Help! Please.

hdw1213 · 08-05-2009, 06:05 PM

I am very new so I apologise in advance. I am having a difficult time trying to find the best way to change the POV from my main character to the POV of another in order to let the reader in on some things that the main character is not supposed to know yet. Any suggestions? For instance: I have a female character that is involved in the lives of 2 brothers with a family secret. How do I switch from her view point to one of the brothers to explain the family secret and wether he embraces it on not. I have seen it done in other books, example: Breaking Dawn. Stephanie switches from the POV of Bella to the POV of Jacob by starting a chapter and titling it Jacob's story...would this work? Or is there a better way?

Thanks in advance.

Neca · 08-06-2009, 03:19 PM

Is this female character written in first-person perspective? If not, I don't think there needs to be a whole lot of explanation. Just start a new chapter or even a new scene and start writing from the brother's perspective.

If the female character is written in first-person perspective... well, you could still do the brother in third-person if you wanted to; I've seen plenty books that switch back and forth plenty of times. (Though it might seem a bit odd if you only used his perspective in a single chapter. I would suggest writing a number of scenes from his perspective that are spaced throughout the book.)

If you really want to do his scene in first-person too, I suppose you could use a chapter title with the character's name, like you said. Though when I've seen this done, the book usually switches between various characters throughout the entire story, not just one or two times.

Also... is there a good reason for the reader to know these things before your character does? Just something to think about.

Best of luck.

alikat · 08-08-2009, 04:04 PM

I like the way Robert Jordan does it. He writes in third person, but switched between many different character's points of view. He begins each section, when its a new character by saying something like "Mat looked into the fire" so the reader knows whose point a view it now is. Or he would have another character say the name of the character it now is. I think its a good way to do it so there is no confusion.

ElizabethKeydaydon · 01-17-2010, 05:58 PM

i would price it like this

cpu: 200
memory: 300 12gb ddr3
unknown x58 mb 150
ms home premium : 100
1tb 7200 rpm HD: 80
unknown 430W PSU: 20
cheap keyboardmouse: 20
geforce 8400: 30
case: 20
cd/dvd drive: 20

total value is about 940 worth of stuff, so i think its a good price for a pre-built

for anyone who wants to argue/etc. please post a link to where you can find it for cheaper

i think its a decent computer, definitely not for gaming, but good for video encoding/etc.

01-17-2010, 05:58 PM	#4
ElizabethKeydaydon Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: USA Posts: 1	Help Please i would price it like this cpu: 200 memory: 300 12gb ddr3 unknown x58 mb 150 ms home premium : 100 1tb 7200 rpm HD: 80 unknown 430W PSU: 20 cheap keyboardmouse: 20 geforce 8400: 30 case: 20 cd/dvd drive: 20 total value is about 940 worth of stuff, so i think its a good price for a pre-built for anyone who wants to argue/etc. please post a link to where you can find it for cheaper i think its a decent computer, definitely not for gaming, but good for video encoding/etc.

08-05-2009, 06:05 PM	#1
hdw1213 Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 1	I am very new so I apologise in advance. I am having a difficult time trying to find the best way to change the POV from my main character to the POV of another in order to let the reader in on some things that the main character is not supposed to know yet. Any suggestions? For instance: I have a female character that is involved in the lives of 2 brothers with a family secret. How do I switch from her view point to one of the brothers to explain the family secret and wether he embraces it on not. I have seen it done in other books, example: Breaking Dawn. Stephanie switches from the POV of Bella to the POV of Jacob by starting a chapter and titling it Jacob's story...would this work? Or is there a better way? Thanks in advance.

08-06-2009, 03:19 PM	#2
Neca Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 228	Is this female character written in first-person perspective? If not, I don't think there needs to be a whole lot of explanation. Just start a new chapter or even a new scene and start writing from the brother's perspective. If the female character is written in first-person perspective... well, you could still do the brother in third-person if you wanted to; I've seen plenty books that switch back and forth plenty of times. (Though it might seem a bit odd if you only used his perspective in a single chapter. I would suggest writing a number of scenes from his perspective that are spaced throughout the book.) If you really want to do his scene in first-person too, I suppose you could use a chapter title with the character's name, like you said. Though when I've seen this done, the book usually switches between various characters throughout the entire story, not just one or two times. Also... is there a good reason for the reader to know these things before your character does? Just something to think about. Best of luck.

08-08-2009, 04:04 PM	#3
alikat Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,278	I like the way Robert Jordan does it. He writes in third person, but switched between many different character's points of view. He begins each section, when its a new character by saying something like "Mat looked into the fire" so the reader knows whose point a view it now is. Or he would have another character say the name of the character it now is. I think its a good way to do it so there is no confusion.