210. 5 Tips For Writing A Multiple POV Novel Without Confusing Your Readers

Discover the five essential strategies for mastering multiple-POV novels without confusing your readers.

Have you ever wondered if you could write a multi-POV story like The Girl on the Train? Or how about The Six of Crows?

The kind that pulls you into multiple characters' worlds so completely that you feel like you know each one personally?

Writing a multiple-POV novel can create incredible depth and complexity when done correctly. But it can also turn your story into a confusing mess if you don't know the essential multi-POV techniques.

Whether you're considering writing your first multiple POV story or you're curious about what makes some multi-perspective novels so captivating (while others fall flat), this episode will spill it all.

Tune in to discover:

[02:50] The truth about how many POV characters your story actually needs.

[04:35] The easiest way to make each character's voice so different that readers never get confused about who's speaking.

[06:40] Why 'head-hopping' is the fastest way to lose readers, and the simple rule that prevents it every time.

[08:00] The one question that reveals whether showing the same scene twice will captivate readers or kill your pacing.

[09:00] The secret to balancing page time so that readers stay equally invested in every character's journey.

Whether you're trying to decide if multiple POVs are right for your story or you're already knee-deep in a multi-POV manuscript and feeling overwhelmed, this episode will give you everything you need to approach it with confidence.

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🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Ep. #90 - How to Choose the Best POV For Your Novel
• Ep. #196 - The Pros and Cons of Writing A Novel With Multiple Points of View

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👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now, this isn't to say that you need to give every
point of view character theexact same number of pages, but
you should aim for some kind ofbalance or intention behind your
choice, especially if you'veset certain expectations for
your readers.
So, for example, romancereaders typically expect roughly
equal time with both of thelove interests.
When there is a dual point ofview novel In something like an

(00:21):
epic fantasy, you have moreflexibility, but you still need
to ensure that each character'sstoryline is properly developed.
Welcome to the Fiction WritingMade Easy podcast.
My name is Savannah Gilbo andI'm here to help you write a
story that works.
I want to prove to you thatwriting a novel doesn't have to
be overwhelming, so each week,I'll bring you a brand new

(00:43):
episode with simple, actionableand step-by-step strategies that
you can implement in yourwriting right away.
So whether you're brand new towriting or more of a seasoned
author looking to improve yourcraft, this podcast is for you.
So pick up a pen and let's getstarted.
In today's episode, we're divinginto one of the most
challenging and rewardingstorytelling techniques writing

(01:05):
a story with multiplepoint-of-view characters.
If you've ever wondered how tojuggle multiple character
perspectives without leavingyour readers confused, or if
you're revising a manuscript andstruggling to weave those
perspectives together seamlessly, then this episode is for you.
Now we all know that writing amulti-POV novel is no small feat
, but when done well, theycreate rich, immersive stories

(01:27):
that readers can't put down.
When done poorly well, let'sjust say it's a fast track to
frustrated readers and a lot ofone-star reviews.
But the good news is thatwriting a layered, cohesive and
page-turningmultiple-point-of-view novel
isn't something magical, talentreserved for a select few.
It's a learnable skill, andtoday I'm sharing five essential
tips to help you master it.

(01:48):
So grab your notebook, becausewe are about to make multi-POV
writing feel a whole lot easier.
Let's dive right in.
Before we get into the tips, letme quickly define what I mean
by a story with multiple pointof views.
Writing a novel with multipoints of view or multi-POVs
means telling your story throughthe eyes of two or more
characters alternating betweentheir perspectives.

(02:09):
These viewpoints can be writtenin first person, third person,
limited or even a mix of both.
But here's the key Unlike thirdperson omniscient narration,
where the narrator can jump intoanyone's head at any time,
multi-pov storytelling restrictseach scene or chapter to a
single character's perspective.
Think about it like this Eachpoint of view is a distinct

(02:32):
window into your story world and, when done well, this approach
can add incredible depth, buildsuspense and help readers
connect with multiple characterson a deep level.
But that being said, it alsocomes with unique challenges.
So let's talk about how tonavigate those challenges and
make your multi-point of viewnovel shine.
Okay, so tip number one andhonestly this might be the most

(02:53):
important thing I tell you todayis to only use the point of
views that you truly need, and Iknow when you're excited about
multiple perspectives, it'stempting to include everyone who
has something interesting tosay.
But here's the thing Everyadditional point of view that
you add doesn't just increasecomplexity for you as the writer
, it divides your reader'sattention and their emotional

(03:14):
investment as well.
Think about it this way yourreaders only have so much mental
energy to devote to your story.
Every time you ask them toswitch to a new character's
perspective, you're asking themto shift gears emotionally and
mentally.
So before you commit to anypoint of view character, I want
you to ask yourself thesequestions.
Number one what uniqueinformation does this character
provide that nobody else can?
Number one what uniqueinformation does this character

(03:35):
provide that nobody else can?
Number two how does theirperspective advance the main
plot in ways that no othercharacter could?
And number three would my storybe significantly weaker if I
removed this character's pointof view?
If you can't answer thosequestions clearly, then it might
be time to cut that point ofview or show that person's role
from another character'sperspective.

(03:56):
A great example of this is Sixof Crows by Leigh Bardugo.
Yes, she uses six differentpoint of views, but each
character brings somethingessential to the story, and the
plot literally wouldn't workwithout showing how these
different characters approachthe same impossible task from
their unique angles.
Alright, so here's what Irecommend for you if you're
writing a story with multiplepoint of view characters Make a

(04:19):
list of all your potential pointof view characters and then,
for each one, write a singlesentence explaining why their
perspective is essential foryour story.
If you struggle to write thatsentence, then that is your
answer.
Alright, so that is tip numberone only use the point of views
that you truly need.
Tip number two is to give eachcharacter a distinctive voice.
So once you've figured outwhich point of view characters

(04:41):
are truly necessary, it's timeto develop each one fully, and I
mean fully.
Each point of view charactershould feel like the protagonist
of their own story, completewith their own arc and their own
distinctive voice.
And here's what I mean bydistinctive voice.
Your reader should be able totell whose perspective they're
reading from the writing alone,without needing chapter headings

(05:01):
or name tags.
Of course, you can includethose things as well, but
ideally, readers should be ableto tell whose perspective
they're in just from reading thetext alone.
So, to come up with adistinctive voice for each
character, I want you to thinkabout how each one of your point
of view characters usesdifferent sentence structures.
So, for example, do they talkin a short and clipped way, or

(05:21):
is their way of speaking moreflowing and descriptive?
I also want you to think abouthow each point of view character
notices different details intheir environment.
So, for example, a soldiermight spot exits in every room,
while an artist might focus onthe light and color of any given
environment.
You can also think about eachcharacter's unique vocabulary,
the metaphors they use and thespeech patterns they have, as

(05:44):
well as how they each reactemotionally in ways that reflect
their personality.
Alright, so that's where Iwould start in terms of
developing distinctive voicesfor each of your characters.
But voice is just one piece ofthe puzzle.
Each point of view characteralso needs their own complete
character arc, so they shouldstart the story with specific
goals and flaws, face challengesthat test them, grow throughout

(06:06):
the story and reach some kindof resolution by the end.
And so, if you're writing astory with multiple point of
view characters, here's what Iwant you to do I want you to
create a character worksheet foreach point of view character
that includes their unique voicecharacteristics, their
worldview, their goals and adescription of their art.
And then, as an extra challenge, I want you to write a page

(06:27):
from each character describingthe same moment.
Their voices should be sodistinct that someone else could
read those pages andimmediately know which character
is which.
All right.
So that is tip number two.
You want to give each charactera distinctive voice, all right.
Moving on to tip number three,and that is to stick to one
point of view character perscene.
And this is where evenexperienced writers trip up

(06:50):
sometimes.
Head hopping or jumping betweendifferent characters' thoughts
within a single scene is one ofthe fastest ways to confuse and
frustrate your readers.
So here's an example of whatnot to do.
Sarah watched John enter theroom, her heart racing at the
sight of him.
He noticed her staring andwondered why she seemed so
nervous.
She wished she could read hismind.

(07:11):
Now, assuming you're not writinga story with an omniscient
narrator because, remember, wetalked about that in the
beginning writing a story frommultiple perspectives is
different than writing a storywith an omniscient narrator can
you see how something like thatwould be jarring?
We jumped from Sarah's thoughtsto John's thoughts and then
back again to Sarah's thoughtsin just three sentences.
Luckily, the solution for thisis simple but strict.

(07:33):
You just want to stick to onepoint of view per scene and then
only switch perspectives atlogical breakpoints, like scene
breaks, new chapters or aftersignificant time jumps.
Now, if you're writing a storywith multiple point of view
characters, here's what I wantyou to do.
I want you to go through yourmanuscript and mark every single
point of view shift, make sureeach one happens at a logical

(07:54):
breakpoint and that you'rechoosing the most compelling
perspective for each scene.
Alright, and that is tip numberthree stick to one point of
view per scene.
Tip number four is don't repeatinformation unless it reveals
something new, and this is oneof the biggest momentum killers
in multi-point of view novelsredundancy, or showing the same
event from multiple perspectiveswithout adding anything.

(08:16):
So here's the rule I want youto live by Only show the same
scene from multiple perspectivesif it A reveals crucial
information that the firstcharacter didn't know, b shows
completely differentinterpretations of the same
interaction, c exposes lies andor misconceptions, or D adds

(08:36):
emotional depth that changes themeaning of the scene.
If it doesn't do one of thosefour things, then skip it and
just move the story forwardinstead.
All right, now, if you arewriting a story with multiple
point of view characters, here'swhat I want you to do I want
you to review any scenes thatyou've shown from multiple
perspectives For each one,identify what new and important

(08:57):
information the additionalviewpoints add.
If they don't significantlychange the reader's
understanding, then considerrestructuring them or cutting
them.
All right.
So that is tip number fourdon't repeat information unless
it reveals something new.
Tip number five is to balancepage time among your point of
view characters.
Now, this isn't to say that youneed to give every point of

(09:17):
view character the exact samenumber of pages, but you should
aim for some kind of balance orintention behind your choice,
especially if you've set certainexpectations for your readers.
So, for example, romancereaders typically expect roughly
equal time with both of thelove interests.
In a dual point of view novel,in something like an epic
fantasy, you have moreflexibility, but you still need

(09:39):
to ensure that each character'sstoryline is properly developed.
So if you are writing a storywith multiple point of view
characters, here's what I wantyou to do.
I want you to track each pointof view character's appearances
throughout your manuscript, notethe word counts and look for
significant imbalances betweenthe different perspectives.
Then map each character's arcagainst your overall story

(10:01):
structure to ensure thateveryone receives proper
development.
Alright, so that is tip.
Number five balance page timeamong your point of view
characters.
Now here's what I want you totake away from this episode.
Writing multiple point of viewnovels is challenging, but it's
also one of the most rewardingapproaches to storytelling, when
you get it right.
Remember that this is anadvanced technique that takes

(10:22):
practice.
Your first attempt might not beperfect, and that's okay.
Each draft will bring youcloser to mastering this
powerful approach.
So keep these five tips in mindas you work.
Number one use only the pointof views you truly need.
Number two give each charactera distinctive voice and a
complete arc.
Number three stick to one pointof view per scene.

(10:42):
Number four don't repeatinformation unless it reveals
something new.
And finally, number five,balance page time among your
point of view, characters and,most importantly, trust your
creative instincts.
If your story is calling formultiple perspectives, then
honor that impulse.
With patience, practice andthese techniques, you can
absolutely write a compellingmulti-point of view novel.

(11:05):
All right, so that's it for thisepisode of the Fiction Writing
Made Easy podcast.
Head over to savannagilbocomforward slash podcast for the
complete show notes, includingthe resources I mentioned today,
as well as bonus materials tohelp you implement what you've
learned.
And if you're ready to get morepersonalized guidance for your
specific writing stage.
Whether you're just startingout, stuck somewhere in the

(11:26):
middle of a draft, drowning inrevisions, or getting ready to
publish, take my free 30-secondquiz at savannahgilbocom forward
slash quiz.
You'll get a customized podcastplaylist that'll meet you right
where you're at and help youget to your next big milestone.
Last but not least, make sureto follow this podcast in your
podcast player of choice,because I'll be back next week
with another episode full ofactionable tips, tools and

(11:49):
strategies to help you become abetter writer.
Until then, happy writing.