I want to write a romance, but long time I couldn't decide how to create a plot scenes if I want to tell it by my point of view (because I'm telling a story about my life) and to tell the story from a side. So today I decided to write the beginning of each part by my point of view (like I would tell what I was thinking at that time and doing) and later to write the continue of each part like some person would continue telling a story from aside. It should be look like: (it's just an example and my grammar is poor because I'm writting the text in my native language, which is not english) A (my part) I was sitting in the room, thinking of him when the phone rang. He was the one I loved, but not so long ago he left me and drove to capital... B (part from aside) She raised her eyes and picked up the phone. - Hello? - her voice was silent and afraid. The Mark was calling. She didn't know what to say... Well it's not a part of my romance, it's just the sentences I wrote as example. Well should I separate these paragraphs somehow? Should I write my words in italic or other font or etc? How should I separate them, that my reader would understand that there is 2 parts in each story (a beginning told by my words and the continue by aside)? Sorry for my poor English, but I hope that you understood my question
i'd strongly advise against such a method... it would probably be more annoying to readers, than anything positive...
But why is it annoying? How should I tell the story if I have my point of view and I know that other people know this story from another side which is very different and I want to tell the both sides?
Flip-flopping between a first- and third-person POV, especially on the same character, is disruptive to the reader's immersion in the story. Writers have managed it, some more successfully than others, but it's not a strategy I'd recommend to a new writer. If you decide to do it anyway, do not use italics. Separate the first person from the third with section breaks, or format it as a block quote, and perhaps limit it to the opening of each chapter. If the publisher decides to format it in italics, or in a different font face, that is their choice, but it does not belong in a manuscript. Italics do have specific functions in writing, and they do not include "let's make this text look different."
Ok then maybe I'll choose 2 strongest characters of my story (me and my best male friend) which will divide my book into 2 big parts and in one part it will be told by my POV and in the second from my best friend POV. Of course the events will be different, but there will act the same characters. Will it be good?
I agree, don't switch POVs. Choose the one that you think will work best overall in the story and go with it.
I wouldn't do it, I can say from experience that it does it get rather annoying and confusing. One of my friends was writing a story with two different points of view going back and forth, and I could barely even get through the first chapter let alone the entire thing.
You can change POV without having first person (I was sitting in a room...) and third person (She didn't know what to say. 'Hello?' he said...). You can still move between the points of view of the two main characters using third person--but don't seesaw between the characters too much. E.g: (Her POV) She was still sitting in the room. He was the one she loved, and she knew that he had feelings for her. So, why had he left? If only he would at least call... The phone shrilled beside her. Hot coffee slopped from her mug. 'Hello?' She nursed her burnt hand. (His POV) Her voice was muffled. It sounded like it was carrying twenty-four hours weight of crying. For a fleeting second, Mark was tempted to put the phone down with out speaking. No. That would be the coward's way out. 'It's me,' he managed to croak.
Some of my favourite books switch POV: The Time Traveller's Wife, If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things, The Moonstone. That means I'm not as negative about your idea as some others are. It needs very careful handling to make sure you keep the reader with you, but I think it can be made to work well. I suggest you try it, to see whether you can do it. If it doesn't work, try writing it from a fixed POV and see whether that works. It's only by trying that you'll learn what you can and can't do, and it's all good practice anyway.
I'm using two POVs in my book. I do have a good plot reason for this though. I wouldn't recommend more than that, I, like many other people, tend to get annoyed if there are two many chiefs and not enough Indians, so to speak. ( I did start out with SEVEN, and got 40k words in before I realised what a rubbish idea that was ! ) I sometimes get the impression it's a word count cop-out ! I can think of one author I did start out liking, but he swtiched POVs so many times, and really each POV didn't have much to add to the story that couldn't have been told through another character's eyes, just mundane stuff that I couldn't have cared less about......plus if you're going to kill characters early on, then why tell the tale from their POV ?? 3 chapters in and they're dead, well what was the point. But if you can do it from one POV, then stick to one. What will that 2nd POV add to your tale ? If nothing much, then don't bother.
I would say, if you want to switch POVs - and this can work well and be interesting, if done well - I wouldn't do it as two parts in the book, one huge chunk from character A's perspective, then the second huge chunk from character B's perspective. I'd alternate between every one or two chapters. And make it pretty clear who's talking (i.e. put narrator's name at start of chapter or something). Just my opinion, anyway. Or don't change POV at all.
