One of the most difficult things for new writers to learn is the Point of View in writing fiction. Today's post is a repeat with a few additions, but still important now. The importance of the point of view, or whose story is this, cannot be stressed enough. My article below:
A no-no in fiction writing is changing the Point of View back and forth in one chapter. When you are writing a novel, you need to choose one person who will help the reader 'see' the story through his/her eyes. There are, of course, other characters who help move the story along and who are important to the story itself. If you change the Point of View back and forth between characters, you'll be doing what is often called 'head-hopping.' All it does is serve to confuse the reader and sometimes irritate them. If Jennie is your protagonist, let us see the story through her eyes. Let the readers know how she reacts, what she thinks, her relation to the other characters.
Does that mean we can't ever know what the other characters are thinking and more? The writer can let the reader see these things in the other characters by the way they act, through dialogue, and showing rather than telling. Let your protagonist 'see' what is happening by showing what another character is doing or saying.
There is a way to have more than one Point of View character, and that is to change that POV character chapter by chapter. One chapter could be all seen as Jennie sees what's happening. The next one might be Charlie's POV. It takes an experienced and talented writer to pull it off. Some even attempt to use three POV characters.
POV is a complicated issue. If you're at all confused, google a more detailed article or a book on the topic. Keep in mind that your Point of View is the way you see things. Just you. No one else.
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