Multi-POV beginnings

[allmywires]

Argh! So I'm having a little meltdown. I'm not very good at beginnings as it is, and this new one is giving me a massive headache. I have 4 eek POV characters in this WIP, and they're all interlinked, though in pairs (ie, two characters each are intrinsically linked). I need to get the right amount of intrigue vs exposition and I'm finding it almost impossible.

So, is it best to give a little background to the POV characters before they meet? (Pretty much as soon as they meet they start working on a major plot, which I think does need a bit of background). I want to start straight with the meeting, because it has intrigue, but I also don't want the readers to go 'Whoa!' as I zoom through and they feel a bit lost without any exposition.

Any pointers from seasoned multi-POV writers?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Not seasoned in any way... but I try to embed the reader in one pov for a while, before switching to the other. I usually try to go about 1500 words minimum, sometimes more if the story allows. Is there one of the two storylines which is either the more engaging or the more urgent? If so I'd start with one of the povs of that story, and try to go as far as I can with that. Then shift, either to the other story and it's dominant pov, or to the other pov.

In terms of info... you know the answer. Enough that we can follow, not enough to bore us. Dead easy...

 

[Erin99]

If you throw too many POVs at readers at the start, you risk readers not being immersed in the character (and, perhaps, so they don't care about said character, because there are too many to follow at once). But if you space them out and give us time to get to know someone a little and feel for them, THEN it's a good time to switch POVs if you need to.

The Chathrand Voyage did this - there were far too many POVs thrown in at first, and it was chapter nine or so before I started caring for the main MAIN character.

Just my opinion, though!

 

[HareBrain]

I want to start straight with the meeting, because it has intrigue, but I also don't want the readers to go 'Whoa!' as I zoom through and they feel a bit lost without any exposition.

Any pointers from seasoned multi-POV writers?

Just because the four characters that meet will all become POV characters, doesn't mean they have to be POVs (PsOV?) from the start. One of my main characters doesn't become a POV until ch21, even though she's there from the beginning. (To be honest, some readers thought she should become one a few chapters in, but I think I get away with it.)

So I'd agree with sticking with one of them for a couple of chapters at least.

 

[Erin99]

One of my main characters doesn't become a POV until ch21, even though she's there from the beginning.

Hear, hear! I think my second main POV starts in chapter seven or something like that, and my third may start around eight or nine.

 

[Boneman]

Kinda difficult... if the story is really really great, we (the readers) don't notice/give a hoot about pov changes, because we're swept along. If the story is great, we don't really care, as we're jollied along. If the story is ok, we sometimes care, and sometimes not, because we latch onto our favourite characters and look for them to carry us along. If the story's not that good, the pov changes annoy us and we stop reading...

BUT... we (on the chrons) are not the readers; most of them have no idea about pov changes, they just want a good story.

The answer is: first and foremost write a really, really great story. Second, worry about pov changes... Sometimes we do worry too much and I absolutely agree that the better/more natural the pov changes are, the better the chances of a really really great story are, because we know our craft and we work bloody hard to get that bit right.

All we need is the really really great story...

 

[The Judge]

Not sure if I've got the wrong end of the stick here, but why should the fact they are POV characters mean you've got to explain their background before or as soon as they appear? Treat them just like any other character, whether they are POVing at the time or not.

If it's of any help, I have multi-POvs (ie as in over a dozen) in each of my SFs and although we see some of them before they are POV'd, a number of them come to the page completely new. In my fantasy I have only three POV characters (and it will stay only three, so there!) and they all appear as completely new characters in their own POV in the first chapter: A (819 words), B (913), A again (1051) and C -- B is present in that scene but doesn't speak -- (1395). I think it works. But after that I spend some time (2 chapters, about 12,000 words pre-machete cutting) alternating between B&C to get to know them before reverting to A again and staying with her for 3 chapters (13,000 words).

 

[allmywires]

Thanks everyone. I'm now reworking the beginning so we spent more time with POV 1 before switching. It also gives a bit of background to the initial inciting event which will hopefully work.

Not sure if I've got the wrong end of the stick here, but why should the fact they are POV characters mean you've got to explain their background before or as soon as they appear? Treat them just like any other character, whether they are POVing at the time or not.

Well the main problem is that my beginning was approximately 500 words of the main POV character, followed by another 500 words-ish of another POV character, which then switched back to the main POV as they meet. So I felt like I wasn't staying in either POV long enough, especially the second, as her character didn't pop up for another few chapters, let alone her POV. if I'm making sense here!

 

[Mouse]

I'm with TJ, I don't really get what you're on about, missus.

So, is it best to give a little background to the POV characters before they meet?

No. Why would you?

Not seasoned in any way... but I try to embed the reader in one pov for a while, before switching to the other. I usually try to go about 1500 words minimum, sometimes more if the story allows.

I have exactly 177 words of Ambrose POV right at the beginning of TBM before I switch to Jenn's POV. Not one person has yet complained about this.

 

[allmywires]

It's hard to explain. I think I just suck at beginnings.

 

[Mouse]

It's hard to explain. I think I just suck at beginnings.

You don't suck at beginnings, you just over think stuff!

 

[allmywires]

You don't suck at beginnings, you just over think stuff!

Overthink? Who? Me?

 

[The Judge]

I think I just suck at beginnings.

You should never say things like that. That's our job. (Not really!!)

500 of one, then 500 of another, then back to the first isn't so very different from what I've done, so don't panic. If you can give the first chap(ess) a bit more before swapping, or keep it all in his/her POV rather than going to the new woman before they meet, then that might be best, since some readers like to get to know the characters for longer, but if it doesn't work, don't force it. As Boneman says, if the story is grabby enough, then people will forgive almost anything.

 

[allmywires]

I think what I'll do/am doing is flesh the first couple of bits out, because I've had feedback on my beginning which is essentially -- good, but too much meandering description (I will beat that someday!). So I'll make it tighter, snappier, stay with her for 2-3k before switching to my second POV. Then stay with her a little longer before the rest of the book starts (since she gets imprisoned, so it's probably better for the reader to feel just a little attached to her before she gets hauled off to jail).

Phew!

 

[Ursa major]

I've read your later posts, but anyway....

Well the main problem is that my beginning was approximately 500 words of the main POV character, followed by another 500 words-ish of another POV character, which then switched back to the main POV as they meet. So I felt like I wasn't staying in either POV long enough, especially the second, as her character didn't pop up for another few chapters, let alone her POV. if I'm making sense here!

One way round this is to have the scene in the main character's PoV, including the meeting, and omit the middle scene. Whatever useful information was in that middle scene can be put into:

1. the latter part of that first (main character's) PoV scene:
   1. as is, if it's obvious stuff, such as appearance** or general information about the second PoV character,
   2. in dialogue, i.e. the second character telling the first something;
2. a later chapter of the second PoV character, if it's stuff you want to keep from PoV character one;

Omit anything that was in that second scene that just provided a framework for the scene (e.g. descriptions of the location).


** - Obviously, if character two was describing character one, this would be harder to do in character one's PoV.

 

[ctg]

If you want to try something completely different then try what M J Harrison did in his novel Light, where the MC's started 1400 years and half a book between them. What I'm trying to say and what others already illustrated you can start all MC's in the scene and go from there OR you can think about your story structure and introduce a character when and if you need them.

 

[Warren_Paul]

If it matters for anything, when Ian Irvine introduced a new character in his novel Geomancer, the first scene involving this particular character was two sentences... yes, a two sentence long scene. Then he did another scene of just a paragraph. They both were on the same page. At the time, the reader didn't even know who one of them was, and the other they'd only heard mention of the character's name but nothing else.