Andrew could make that judgment, so this must be from his POV.
And I'll stop there. Note that I'm head-hopping back and forth, which is bad practice. But I *could* rewrite this scene to keep in one character's POV at all times, just by tweaking the parts that are in the *other* character's POV.
And one final thing: It's standard practice to seperate character actions into seperate paragraphs, regardless of POV choice, to make it clear to the reader who is doing what. Frex,
"More coffee?" Quentin asked. Andrew had had enough, and shook his head. "Suit yourself," Quentin said, and poured himself a warmup. He'll be peeing all day, Andrew thought. He sipped his own coffee. Ought to switch to decaf.
This is obviously from Andrew's POV, but the dialogue and actions are all mixed into one paragraph. For clarity, rewrite to seperate character actions:
"More coffee?" Quentin asked.
Andrew had had enough, and shook his head.
"Suit yourself," Quentin said, and poured himself a warmup.
He'll be peeing all day, Andrew thought. He sipped his own coffee. Ought to switch to decaf.
