Ever wondered how to decide which character should tell each part of your multi-POV story? In this video, I walk through a analysis of the opening chapters of Robert B. Parker’s “Night Passage” to show you how a master mystery writer handles multiple points of view—including some surprisingly creative choices that blend POVs within single chapters. You’ll see concrete examples of how different character perspectives can strengthen your storytelling, along with cautions about when mixing POVs works and when it might confuse readers.
How do I decide which point of view I should use in which chapter in a multiple point of view book? consider an exemplar, let’s take a look at Robert B. Jesse Stone mystery, Night Passage.” I analyzed the first 18 chapters. Of the first 18, nine of them are from Jesse’s point of view.
He’s the protagonist. Two of them are from Hathaway. He’s the antagonist. Then we have chapters by a victim. Chapter by the villain. Another chapter by the villain’s wife. But what’s interesting is three sentences. The villain interjects into his wife’s chapter. Very interesting. It’d be because it’s a metaphor. He’s trying to inject himself back into his ex-wife’s life. And here he is interjecting himself into her chapter. It’s great. There are other chapters by other minor characters. The one that I want to in particular is that in one of the chapters, Jesse has a love interest named Abby Taylor And she gets two sentences of his chapter. One in the middle, one at the end. That’s interesting.
So, yes, it can be done to mix points of view within a chapter. It’s hard. You have to be careful. You want to be sure you don’t confuse anyone. And make sure you have a good reason for doing it. If this tip had value for you, would you like it?
make these videos even more valuable for you. And I’d love to hear your thoughts on multiple points of view within a chapter.
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