Helloooo everybody! I'm finally talking about it, okay? You have been asking me forever about how to
write a multi-perspective novel, and seeing as I'm in the thick of writing a multi-perspective novel,
now seems like the perfect time to dive in! I'm listing the 10 best tips I've learned throughout
this process. Some of these tips should be common sense, but well, common sense ain't
common! And some of these tips just might break your poor little writer heart. But I don't care,
‘cause I’m a bitch! Check out my advice for writing a multi-perspective novel, and sorry in
advance for the last one. (Mouths: I’m not sorry.)
(The sound of a pen scratching.) LOGO.
Multi-perspective novels are super popular in
genre fiction, particularly fantasy and romance, so I'm not surprised that you guys want to hear
about it. This video was requested by two of my patrons over on Patreon, Kody Ryan Munson and
Karayah Whiseheart. These two sweethearts wanted to know the do's and don'ts of multiple perspectives,
and you know me, I aim to please! Before we get started, let's give a big shout out to Skillshare,
who has generously sponsored today's video! You guys already know how much I love Skillshare. It's
an online learning community featuring thousands of classes just for creators where you can explore
new skills, deepen existing passions, and expand your creativity. They have
classes in a range of topics like illustration, business, marketing, web design, and of course,
they have classes in creative writing. Skillshare is curated specifically for learning. That means
no ads! Plus they're always launching new premium classes, which means you can stay focused and
follow wherever your creativity or writing journey leads you. I am both a student at Skillshare
as well as a teacher. I have a new class on Skillshare all about how to self-publish your
book from start to finish. It's a step-by-step guide to self-publishing the right way so you
can tackle the process easily and effectively. I've also got a couple of classes all about
digital marketing for writers, so you can learn how to grow your author platform like I grew mine
and how to plan an awesome book release. Whether you're looking to grow your craft or explore brand
new skills, Skillshare's got you covered! Plus, they're super affordable. An annual subscription
is less than $10 bucks a month! That said, I've got a Skillshare deal just for you guys. Stick
around until the end of this video to find out about it! Don't forget to subscribe to
my channel! I post new videos on Wednesdays, and if you want to be alerted as SOON as I upload,
ring that bell. Do it! I said so! And be sure to check out The Savior’s Series! It is my number one
best-selling dark fantasy romance series, thus far featuring The Savior's Champion and The Savior's
Sister. It's available in ebook, paperback, hardback, and audiobook, and it's available wide!
All over the place! So check it out! I've got it linked below. Now let's get into my top 10 tips
for writing multiple points of view, shall we? Number One (1): Calm your tits. I know you love
your characters and you want to give each of them their own point of view, but don't do it.
Why? Because you're the only person who gives a shit. It's annoying as a reader to flip through
a zillion different perspectives. One, because that's a whole lot less time we get to spend with
our favorite characters. Two, because it distances us from everyone, as opposed to allowing us to get
close to one or two characters. And three, if you've got a million different perspectives,
chances are most of them just aren't that valuable. The general consensus I've seen
among writers is that you probably shouldn't do more than five perspectives. However, I think more
often than not, three is plenty. Number Two (2): Outline. I'm sorry, but if you're trying to pants
a multi-perspective novel, you're gonna be at it for a decade trying to wrangle all those details.
I'm sure you can think of a writer who fits that description. It's hard enough to keep track
of one plot and one main character, let alone multiple. This is especially true if each of your
perspectives is in their own setting, embarking on their own journey, and it's even worse if they are
in their own timeline. It behooves you to outline these perspectives ahead of time. That way,
you already know where everyone is at any given moment. It'll make the writing process
so much easier. Number Three (3): Voice matters. When you switch perspectives, you are switching
to a new character, a new mind, and a new point of view, so their voice needs to reflect that.
First person perspective is written directly from a character's point of view, which means any
shifts in perspective need to have a very obvious change. My voice ain't the same as Cliff's voice;
we are different people and thus we speak differently. In third person, the change might
not be quite as drastic because the narration isn't coming directly from the character's mouth.
But it is coming from their mind, so you still need to include some kind of shift or change.
The way they think and view the world needs to be reflected in the narrative voice. In The Savior’s
Series, Tobias is way more romantic than Leila, so his viewpoint reflects that. Both characters are
fighters, but Tobias reacts on more of a primal instinct, whereas Leila is cunning and trained.
These types of distinctions matter, and it's imperative to consider them when switching between
perspectives. Number Four (4): Equality matters. Multi-perspective novels are nearly impossible to
make completely equal. There's no way to ensure that each character gets the exact same amount of
page time. It's just not gonna happen. And if you are literally counting pages, I'm afraid for you.
But you should at least try to ensure that the perspectives are equal-ish. That means
each character has roughly the same amount of page time. Maybe not exact, but close enough. If you've
got two perspectives, aim for 50 / 50, though 40 / 60 is perfectly fine. If you've got three
perspectives, each character should have roughly a third of the book. But you should not walk away
from your draft with one character carrying 80% of the novel, because if that's the case, this
book probably only needs one perspective. Number Five (5): Mix it up. It's very annoying when you
read a book and there's only one perspective for a hundred pages, and then suddenly, it shifts.
People get comfortable with a particular voice. They are used to that style and character,
so be sure to mix it up frequently enough so that readers are comfortable with all perspectives. If
it's impossible for you to do this, say the second perspective only becomes relevant 300 pages in,
ask yourself, “Do you need this perspective at all?” I know it's not always possible to do a
perspective shift every other chapter. Though if you're able to do this, I highly encourage it.
But try to keep the shifts varied. Otherwise, readers are going to get
comfortable with one particular voice and then they're gonna struggle to adjust to another.
Number Six (6): Shift responsibly. You can't just shift perspectives willy-nilly.
You can't be mid-scene and then shift from one perspective to another. Trust me, I've
tried it. It doesn't work. What you need to do is separate the shifts and perspectives via scenes,
chapters, or sections. In other words, if you're shifting from one perspective to another this
either needs to happen at the end of a chapter and the start of a new one, or at the end of a section
in your novel and the start of the new one. And if you need to shift perspectives mid-chapter,
this is fine if you utilize a scene break. A scene break is basically a decorative symbol that occurs
mid-chapter letting readers know that we are shifting to a new scene. If you utilize
a scene break, you could potentially shift to a new perspective without jarring the reader,
which brings us to Number Seven (7): Define the shift in perspective. It is so annoying when
writers shift perspectives and the reader has no idea. I know you think it's obvious, but it's not
always obvious to the rest of us. It's extremely easy to reflect the shift; all you have to do
is label the shift. If you flip through any multi-perspective novel, you'll notice that most
of them will label who is speaking at the start of the chapter or the start of the scene. They
literally write the character's name under the scene break or the chapter number. I wish I could
elaborate or make it sound fancy and complex, but it's that simple. Number Eight (8): Choose wisely.
This may be a multi-perspective novel. It may also tell several different stories. But all these
perspectives weave together into a singular plot and you need to make sure that you are writing a
scene from the exact perspective that moves the plot forward best in that moment. “But Jenna,
what if I'm writing a scene that includes all of the POV characters?” Choose the point of view
that carries the most weight. What is the theme of this scene? What exactly are you trying to convey?
If you want to write a sad scene, go into the mindset of the character that takes this blow the
hardest. On a similar note, which point of view is most emotional based on the theme of this scene?
It's possible that this situation won't matter much to one character, but will be supremely
impactful to another. That's the character you should be writing through. And most importantly,
which character has the most to lose? High stakes drive a story forward better than anything else.
Number Nine (9): Don't repeat. Every once in a while, you'll read a multi-perspective
novel where the same scene is retold from another character's perspective for no reason whatsoever.
Don't do that! Unless it is absolutely pivotal to see the same chain of events through a different
set of eyeballs, rehashing the same scene in the same book isn't engaging. It's boring. “But Jenna,
I'm the exception to the rule!” Is that because both perspectives reveal a plot point that moves
the story forward and without these plot points the story cannot continue? “Well, no, but…”
Then you're not the exception, dummy! Unless the story absolutely cannot progress without a rehash,
don't do it. And Number Ten (10): Be honest with yourself. Are you including multiple perspectives
because they all carry equal weight? Because their voices are engaging and entertaining? Because they
each move the plot forward? If you cannot say yes to all of these questions, then the extra
perspectives do not need to exist. Sure, you can include the character in the story, but they
should probably be a part of the supporting cast. We don't need to follow them unless their actions
guide the direction of the plot. This is when you need to be honest with yourself. There are plenty
of characters that I love and adore, but I can honestly say that their side stories don't move
my overall plot forward. If that's the case, and you've got some scenes you really want to write
for them, write them as short stories and save it for your mailing list. But you don't need to
add an entire perspective to your novel just to dish out fluff pieces. I know you really, really,
really want to write from these perspectives because these characters are your sweet,
precious babies and you love them, but no one else gives a fuck. So that's all I got for you today!
A huge thank you to Skillshare for sponsoring today's video! I am a big fan of their platform,
that's why I am both a student and a teacher there. If you're interested in growing your
craft or taking any of my classes, the first 1,000 people who click the link in the description below
will be getting a free trial of Skillshare Premium membership. That is a free trial for you to take
thousands of classes! So click the link, get on it! And a huge thank you to Kody and Karayah
for requesting today's topic! If you'd like the chance to have a video dedicated to you or if you
want access to tons of other rewards, check me out on Patreon! You get early access to videos,
you get access to an exclusive writing group, we have monthly live streams, we have signed
merch! Definitely check it out! I've got it linked below. Don't forget to subscribe to my channel! I
post new videos on Wednesdays, and if you want to be alerted as SOON as I upload, ring that bell.
The Savior’s Champion and The Savior's Sister are available in ebook, paperback, hardback,
they are available in audiobook. I have them linked below! Check ‘em out! And be sure to follow
me on social media! I'm on Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook, BookBub, and of course, you can tweet me
@JennaMoreci! Bye!
(Stern, Polished Female Voice) This is Mousumi. Per orders,
you must subscribe to Jenna's channel and ring that bell. Your Sovereign commands it. Any
deviation from his word will be penalized harshly, so if you know what's good for you, subscribe.