Multiple POVs

Jack asked a question in the comments, and I thought I'd answer it here, where everyone can see. I didn't have a post in mind for today, anyway. And I want to let you all know I'm still here and hope to get back to critiquing soon.

Life got in the way for several days here and there, and I fell behind on my word count. I'm trying to make up for that. But that has nothing to do with why I'm not critiquing--I find the crits a welcome break and generally tackle them during non-writing hours. Once again, the trickle of submissions has stopped. But I'm spreading the word, so stay tuned!

Okay, on to the question. To boil it down, Jack asked if I saw any drawbacks with weaving another POV (point of view) into his story. Any traps he might fall into.

I always have more than one POV character in books I write. (Okay, working on #3 right now. Don't mean to sound like a seasoned pro.) I personally like the depth this gives the story. A different character can be privy to something the other character(s) would never know. It adds another layer and a broader scope.

On the negative side, with multiple POVs, you lose some of the intimacy with your main character. Some see this as a negligible drawback. Others see that intimacy as so vital they'd never dream of having more than one POV character.

I happen to think a good balance can give you closeness with the characters, as well as a broader story. My advice, try it out and see how it fits.

Here's a list of things to avoid. Not necessarily aimed at Jack, who was only talking about adding one character. They're just good general guidelines.

• A superfluous character who doesn't add anything to the story. He's just there for filler because the word count wasn't high enough.
• Too many POV characters. If a character has a minor role in your story, does the reader really need to see things from inside his head?
• Confusing scene beginnings where the reader will have to start over after two pages because they thought they were in someone else's head. In other words, make it clear whose POV you're in from the first paragraph whenever possible. If not the first sentence.

I'm flying by the seat of my pants for this post. Those are the three things I've seen most often in my critiquing experience. Nothing else comes to mind at the moment. Readers, if you think of other things to watch for, please post them in the comments.

That's one of the things I like about the readership I've attracted. Some of you have been writing for years and have at least one manuscript that's ready for publication. One or more of you have been published. While others are just starting out--working on their very first draft ever.

And they're the truly brave ones. To send something to me for public critique on a first draft? I applaud you.